# Machining Long Moulding



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

When making base moulding or small mouldings with either a router or a shaper, the length of the run may require you to take a few steps or change hands. This movement can transfer to the smoothness of the profile. It may show up as divots, especially if you start and stop mid run. Or may show up as a change in the profile if the feed pressure to the cutter changes. If you have a power feeder, the feed rate is continuous, thus eliminating the necessity to change positions on the stock.

If you don't have a power feeder, there is an alternative. For projects like base moulding where the profile is part of the stock, set up an area that will accommodate the length of the stock you are using. If the stock is long...like 16', you will need to have that length of space to walk along the side of the moulding. Using your saw table or any support tables, set up your moulding to be either run flat, or on edge. 

Jorgensen hand screw clamps work well for this procedure. With them, the stock can be clamped flat to a bench top, or stood on edge. Depending on the length of the blanks, the clamp can be opened with the jaws parallel and the blank sits between the jaws (on edge) above the two adjustment screws. When the jaws are closed, with two or more clamps, the blank will stand on edge with the clamp flat on the bench. Those clamps can be clamped to the bench.

Using a handheld router, the profile bit, with a bearing (or if without...using an edge guide), can be moved down the whole blank in one continuous movement from start to finish by walking with the router. It's a very smooth way to apply a long profile, as there is no changing hands for a continuous feed, or taking any steps while using a router table.

For making small mouldings with this method, you can start with a blank wide enough to get several pieces. After the first profile run, remove the blank and rip the moulding off the edge, and reinstall the blank to do the next one. All the pieces from that stock will be similar.

In setting up for this walk, make sure the stock is well supported, and the floor (or area is clear) for the length being profiled. A pre-run check list will also include insuring you have enough electrical cord and that it's free and unobstructed (won't catch on anything). 

For profiles done to a standing blank's edge, you may want to align a second blank to give the router base more flat to ride on.












 







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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

C-man,I came about the notion that,at some point the tool head is gonna have to move vs the workpce.........merely from a,"We can't pick it up" sense.IOWs moving a 600# pce of wood across a shaper "table",ain't gonna happen.The ability to quickly and efficiently recognise that point where the two cross.......is money in our shop.The less it costs,which can be seen in travel time,the better.>Rapid returns are easier to engineer on moving tool heads than say me,walking in direction of cut and then running back to start position,haha.BW


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