Door casing skill lost for 100 years
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Unfortunately there are a bunch of scammers in the comments. I have blocked many of them and they keep coming. Do not waste your time with them. They are using my profile picture to deceive people into thinking its me. Remember, I will always have a "check mark" next to my name when I comment. This tells you that it is the verified channel and that its actually me. Sorry if you thought it was me. Scummy people.
Did one of them reply to my post?
Does that mean you don't have "something special" for us? Dang, hate when that happens... *snicker*
Yeah, they got me for $50. They were wanting $30 for some custom parcel fee. The one time I actually use an electronic payment through an app to. This type of BS is exactly why I don’t use them. Oh well, I’ll still watch your channel. I just won’t try to win any merch. ✌🏽
Report them using the three dots. Had 5 of them on my comments today
Yeah looks like they got me too😠😠
When I was a teenager I worked with an old timer that had a machine for this purpose. There were several different size kerf drill bits for different widths of molding. The mitered or squared molding would be clamped flat side down and the bit would come up from the bottom by pressing a foot pedal. Then the pieces would be moved to another part of the machine where another bit would chisel the hexagon. Sometimes the chiseled pieces would fall off, if not it was quick work to shave them off with a hand chisel. There was another machine that would press the metal ring in but it was easier just to tap it in with a small leather mallet. It was great for "prefab" work. I think the machines were made by a company in Ohio but I'm not sure on that.
Bang right there,👻👻👍👍 wish I would of found your comment before saying it would have been something like that. Now we know what to look for in old tool auction
Finally a real answer.
Please pin this comment.
Glad you posted , That was very interesting.
I was dispatched in Romania , there they are still using this process. They have this preety old machine who drill , make the hexagon and put the ring inside by pressure. They use this tipe of process for some furnitures too like tables or beds. For the more expensive high quality stuff I see it done by hand too. The guys there are amazing in wood works.
My grandfather showed me this technique 20 years ago, and said it was an outdated technique that was no longer used in most construction as it just no longer served a purpose. He called it a Hex ring brace, and stated it was used primarily for door, and window frames to keep the frame together longer. It was also sometimes used in canvas frames as well, however it may be called something different by canvas framers. He told me it was no longer used as it was inefficient in modern construction due to the time needed to make it. It was quicker to use nails, or screws in more modern homes, especially during the contruction booms after the various wars that occurred. He said the last time he actively saw someone using it other than himself was during a very wealthy mans home construction, and he wanted it as intricately constructed out of wood as possible, and it was during the 1960's.
I only got to see and learn about it out of sheer luck as someone had crashed their car into someones home, and I got to help my grandfather repair it. The house was from the 1920's, and it was the only reason I got to see it, and ask my grandfather about it. He literally said "Holy shit, I haven't seen this in decades!". lol
Cool man I knew someone would have the name of it. Now we need to bombard Brent Hull about it until he does a step by step video with links to each tool he used.👻👻👻👻
I'd love to see that kind of craftsmanship come back again. Lot of woodworkers make neat custom tools, maybe someone will come up with one that makes these easy to do and we can quit having ugly gaps everywhere.
@@danmerillat Time is money. If trim is separating, the house has a settling problem or the trim wasn't installed correctly. If its fit and glued in place, it should not crack. Trim in my opinion should not be pre-made but fit to each miter, glued and nailed in place. That can't be done pre-assembled.
@@sparksmcgee6641 It's actually really easy to do today than it was years ago. The only difficult part would be making the hex brace itself. You just get a 90 degree angle clamp, and make a circle with a router. Then take a chisel to the inner circle of wood until you have a hexagon shape, and then put in a brace.
Like I said, the brace will be the most difficult part of it as custom metalworking isn't as common as it used to be. You'd be better off doing a D ring brace than a hex one as D rings are more common to find for various purposes.
So instead you'd route a D shape, and try to custom cut it for a D ring you can find at your average hardware store. If you can find premade hex rings for whatever reason, go for it that way.
@@danmerillat I don't have gaps on my window and door molding. I glue the mitered pieces together on my work table and then predrill from the top for nails. The nail heads are above eye level and are not visible.
