Milling/cutting arcs and curves

[wisewood]

Does anyone remember an episode of Grand designs where some green oak carpenters cut gentle curves into beams. There was a bar/tube about the size of a pringles tube bolted to the chainbar. The cuts were freehand but the bar kept the cut steady and a constant 90 degrees.

I've attached a rough sketch to help explain what I'm rattling on about.

Has anyone seen or tried it before?

[wisewood]

This is similar, turns chainsaw into a jigsaw.

 

Chainsaw Attachments, Chainsaw Mills, Alaskan Sawmill, Log Building and Timber Framing Tools - Chainsaw Attachments/Accessories - Magard Ventures Ltd., Canada.

 

There's a pretty weird sanding attachment too on here:001_huh:

[pgkevet]

Does anyone remember an episode of Grand designs where some green oak carpenters cut gentle curves into beams. There was a bar/tube about the size of a pringles tube bolted to the chainbar. ...

 

I'm guessing that if you can cut the outside radius on a plank/beam first then fix the chainsaw down and use the outer radius over some rollers to cut the inner one?

 

There's bound to be an historical site detailing how this sort of thing was done in the past by hand. Our ancestors had some cool ways of working these things out - hanging weights from rope to get the curvatures they wanted for weight loading then making up jigs to follow that profile....turn the thing over for an instant arch!

[wisewood]

I'm guessing that if you can cut the outside radius on a plank/beam first then fix the chainsaw down and use the outer radius over some rollers to cut the inner one?

 

There's bound to be an historical site detailing how this sort of thing was done in the past by hand. Our ancestors had some cool ways of working these things out - hanging weights from rope to get the curvatures they wanted for weight loading then making up jigs to follow that profile....turn the thing over for an instant arch!

 

Yes I've seen this method too, cutting laterally with a curved former. I'm still favouring the "jigsaw" style as I think it would be a quicker setup with greater flexibilty.

[billpierce]

i've used an alaskan mill using thin boards as your first runner to get a waved shape. worked well but your curve is limited to the witdth of your bar. also had reasonable success doing it free hand very carefully! will need a sand mind! what you making?

[Rob D]

Ah I see what you mean! Sorry have not got round to sending pics

 

You could use the mini mill for this free hand (without the rail) and a long carving bar to get a more curvey curve.

[wisewood]

i've used an alaskan mill using thin boards as your first runner to get a waved shape. worked well but your curve is limited to the witdth of your bar. also had reasonable success doing it free hand very carefully! will need a sand mind! what you making?

 

Hi Bill, sounds interesting.

I've done some free hand too, I'm just looking to neaten up the cuts from the off to save time and sandpaper:sneaky2:

It's not for anything in particular, maybe for shaping big slabs for relief carving or furniture mate.

 

Ah I see what you mean! Sorry have not got round to sending pics

 

You could use the mini mill for this free hand (without the rail) and a long carving bar to get a more curvey curve.

Hi Rob,

not to worry mate, would the rail plate offer enough surface area to keep it steady at 90 to the top face?

I'll mail you anyways mate cos I've got a slightly different idea for the mill.

[tommer9]

Do i understand this correctly.....? You want to make curved beams out of straight grained wood?????

Old oak framers use curved branches milled on their 'side'.

If this isnt what you mean, then Hudson make a sort of planer attachment for a saw for stripping bark prior to milling IIRC.

[tommer9]

Here you go.

debark logs, chainsaw attachment, wood furniture, wood cabinets, log cabins, building, carpenters, notch, chainsaw, debarker, Hud-Son Debarker, bark peeler, chain saw planer, chainsaw, chainsaw accessory, chainsaw notcher, debark logs, debarker, log

Just Saws are the agent in this country.

[wisewood]

Do i understand this correctly.....? You want to make curved beams out of straight grained wood?????

Old oak framers use curved branches milled on their 'side'.

If this isnt what you mean, then Hudson make a sort of planer attachment for a saw for stripping bark prior to milling IIRC.

 

Cheers for the link mate. Yes it makes great sense to utilise the natural shape of trees for curved beams etc,but yes I'm looking at ways ,ideas to carve curves and bends in straight grained wood. Say for example I wanted to put a curved back on a tree sofa (a setree:001_rolleyes:-I just thought of that:001_smile:)

Yes I can do it free hand and grind and sand it but with a milling type attachment you'd have a much more uniform cut requiring less tidying up.

I guess I'm just looking at alternatives and thought an aid to whizzing out some nice shapes would be something that a lot of millers and makers would find useful.