# Fluting Jig



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I use to have an OEM guide like this but it went bye-bye a long time ago. Found myself needing one today, thus the:

15 min shop built fluting jig. Works pretty well... 

See I use power tools sometimes :laughing:

3/8" aluminum round bar stock drilled and tapped the ends. The main fence is MDF the secondary is mahogany.

...build n burn - live n learn...


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I like that jig...well done. Simple and clever. Did you make a bump start/stop?









 







.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> I like that jig...well done. Simple and clever. Did you make a bump start/stop?
> .


thanks, I didn't make a stop. I was rotating the column after every two passes (one from each side) before resetting the jig so it would have slowed me down more than I cared for.


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

"15 min shop built fluting jig. Works pretty well..."
[/QUOTE said:


> 15 minutes huh? Ok, now I know I suck.
> 
> Very cool jig.
> 
> Jeff


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

That is slick.... do you have a thumbscrew that locks down the router to make sure it doesn't move side to side? 

Nice job, Tom!

..... and I knew you didn't ONLY use hand tools. :shifty:

There is a power tool that you might consider purchasing though.... a shop vac. :blink: :laughing:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

thegrgyle said:


> That is slick.... do you have a thumbscrew that locks down the router to make sure it doesn't move side to side?


The router had two, one for each bar, to be used precisely this way.




thegrgyle said:


> There is a power tool that you might consider purchasing though.... a shop vac. :blink: :laughing:


:laughing: I have one... And a DC!... They just don't get used quite often enough :smile::innocent:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Btw... This is what I was fluting. I'm mainly into furniture but from time to time I pick up a more architectural little project like this. I'm building a fireplace surround and mantle as well an it too has fluting and some carvings.

It's for a new construction home. Guy wants an outdoor bar and furniture as well. It's all Cypress. 

Cheers


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice job! The columns look nice in place. Are they going to be painted or left natural.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice job! The columns look nice in place. Are they going to be painted or left natural.


:smile: I wanted to darken them a bit but that's what the customer wanted! They will be natural... if 7 coats of spar is natural, lol

All of the stuff I'm building for him is this light... Not my style but you know how that goes!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Not done yet but this is the mantle I referred to above...


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Beautiful work, as always. Excellent use of (gag) power tools.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Now that's a beautiful mantle. How did you do the inlays?
--Matt


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Nice work Tom! Those look really great, and I like the natural color. I need to build a jig like at some point. Looks very handy. :thumbsup:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks guys!




haugerm said:


> Now that's a beautiful mantle. How did you do the inlays?
> --Matt


Inlays? No inlays on it... ?


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Neat looking jig and beautiful work Tom.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

firemedic said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I think he was asking about the carvings.... Those are real nice.... It would be neat to see how you went about doing those.

Mantle looks very nice. I would be proud to have that in my house.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Tom, I'd love to see a couple more pictures of your edge guide/fluting jig. I've never tapped rod or bar stock like that. What do you use, a tap and die set?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thx guys!

A few more Picts... It's topless, the top is a gorgeous piece of cypress 10"x80"x2".

I'll take better pictures of the jig after lunch, shop dad.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Awesome mantel, Tom! I see you're making excellent use of the new carving chisels. Man, it really looks great. Great job.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thx guys, I did NOT hand carve these. They were done on a CNC at Bob's Custom Letter Boards an hr south down in Thibodaux, La. He does all of the Coast Guards mahogany letter boards and other similar things. 

Cypress being fuzzy as it is though I ended up spending 4-5 hrs cleaning them up by hand. When I go power tool I go all the way, lol.


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## CasinoDuck (Jun 15, 2011)

Beautiful! I'm a fan:thumbsup:


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

That is some awesome work... I especially like the posts. Some more pictures of the jig would be really nice. Seems to me that the fence would be in the way of getting close to the edge of the piece.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> That is some awesome work... I especially like the posts. Some more pictures of the jig would be really nice. Seems to me that the fence would be in the way of getting close to the edge of the piece.


I keep forgetting to take more pics! I tend to be on a full tilt run in the shop lately and I think about things only while I'm over on shift. 

You are right about the fence. For the columns it wasn't a problem as I routed the flutes on the opposite side from the fence. The mantle post being smaller I had to add another block to the fence to allow me to position the router bit closer to the fence edge.


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