That was a worth while find. Roy Hill pointed out one from a nearly 200yr old Windsor chair that the examined with x-rays. The round socket and tenons on the leg spreaders were absolutely solid after nearly 200yrs. So much so that they did extensive testing to prove it wasn't a well made fake. They found three things. First, the spreaders with tenons was kiln dried right before assembly. The meant the tenon would swell slightly as it gained moisture from the air. Second, an internal wedge was used to spread the tennon during assembly. Three, the wood for the chair legs were green or not dried at time of assembly so the socket in the legs would tighten as the legs air dried. Fourth, the inside of the socket was tapered slightly wider as the depth increase making a locking wedge fit between tenon and socket.
Domyou happen domhave a link to that info, or is it from a book? Either im quite curious to read more about this
I'm also interested in a link or title of a book, magazine, anything to get to the inverse engineering made by the guy you're naming, please. I've been trying different browsers looking for any info on Roy Hill and Windsor chairs but I can't find anything even similar to what you're describing. It seems very, very interesting. My grandfather was a skilled carpenter of high end furniture, but he died before I was born, and my father died when I was just a child which meant I never got the chance to learn from any of them. So much information lost between just three generations, imagine how much gets lost in a couple of centuries. Cheers!
Thats the kind of applied thinking people dont use as much now, mostly replaced by new and cheaper materials
Great info
We had a set of 4 dining stool made in USSR around 1950. They were perfectly sturdy, until cats started clawing the soft material on top. So mother decided to replace the soft part. Stools were disassembled and reassembled by local “artisan”, after that they were no more sturdy, and all 4 gradually broke😿.
Both circles are cut perfectly round with one tool. Then the hexagon acts like a spring holding it tight forever. Over time it will reshape the wood, but initially they just hammer it in and done.
Amazing.
The tool to cut the "circles" was a two cutter tool similar to a beam compass, but with both ends with cutter holders. It was held in the center and turned most often with a drill press. Then the ring was pressed on the soft pine trim to form the hexagonal shape and pull the pieces together.
The pieces were held together with a special right angle jig on the press table for fast, accurate fabrication.
@@AndrewAbernathyaz true. Ppl who tell about how long the process took did not see an old artisan working, with an jig/setup for every operation.😸
Also, the ring being Hexagonal means only 8 points of contact while wedging it onto the core circle. Less friction and a smoother installation.
There were several iterations of things like the ring used years ago. The purpose being old homes lacked footers, many homes were built on piers and those with a full perimeter foundation were laid right on ground. Due to this, the structure would move seasonally; summer months with increased humidity would cause lumber to swell and push joints, winter months with colder, dryer air and fireplaces for heat would dry the whole house allowing for joints to open up.
Adhesives were limited to hyde glues that lacked strength so builders developed systems to keep meters tight for the life of the joint.
Oh thats a clever reason to use something like this! ok - what else can you tell us that would be good to know?
How did they cut the hex / outer circle? using chisels?
@@ma2perdue My reference was to some of the variations I have encountered, not necessarily to this particular design. I would imagine that these were cut with a tool similar to one of the predecessor of a hole saw, probably used in an old hand brace and then as you suggested the inner flats hand cut with a chisel, done to engage the ring and hold it in place.
My personal experience has been with both wood and metal splines cut into the miter and wooden keys relieved into the back of casings. The only real advantage we have today over back then is power tools, the craftsmanship and the architectural ingenuity back then, in many ways exceeds today's.
@@davidhorsley1149 The inner surface of the circle was incredibly smooth, which would indicate that the material was removed during the milling process rather than the imperfect use of a hand chisel (the inner sides of the outer diameter did not seem scored, which would happen when a hand tool was used). So the device that did the work probably either had a very wide cutting surface, or a planeing device between two hole-drills to remove the material during milling.
@@amzarnacht6710 two points you overlooked regarding the inner surface and lack of scoring. Older tools, like the ones used at or close to the turn of the century (20th), would have been of better steels (less recycled). Better steels take and hold sharper edges which make for cleaner cuts. Also, better craftsmanship. Carpenters from that period #1, were more acclimated to working with hand tools and were more proficient with them because many power tools were yet to be invented. #2, Carpenters back then were more interested in the work than in the time. Repetition and production work didn't rear it's head in home building until after WWII. And the last part about that, is real "Craftsmen" viewed every job as their signature, even if it was never to be seen again. They took pride in what they did and strove to make a product that would last, and didn't ascribe to the philosophy of, "no one's ever going to see it". So if it was ever dismantled for repair future Carpenters would find details like this "connection". Some were regional, some were unique to the carpenter doing the job, and some were just the only way to make the joint, but all were in a way, a signature of the one doing the work.
