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Bending Molding for stairs

jewen | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 8, 2004 04:19am

I  am in the process of finishing an installation of hard wood stairs with a few tough items left to complete the job.  The bottom two steps are radiused on one end.  Getting the treads and risers to the desired curve was the easy part for me.  Where I am have difficulties is in getting the cove molding under the treads and the base shoe at floor level to bend properly to conform to the curves.  I’ve tried kerfing out the back of the cove and shoe and that does not work.  The moldings bending but the profiles become distorted.  I’ve tried soaking the pieces for 6 hours (unkerfed) and had about the same results as just kerfing.  Are there prebent pieces available that I have not yet found or does anyone else have some tricks up their sleeve.  All help and sugestions would b apreciated.

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  1. zendo | Dec 08, 2004 04:37am | #1

    umm I have kerfed against the grain before, but that would be better suited for with the grain applications. 

    Steam would probably do the trick, but I might sooner try making a jig that matches the stairs in my shop, then rip the cove into strips, laminating it back together with a curve.  It would probably take more cove and shoe pieces then the straight stock, but I think you could think that through. 

    Or I would laminate some other stock, then cut to look like cove molding with my router

    There are also some specialty moldings that are flexible, but I dont know how much time you have.

     

    Sounds like my kind of job, good job taking a bid that tests your skills.

    -zen



    Edited 12/7/2004 8:38 pm ET by zendo

  2. VaTom | Dec 08, 2004 04:37am | #2

    I've made curved molding for those occasions.  Not difficult if you have access to a shop.  Just start out with the proper curve and cut the molding.

    PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

    1. Scooter1 | Dec 08, 2004 04:58am | #3

      A couple of ways to skin this cat.1. Bending Stock. This is pre-made stock with the profile already routed on to it, which is sliced into slices band sawed and bent around a form and glued in place. Then removed from the form and nailed or installed onto the stairs in question. If you make your own, you will lose a fair amount of stock with the kefts, so add an eighth of an inch to the stock thickness or so, depending on the radias and the number of slices you are making. This is how I make curved stair handrails.2. Steam Bent Stock. Use a PVC Tube and steam generator for about an hour and bend those rascals directly onto the stairs, if your quick, or make a bending jig.3. Kerfing. Often, the kerfs will show, however.Regards,
      Boris"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

      Edited 12/7/2004 9:00 pm ET by BORISYELTSIN

      1. jewen | Dec 08, 2004 06:36pm | #8

        I am thinking about trying to steam the moldings and using a bending jig.  Something that I always wanted to try but never have.  Can you give details on the PVC unit that you refered to.  I saw an episode of New Yankee wewre Norm made a steamer using 6" PVC pipe and a metal gas can for boiling.  I think aI remember enough of the details to make one but unsure of some of the specifics.  Any info would be apreciated.

         

         

        1. Scooter1 | Dec 08, 2004 07:59pm | #9

          Get a piece of Sch 40 PVC. Glue one end; drill a small hole in the bottom to drain condensed steam. Drill another hole for a half inch stub. This won't be pretty.Get a hot plate, a propane burner (for deep fat frying turkey's OK?) and a large tea pot. The trick, and this won't be pretty is to jury rig a hose from the tea pot to the half inch stub. Average steaming is an hour for each inch of thickness. Different woods have different abilities to be bent. White Oak is excellent.You have about 10-15 minutes after steaming to get the wood on the bending jig. There will be some spring back, which is impossible to predict. Make up 2, one may crack.Personally, I'd make up my own molding and bandsaw it into slices. This is how I do curved stairs, and indeed, some of the stair companies sell their own bending rail and bending moldings.Regards,
          Boris"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

  3. User avater
    JDRHI | Dec 08, 2004 06:52am | #4

    VaTom`s got the idea....make it yerself.

    Make up a mock up of the radius...laminate some lattice to desired thickness, and router your cove detail. It`ll be a lot easier on a table than trying to router it by hand.

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

    "DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"

  4. duster1 | Dec 08, 2004 09:40am | #5

    Here's what worked for me.  I did a quarter winder and the bottom 9 treads were all vertically overlapped (in the open side bullnose of the tread).   The design called for the 1/2" cove molding on the riser side and the underside of the outside bullnose.

    I glued a 1/4" piece of oak strip to the back of the molding, making a 6' section.   I cut the lengths as needed for the outside( covering the skirt) and then shaped the backside of the "sandwich" to match the curve of the skirt with a beltsander on its side and matched the miter cut under the bullnose point (not 45 due to the 10 degree/2 riser turn).  The resultant shadow line works fine, there are no gaps or splinters (ie kerfing).  The customer loved it as this kept the depth of the cove consistant on the treads.  See pictures.

    duster1

  5. maverick | Dec 08, 2004 03:34pm | #6

    rip as much of the back of the moulding off on your tablesaw as you can. The remaining piece will bend easily

  6. gordzco | Dec 08, 2004 04:34pm | #7

    On the downside, its a tight curve. On the upside, its the bottom two steps. Its a little easier to hide things down there than something at eye level.

    Making the moulding is a pain, although gluing together thin strips in the correct shape and then routering a cove into it may be the way to go if the stairway is unpainted.

    Another option is the build-up. You rip the moulding into thin bendable strips and then apply them to the stair, one by one until you have duplicated the moulding. Of course you will need several mouldings to replace pieces lost by the sawcuts. This works pretty good if its not something people will get a close look at as you will need a little filler here and there and a ton of sanding to get it right. You gotta watch the glue cause its easy to get it alll over the place. You may also want to use clamps and blocks if you don't have a micro pinner, or hand tack till the glue sets. An 18ga nail might blow the crap out of it.

     The trick to good finish carpentry is often what you don't see.

    Gord

    St.Margaret's Bay NS

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