# Chicago Bar Rail



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Hi everyone,

So I am building a bar for my garage. Everything is framed up nicely, a bar top selected and ready to be cut, but I can't figure out how to cut the traditional Chicago bar rail. I've scourged the internet and all the info I find is on how to install them, not how to actually make them. 

The cost of buying them precut is very high, plus that takes the fun out of building your own bar lol. So any advice on how to make the cuts would be fantastic.

Thanks everyone!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Making straight sections of bar rail isn't that difficult. It's basically making a cove cut, and then rounding over the outside corners. This site explains how to cut a cove on the table saw. The depth and width of the cove is determined by the height of the blade on the final pass, and the angle the stock is fed through the blade.

This bar rail started off with 8/4 stock. The cove was cut, and a 1" radius cutter was used on the outside edge for the rounding. On the inside, a notch is cut on the underside to sit on the bar top at the desired angle. The top edge is rounded over with the same router bit.
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## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks Cabinetman,

I was thinking about using the TS to make the cove cuts, but have no experience doing it. I've seen a few videos and it looks like you just have to make sure your layout and planning is right on.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

New2Woodworking said:


> Thanks Cabinetman,
> 
> I was thinking about using the TS to make the cove cuts, but have no experience doing it. I've seen a few videos and it looks like you just have to make sure your layout and planning is right on.


If you set it up correctly ,i.e., having the blade exposure captive in the width of the cove, and the line of feed for the fence in the correct combination, it is fairly easy. I would experiment with scrap, and practice setting and fixing the fence. Using incremental blade heights will give the depth of the cove, and the angle of the fence gives the width. You can make them as wide or as shallow as you want.

If you don't have any 8/4 stock to experiment, glue up some pine. Use some without knots.












 







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## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks again! Ill definitly be trying it out after work.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

New2Woodworking said:


> Thanks again! Ill definitly be trying it out after work.


Just a reminder about safety. Make sure your fence setup is fixed well, so it won't move. Use push sticks. Don't try to cut too deeply on each pass.

Just a tip. Draw out on the end the cove that you might like. As you do the machining you can ease up to the line. You could start with straight cuts with the kerfs taking out most of the stock, like this:
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## bb71 (Jan 23, 2010)

There is a very simple jig you can build to get the proper angle for running your stock through the saw. I'll take some pics of the one I built and post tonight. The process of cutting cove may seam somewhat daunting at first but after you've tried it you'll realize just how easy it is!


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## the marlboro man (May 24, 2010)

I think the easiest way is to cut on the table saw at a 45 degree angle several times a quarter of an inch at a time.


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## bb71 (Jan 23, 2010)

Sorry its not a great picture but here is the jig I use. This is simple to use. Basically its 1-1/4" x 3/4" pieces with bolts in the corners to allow it to pivot from a rectangle to a parallelogram.

To use it...

1 - Shift the long edges until the inside distance between them is the same as width as what you want your cove to be. For instance, you want a 3" wide cove, set the jig to be 3" on the inside of the long pieces.

2 - Unplug your saw (never trust a switch). Set your table saw blade height to the depth you want the cove.

3 - Place the jig over the saw blade and rotate it until both the front and back side of the blade just touch either of the insides of the jig. The wider your cove, the further towards perpindicular to the blade you would rotate the jig.

4 - You now have the angle for the fence you have to clamp down. You can draw a pencil line along the edge of the jig so it can be removed.

5 - Position a fence relative to that pencil line. I say relative because it depends where you want your cove to start within your piece of stop. Clamp your fence down SECURELY. Always make sure the fence is poistioned so you're cutting on the front side of the blade (fence is between the blade and the front of the saw). This way the pressure from making the cut is against your fence.

6 - Lower the blade and plug the saw back in. Raise the blade only a small amount (1/16" or less). Run your stock against the fence and watch your cove start to develop!

Using this method, I get coves dead on the first time.


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## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks bb71


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