It would come as no surprise to me to find work performed with the crudest of hand tools, that appeared to be done by some machine or fancy power tool, because I have seen it done with my own eyes.
I'm a 65 yr old son of a carpenter and a semi pro wood worker. My father used a bit and brace to drill out door hardware with a special metal fixture clamped to the door to guide the bit into the door, no pilot drill necessary. As far as the molding circle is concerned, a metal right angle jig much the same as the door jig could be used to clamp the two pieces together and then a hole saw that had a wide kerf could be utilized to create the circular trough for the hex ring. The hex ring could then be forced into the circle, weld knob first to create tension to hold the joint together. This is pure speculation on my part as I have never seen that technique before myself. I get a kick, Richard, at your excitement over such things. Good on you. I also agree with making a glass shadow box, hinged like a cabinet, using the ornate molding to house your unique molding finds. Cut away all but those corners, one facing out and one face in, to start the collection. Well done.
It wasn’t a hole saw with a wide kerf… it was a fly cutter. The work was held in jig and secured to a work surface. The fly cutter either came up through the work surface, or down from the top. It was done either way. The groove depth was achieved with stops on the fly cutter that wouldn’t allow it to go any deeper. Then they placed a hex ring over the island and marked its location to be shaved down slightly larger than the ID of the ring. Then is was simply pressed on and the circular “island “ compressed. All of the casing in my Grandfathers house has these rings. Edit here… there were different size rings but they all start out as round and weld like a chain link in one spot. The rings were made hexagonal by driving a tapered hex drift into them.
@@trevorjarvis3050 Excellent.
Being around only a bit longer than you, I'm 69, we are barkin at the wind. The way things were done and could be done ,are lost with the hammer and the hand saw. Stay good 🔨
Ff
That ring looks almost the right size to come off a horse halter.
I agree with the comments saying it was more simple - they probably had a jig set up to align the two boards at 90 degrees and clamp it in place, used a drill press to make the circle cut, and just hammered in the ring. The ring is probably hexagonal just to make it easier to make (6 bends rather than trying to make it perfectly circular), but also the hex shape likely helps it compress and latch into the wood circle and press it together.
Very cool technique, and unexpected.
You can guide a hole saw on the outside. I've done it many times. Just take a piece of plywood and make a hole with the hole saw. Then remove the center drill, clamp the plywood to the place where you want to cut the circle and continue as usual. My theory: I think the middle was cut round initially. The hole saw just cut a really wide groove and the middle diameter was left a little bigger than needed. The hexagonal ring then the was just forced on the round cut and thus provided enough tension to hold the the pieces clamped even when they shrinked a little more as they aged.
I agree with your theory, I would like to see the bit that cut the 3/8” groove…….
Of course. It works well, not just on timber but also (hand held) for small diameter core drilling of concrete or brick. As others have said here, there was a machine to make these joints and they were more necessary when homes lacked central heating and airconditioning and before modern glues. Standard practice now is to glue mitres with PVA.
I'm with you. I think the hexagonal shape of the inside circle happened over time. As the wood shrank and stretched it would take on the shape of the ring.
As a former machinist there had to be a clamping jig and drill press arangement to do this with a wide tooth fly cutter style bit. This was not cut by hand.
Also the rings are factory made and resistance welded together.
You should be looking for a machine based system sold at that time, even if the machine is hand cranked.
Makee a mirror frame with the rancy molding.
I doubt the wood "pegs" were chiselled into hexagons. They look mostly round apart from the areas flattened by the hexagonal rings, which leads me to believe the round pegs were simply shaped by the hex ring being pressed on and locked in by the wood slightly bouncing back behind it.
That's exactly my thought too. No carpenter is going to waste time chiselling a hex...
@@TimHollingworth from some other answer where I guy said he worked with this, there is a machine who cuts the circle, chisels out the hexagon, and presses in the ring in 3 parts.
