Scribing With A Grinder

basswood

Here is a pic of a 1x4 scribed to crown molding and a link to a video showing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zyE6...eature=channel

I also used the grinder to cope the crown. The crown between the columns on this job was a fun challenge... double copes with pre-finished stain-grade crown.

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shanekw1

Too cool.

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Tinstaafl

Sheesh. Now I'm going to have to find the guard for my grinder.

basswood

Makes short work of scribing plam. top backsplashes too (I remove the bulk of the scribe on backsplashes with a handheld power planer, then hit the dips and waves with the grinder).

Sounds like a plan. You can do some finish work with a grinder... but is does raise a few eyebrows.

Gitrdone

Great tip!

I've coped trim to a wavy wall with a 4" grinder and a flap wheel, but never to a profile. The disk you are using looks thinner than a flap wheel though, what is it?

Railman

Bass,
For laminate, & resin/cultured marble tops, I always liked to use a 2,500 rpm 7" polisher with alum oxide #16 discs. For a while I used zirconia discs, but they were overkill.
The reasons I liked a polisher vs a grinder is: 1) it was more controllable, 2)the lower rpm made less airborne dust, 3) less resin build up on discs, which meant they lasted longer.
The 7" size was also easier to keep from gouging the cut, & still resulted in fast grind times, due to the increased surface area of the disc.

For detail work, I can easily see why the 4"er would be preferable. Grinders are often overlooked for trim scribe work.
Joe

basswood

I use 3M Sanding disks rather than the flapwheel. They are designed to be used with a backing attachment, but I just use two of the disks, back to back. The doubled disks lets you do both right and left copes, with the dust directed away from you. The disks often come out of the package shaped like potato chips, but if you line up the disks so they have opposing camber, when you tighten down the arbor nut--they flatten out nicely.

I buy them in 2-packs of just 36 grit from Menards. Online I could only find the combo packs:

http://doitbest.com/Sandpaper+and+em...sku-398810.dib

Great, just great... Now I need to buy a 7" polisher.

Good points. You just reminded me--I have a solid surface c-top install job to quote.

Cheers,

Bass

BuiltByMAC

Holy Schnike, you wear your wedding ring while working? Cool tip, though...

These days, mine only goes on when we go out to dinner together!

Mac

Quiglag

Here in Cali it is not uncommon to see some finish carpenters(mostly union) do full counter top scribes with a mini grinder. Actually I wouldn't even call them finish carpenters, they just do cabinet installs. Just the other day one of my co-workers picked up a cordless Makita grinder for such tasks.

basswood

My ring is scarf-jointed. If it catches on anything it will pop apart rather than cause a de-gloving injury. I had a goldsmith chop my ring for me... It has just a couple of tack welds and a thin film of gold over the joint. I installed all of the cabinets in the jewelers showroom and they fixed my ring "free". All I did for it was install 52 island cabinets:

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TimelessQuality

I always have my makita 7" polisher (w/grinding disc) with me for trim. It's electronic speed control... slows it way down

Clean up copes, put a little back bevel to tighten up a miter, and also for doors. It's easier to knock off a quarter inch than trying to saw.

Love that back to back disc idea...

You make it look too easy

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-Steve

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." ~ Albert Einstein

BuiltByMAC

Ah, makes much more sense now...mine's the reg. ol' pull-yer-finger-off kind!

Sounds like they got the better end of the deal!

Mac

basswood

Actually they paid me for the cabinet install... they threw in the ring scarf joint work for free... but I did bust my azz for them.

My original wedding band is in the firebox/safe too. The one I wear everyday is not only scarf-jointed it is a "comfort-band" made for people who work with their hands.

Tinstaafl

But still metallic. Since I do electrical work as part of my repertoire, about the best I could do would be a ring from a Crackerjack box. Thermal circumcision just ain't my thing.

Leo G

It's cool the way you do that, but.....Why do you need to scribe that part anyway? The crown will hide it. All it really needs is a little nip/tuck for the bottom notch on the crown. Either way, nice job.

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Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

basswood

Leo,

That is true. I did it just for fun... that and since I'm a few pieces of crown short on this job (and the scribing only takes a minute) I can leave the job for a week, looking good, 'til I add the last of the crown.

Sometimes I do stuff like that just so people don't ask, "Are you going to leave that like that?" They can't see how it will all go together like you can. It can take less time to scribe something than to answer the questions.

I also thought some folks here would find the method interesting.

Regards,

Bass

Leo G

Definitely interesting. Just curious at why you were spending precious time on something that will never be seen. I do it all the time, just ask Gus, he'll tell you all about me.

But I understand the reason you did it for. Customer satisfaction.

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http://lrgwood.com
Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut