I am making a table top with a serpentine shaped front edge which will be the MDF. I want to put a hardwood edge on the edge of the serpentine MDF edge. I have the template of the table top. I am now looking for a method or trick to milling the female edge of the hardwood to match perfectly the edge of the MDF. I can use a pattern to trace a line for both edges and cut them on the band saw but this takes very accurate cutting and “eye balling” to fit perfectly. Does anyone have a method using the router or another tool and the existing front serpentine table top edge to mill the matching edge of the hardwood edging?
Bob Hazard
[email protected]
Replies
Cut the edge of the MDF straight, apply the hardwood edge which only has to have the serpentine shape on the front edge. If that isn't the solution I'm really missing something about your design. If so, ask again with more info.nn
A Simpler Approach
Bob,
Steve Schoene has given you the the best solution, and the approach that is usually taken. There is no good way to cut the edge of the hardwood to match the curved edge of the MDF.
If you want to try, make a template to guide the router. Then rough cut the MDF and the wood so they fit more or less together and then use the template guided router, with a straight bit, to rout down the seam between the two pieces.
One of the projecs in Dining Tables by Kim Carleton Graves (?) describes making male and female templates using a router and corresponding template bushings. But a narrow piece of wood with short grain would break easily. I also like Steve's suggestion.
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