@@TimHollingworth I agree with the whole chiselling a hex...it seems like chiseling the channel into a hexagon shape to match the ring is extra work that would actually not help the press ring hold. Aside from the hexagonal rings since i'm not a metal expert, the channel on the wood doesn't actually seem that difficult to make while also able to prevent damage on the center like that door frame. You could even do it with a hand drill. I've used a technique on holes that turned out to be a little too small sometimes and I needed to enlarge them with a slightly larger hole-saw but needed the circle to stay at a similar center as the already existing hole. Since a hole was already cut, I no longer had material for the center drill guide to begin cutting my hole. I just create a template for a hole saw out of a sacrificial piece of 3/4" plywood cutting a hole into that first with the desired size hole saw, then you can clamp it down, or even create a sort of jig that would fit the frame and hold the template/guide out of some more scrap wood to avoid damage to any visible faces that you don't want to damage due to clamping, and use your new pre-cut template to cut your hole with a hole saw. You could also even use a stepping method and use two different diameter hole saws to create the wider channel similar to the one in this door frame. As far as the inner diameter of the channel being a circle, it benefits the channel more to stay as a circle since the hexagonal ring being metal it also has flexibility and will flex when forced to without any permanent deformity to its shape as long as you don’t over stress it. The metal ring being a hexagon, would allow the ring to actually have a larger circumference on its inner hole than the inner diameter of the channel on the wood if the ring was formed back into a perfect circle. But due to the ring fabricated to a hexagon as its permanent shape, would want to spring back to a hexagon once inserted into the circular channel. And in a hexagon, the inner perpendicular distance between parallel sides of the ring would be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the channel on the wood, thus when inserted into the channel the ring would create that clamping force since the ring wants to stay in its permanent hexagonal shape. The reason why the channel in the video looks like a hexagon as well is most likely from the decades that ring has been clamping onto the wood for. The ring pretty much has permanently deformed the wood at this point.
Interesting and innovative considering the time it was invented. A method I've seen used today is a corrugated sheet steel strip hammered into the wood, perpendicular to the mitre. Serves the same purpose and is much quicker, although not as elegant.
My sons house was built in 1910 and during our remodeling I was amazed in the integrity of the woodwork and the framing. Oak was used exclusively thru all trim and molding. I am impressed with this video. Your enthusiasm is awesome!! Hope you post more videos and I will be subscribing to your channel!
I would totally get a family portrait done and turn the molding into a frame for said picture to hang in your home. The caveat being, having your family all dress in period clothing of the 20's-30's to tie your family, the home, and yesteryear into today's modern life. I would even consider the picture in B&W!
I was thinking the same, but figured it would not be enough to make a full frame, so maybe just a top and two sides, and only waist up photos lol.
Build a wardrobe closet and Put that crown on the top of it.
You win
Does the paint contain Lead in these items?
I agree. And he can add a linen liner to the flat part of the molding it would harken back to older frames.
this is like a "crush fit" used to hold plastic parts together without glue or fasteners. The peg started round, and was crushed by the ring.
Cool stuff, my grandfather was a finish carpenter from back in the 1920's. Family always talked how beautiful his skills were. He did many of the homes in Detroit Mi. I'm sure he could tell us a lot about those rings. As far as that molding when I see wood like that one idea would be strip the paint, maybe trim the width and make picture frames then stain. Thanks. Mike.
As others have written, there were/are specific tools to make the cuts.
The purpose behind the hex ring is to lock the miter into place on houses that breath. Before the advent of Air Conditioning, keeping cold air inside the house was never a consideration, keeping the inside of the walls dry was of primary importance, even when insulated, air was allowed to move between walls.
Walls rarely had horizontal part and were of a ballon wall construction, so air could literally flow the entire hight of the wall to the eve.
While this keeps the walls dry, and thus they do not rot, it causes really large swings in the size of wood joints. Your miters would swell in the winter and shrink in the summer, locking the miters was the solution. While the would is still swelling and shrinking, the hex ring keeps the miter tight.
I’ll continue to use titebond 2, your analysis is spot on though
One of the reasons that we don't have good breathing in homes also has to do with fire safety. The lack of air movement between spaces also restricted fire movement.
Swell in winter and shrink in summer? It’s quite the opposite where I’m from…
Wood movement has always been an issue for detail work and furniture or decor items. Consider kitchen tables, as an example. To deal with gain and loss of moisture, the top is secured to the sides and end using a means by which the wood can expand and contract without destroying the joints that, otherwise, would be used.
I have been ridiculed by ignorant people, including a well known expert, for finishing the interior of my chest of drawers and things. They were confusing reduced labor cost with best practices for building thing that better deal with changes in humidity and such.
As an example, consider a piece of craftsman ship moved from a high humidity area to a desert. The moisture content of the item will change (reduce). It can happen rapidly or slowly, depending on how much of the surface is sealed. Of course, it will be much slower if the sides, edges and ends are all sealed (the reason many prime and paint the back side of siding, including Hardiplank and such).
Fastest burning houses ever built. 4 alarm fire in 5 mins or less guaranteed 😎
Years ago I met a wheelwright (a guy who makes wooden wagon wheels). He showed me his process of pulling a wagon wheel tightly together using the outer iron/steel ring. The ring was a bit smaller in circumference than a newly made wheel. By heating the ring he could expand its size, tap it on the wheel finally as the metal ring cooled down it shrunk back to normal size which tightened the wagon wheel. I wonder if this hexagon was tapped on easily while hot and tightened the miter when cooled. just a guess...
I was thinking the same thing, but I don't see any burn marks. Although it wouldn't have to get that hot, steel expands at, I think a little over .06% per 100 degrees f. Which isn't a lot, but would be enough to hold a joint together.
You should check out the TH-cam channel "Engels Coach Shop" and see a guy who is still doing that and posting videos of it.
Ohhhh! That’s good thinking, man. Maybe so.
@@jimthesoundman8641 Love that channel been watching for years..good recommendation!
I had the same idea as you. I saw the wheelwright at Williamsburg Va
The molding would be a great family photo picture frame. It would add probably the best and most unique touch to your family photo. You couldn't put a price on something like that. You'd have plenty of material to complete it. and you'd get a valuable addition to an already valuable picture.
Thanks for sharing this , I learned a lot from working on older homes picking up on techniques to do a better my skills. 25 years ago they used to use a lot of oak trim I noticed when I used to take apart trim the old timers would put a dab of glue on the back side of the casing to glue to the drywall to keep the miters from opening up. Thanks I enjoy watching your vids.
From an engineering perspective, the hex ring acts a spring that permanently clamps the miter together. There are 2 very critical dimensions to make the work, one if the distance across the flats on the inside of the hexagon and the other is the diameter of the pilot that it fits over. I don't believe that the wood needs to be chiseled to a hex shape. The wood pilot boss acts as an inscribed circle within the hex. For this to work, the pilot boss diameter must be cut just about 1% or so larger than the actual inscribed circle diameter of the hex ring. If the inscribed diameter is say 2", the pilot boss must be cut to about 2.02" or less than 1/32" larger. Then a socket like installation tool would be used with a hammer to force the ring into the groove. It is that interference that creates the force that holds the miter together. As the wood expands and contracts with changes in moisture content, the hex should maintain it spring force. Overtime, I suspect the wood will crush enough to lose its elasticity, but as long as no clearance exists between the ring and the wood, the joint should remain tight.
hunh? you must be an engineer
@@rogerdavies6226 lol, "From an engineering perspective" didn't give you that hint?
I agree. A circle cut with an interference fit was my assumption. Too much precision needed to cut a hex to match a hex and yet have clamping force. If he looked closely, he should be able to see if the wood grain is compressed or cut into a hex, and by looking at the bottom corner of the inner wood.
The ring is hex and the inner wood circle is round and the miter is 45 degrees. Since the hex angle is 120 degrees and doesn't align directly with the 45 of the miter, it would provide different force on one piece vs other piece pulling the miter joint one way or the other. Maybe I'm way off but pause at 8:07. If the ring was tapped and rotated counterclockwise the right piece would move up and the left piece would move down. This rings holds it together AND provides alignment tweaking. I think the tolerance of this setup was not as critical and the hex shape gave a lot of latitude for getting it to work.
The hexagon shape of the metal acts as a spring over the round wood preventing stretching and loosening of the joint to within reason. It would be interesting to see if that metal part is still in manufacturing somewhere in the world.
Simple but genius! They wouldn't have chiselled a hexagon. it would have been a circle. The purpose of the hexagon is so that the straight sides are slightly smaller than the circle, and so act as a spring under tension when hammered into the void, thus firmly holding the mitre together. Brilliant!
Thats right and that was in a fixture clamped tight under a press. The press drilled the hole and then pressed the ring in. Those things were super tight.
Gets my vote🎯🔗
Winner, winner chicken dinner... give this man a prize...
Seems like the best answer!
Yup, you can see it's only slightly hexagonal from the ring being driven on
I personally think people used to be smarted because they cared a lot more, or maybe better to say that we've lost sight of what's valuable.
I'm in my final year of my architecture studies here in University and we've seen huge uptake in finding techniques that used to be widespread. And we're trying to re-learn a lot of these because of a different reason they did. For example the idea of brick harvesting, back in the 1800s when a building is slated to be demolished, bricks were carefully harvested and preserved to be used in future projects because they were expensive. But we've lost that over time as bricks became cheaper to make and human labour got more expensive. Now, we're looking to harvest bricks because of climate change and it turns out, maybe the climate is worth spending a few extra manhours for preserve still usable materials.
Glad to see that you're giving these old things some new life, keep it up :)
Loved this breakdown. Really cool how they drilled out the circle without the guide. I hope you keep doing more of these exploring complex work videos!
These moldings were manufactured and sold at standard sizes. The builder would buy the door and trim package and assemble them on site. Back in the 70's I worked on a few homes with this type of trim work. Lots of this stuff came out of mill shops back in the day.
This was my guess. They probably had a router set up at the mill. I don’t see any signs that this was on site, no chisel marks of any kind, super clean cut.
Yup, this was fabricated at the mill. Mass produced and prefabbed building materials are not new, been around a very long time. Over a hundred years ago Sears was selling house builders kits, everything you needed to build a house down to the last nail. A lot of it was standard sized ready to install stuff. I'm surprised that people are shocked by this. Heck, Henry Ford started mass producing cars back in 1908.
@@MrSloika my thoughts mass produced, the ring looks machine made induction welded.
If I wanted to replicate this in my shop, I'd make a jig for a small plunge router for the recessed area and build a tube chisel from flat stock or tack weld 6 chisels together in that shape to shape the inner circle. A simple jig could be made in the same way to form the rings by heating and bending the round stock around it. Pretty cool technique and built to last longer than the ink on a paycheck.
lol
I saw something like this once. They didn't chisel a hexagon but instead just heated the ring so it would expand slightly, when it cooled it would compress the wood into that shape.
Good catch.
I was an apprentice in the 90's, custom freestanding staircases, and old O'Hara would have gobbled this up, so very cool. TY for sharing.
It is scary we have lost these amazing techniques over the centuries.
Youre goofy. There is a reason this is a "lost technique". You shouldnt put so much trust in youtube carpenters. Alot of them dont know what theyre talking about. The reason this method is outdated is because its not as efficient as modern methods.
Now we have amazing new techniques. We have no need for joinery like this now because our foundations are about 200 times better, so the house is no longer moving large distances from a crude foundation sinking ridiculously far like the many of the old houses did. That was the reason for those metal rings. When we do need a joint pulled together we have pocket jigs now which hold the joints together ridiculously tight.
They aren't lost but they lost their usefulness.
I use to have a book that spoke about that technique. It was a great idea that pulled the miter in really tight. Those hex rings were pretty common in hardware stores during that era. It would be a great technique use again today.
very few people would be willing to pay the cost of that sort of detail
@@marioaveiro1118 then you don't know much about custom homes cuz there's a lot of idiots that'll pay a whole bunch of money for a lot of stupid shit.
I still have the tools my grandfather used for this type of work. Tool #1: It is a board 2"x2"x6" long (true dimensions). He drilled a 3/8" hole all the way thru the board centered at 3". Then he drilled a 1.25" hole centered on the small hole about 3/8" deep and then glued in a bearing using some nasty black stuff that still smells like turpentine.
Tool #2 was a standard adjustable circle hole saw that he replaced the center bit with 3/8" round stock.
I watched him do this many times growing up.He clamped tool #1 to the work piece, shoved the round stock in tool #2 in the bearing and just started driving it down with an egg beater style drill. He would use this for holes larger than 6" diameter. You need to shorten the 6" length if you wanted smaller diameter holes.
I have tried several times in my life to repeat the process, but I don't have the upper body strength to use the manual drill and keep that weird adjustable circle hole saw aligned right. I thought about putting it in my drill press, but grandpa's tool mean too much to risk breaking...
BTW, he used this for inlay work on the back side of chairs.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for that description!!
I'm in Maine. I've been doing carpentry for 47 years and have never seen that joint in any house from the high-end sea captain's mansions to worker's houses. Some of these houses were built in the early to mid 1800s.
About 10 years ago I started pre-assembling window and door casings, and I won't go back. It is so much faster, and the end result is much better.
That ornate molding looks like a beautiful picture frame in the making. To make it more special, make the frame hexagonal too. And you can have it around your shadow box you build to display the cut downs of this hexagonal lock down framing technique. A project that supports itself.
My guess is it was made to order casings from a cabinetry or manufacturing plant. 45's were cut and held with a vice of some sort, a circle was cut and the hexagon was pressed into place compressing the inner circle and pinching the mitre joint tightly together. Just a guess. Really cool find!
They softened the frame in the water and pressed the round pit in one go. And the inner ring was also round and was then shaped by pressing the hexagon ring because it was soft from the water.
That's an awesome joinery method, really cool and different. As for the cornice you have there, I'd probably use it as siding for an ornate box OR if you have enough, use it for the frame for your daughter's room door to make it seem more special.
I'm a little late to this party, but here's my idea on the intricate trim you have and the "hex ring brace" frame. Both are incredibly neat and tell a story of their own. I would use the intricate trim to make a frame and cut the corners off the hex ring brace framework and mount them in the frame under glass. They both make for a great conversation piece all in one. Just my opinion.
I love your idea.
Depending on the length of trim off that job, I would do a surround for an old mirror if you can find one. As far as getting the ring into the grooved back of the trim, all you would have to do is have each piece of trim at a slight angle from a horizontal plane, lay the ring in and slowly bring the pieces to horizontal, like opening a book.
It is refreshing for a young craftsman who appreciates time honored methods. Keep up the good work.
WOW. That was awesome. Thank you for sharing this. It's great to see how finish carpenters used to make tight joints before the use of screws and brad nailers. As for your piece of molding maybe the top molding on some large case work, glad you kept it.
One way they could have used a hole saw without a center bit is by using a piece of scrap that the hole saw drilled through first as a guide that they could use to keep the hole saw from wandering with a clamp or something.
I've done that a few times when you run into old door hardware that had smaller holes than newer door hardware. I just drill the scrap and clamp it to the door so I can send a new size through without it wandering. Depending on your holesaw brand you can also put two Holesaws on your pilot bit. One that's the size of the original hole, and then the desired size hole behind that.
I've done that cutting holes in tile for the plumbing. If you wet a sponge you can leave the sponge in there as your cutting.
When remodeling in old houses with wood floors using a pre-drilled scrap works well to resize/clean up existing holes from old plumbing/steam radiators to accept wood plugs before sanding and refinishing...
I have had to do that very thing. If you need to in large an existing hole it works well to cut a hole in a piece of scrap and use that as the guide. I also wonder if maybe they heated the ring a little to expand it before installing it.
My thought exactly! I used that technique when I had to widen a hole for a larger lock set.
It's called a miter ring. I can't remember the manufacturers name but I came across them about 35 years ago during a renovation of an old Tudor house in great neck NY. They were apparently sold premilled in standard sizes for windows and doors to builders. Nice find!
I would use the crown as part of a mantel!
Thank you for this. I ran across one of these miter rings a few years back in door casing in a 60's tract home in CA. I had a hard time believing it was done on site by hand; more likely for production work. Nobody I asked (we all have 40+ years in the trades) had ever seen it.
My experience with old millwork is only from northern Minnesota - never seen this. Makes me wonder if it was local to an area in California. Perhaps driven by the shaky ground there.
IF you could source the metal locking rings from, say ACE Hardware or Grainger, a jig clamped over the mitre joint then using a router to cut the circle - easy peasy. An arbor press could be used to press the ring on in softwoods. Hardwoods would call for a bit more work to make the hex shape.
But having a millwork shop offer those up pre-made makes the most sense.
Curious I cut my teeth on Gold Coast Mansions on Long Island & was thinking you’d think I would have seen that..
Yup considering the shape and the notch it may have been loaded into a tool with sharp edges and hammered or maybe a vise pushed it in or sort of like that.
Thanks! I was hoping somebody would chime in on this with some info.
I’ve worked on a few jobs that had that detail! Been doing restoration for about 23 years now. I even worked for Brent Hull for a little while back in 1999.
Great video 👍
I don't think they would have chiseled the inside of that hole. If you think about it, why would they make the ring hexagonal and not simply round?
The reason is it it flexes much more easily, in order to flex a circle you'd have to strain the steel but the hexagon shape can bend a little. Then they carved out these round holes and press fit these rings into them.
Since the rings would have to be slightly deformed they would hold the wood together and allow for quite a bit of shrinkage which is why they look so good after so long, over time they've deformed the wood on the inside making it seem hexagonal.
If what I think is true you won't have an imprint of the ring near the corners of the hexagon since they won't be touching the wood. These kind of press fits are hard to calculate for steel and much harder in wood so these guys were really pushing out some quality products, going beyond anything I've seen modern manufacturers do.
Richard I’m with you bro, I’m 45 years old been a carpenter since 20 years of age, the city of Des Moines Iowa is where I work, we have an area called South of Grand, the majority of these homes were built from 1890’s on into the 1920’s they are phenomenal as far as the wood work goes, and I’m always blown away by the techniques used to accomplish what we find easy to do these days, with power tools,
As for the casing miter I wonder if it was from a previous remodel, post electric routers, just a thought, but still real ingenious, better than a pocket screw
Thanks for sharing
Round circle is definitely machine quality, looks kike a router to me.
When you need to use a hole saw without a pilot you first drill a piece of scrap wood with the pilot in then clamp the piece over where your hole needs drilled. This captures the outside of the hole saw so you don't need to use a pilot bit.
I think they routed those holes though
1920? No that's chiseled
Yep. Or considering all the corners were done that way I'm sure they had an adjustable corner clamp and guide set up. Adjust for width with wedges and then select the hole saw size.
@@PartTimeYooper
It wasn't chisled, it was machined in.
It was clearly machined, the weld on the ring is clearly a factory machine weld. It's very unlikely that was done on site. They probably ordered them and had them delivered, then site crews just nailed them in. "MEASURE TWICE..."!
@@crforfreedom7407 There is a good chance that it isn't even a weld. I think the hexes were probably cast and what looks like a weld is actually the remnants of the sprue.
That antique molded trim would make a gorgeous picture frame repurposed project.
My great grand dad was a hex ring presser. These kids today with their fancy laser guided gadgets and four car garage work space don't have the manual labor skills for this kind of work. Better hold on to your milwaukee's and gorilla glue, 'cause you're gonna need 'em.
Numerous other comments on this. You have to remember the time frame and the history. This was late industrial revolution. They were totally into machine made things. This is a factory made assembly. I suspect the hex ring was hammered in with a special tool. I worked for a company the was founded in 1893 (still in business today). I spent many wonderful hours using machines that were older than my father (he was born in 1913). Look up Knapp joints sometime… Love your channel!
Wow! I looked up Knapp joints. Thanks
@@marksteele45 Aren’t they cool? They help date furniture to a very specific period. And few places really understand what they represent. I got a really nice little dresser with a mirror for $40. I love that period because I work in an industry that flourished then, and still uses much of the tech from that era.
@@Hvn1957
I suspect it was done on site and not a factory. The best person for judging that mitre joint is the person who fits it on site.
I would think they clamped the 2 parts in a fixed jig attached to the drilling apparatus located under the drilling bit. Fascinating! Thank you for showing it! I love it!
This is surly one of them little "Golden Nuggets " you find every once in a while in this field. Good job buddy and thanks for sharing 👍 # love this stuff
Annnnnd that is why that door survived a 100 years+ What a great way to lock the frames together!
To do a stripped down modern version of this you can do this: 1. make a wood jig that will hold the 90 deg. joint with a hole that matches the diameter of your cutting tool (something like a wide hole saw-like cutter without a center pilot drill ). 2. Cut the groove. 3. Use a slice of thick-wall pipe or tubing in lieu of the hexagon (should work just as well if you've got a tight fit.) and press it in.
The wire ring isn't closed for a reason. It acts as a spring, pulling the mitre closed.
I would use that moulding for part of a fireplace mantle. You could miter the ends to fit with returns. You could spray finish it, use a glaze to highlight the details of it, and then spray it with a finish to protect the glaze from rubbing off. OR you could use it at the header height of kitchen cabinets above the sink where you have empty space. You would just have to find some kind of low profile detailed moulding to add to your kitchen cabs to balance it out. Some small rope moulding or something like that.
This. I don’t think you have enough to do much else with it. Maybe the top of your front door frame
I thought about a mantle too, that would be beautiful.
Once upon a time carpentry was actually respected, and the quality and skills of the said carpenters were impeccable..
The pay was there also
Carpentry has not kept up with the other trades
At one time, carpenters were considered the highest form of citizenry, next to the church leaders. Today, they are nearly the lowest paid trade in construction. While electricians and plumbers trades have somehow surpassed the oldest profession known to man.
Great find, It takes "modern" carpentry to the next level.
1. Angle clamp tool for 45
2 stencil pattern
3 drill tool the thickness of the circle
4 stencil and chisel hex.
The stencil and the metal fitting could be the same by making the metal fitting around a solid hex stock and manufacture it flush to the bar.
Use the ornate trim piece to frame a picture for your wife. She'll love it!
Or run it as an apron under a window (preferably one with a beautiful view.)
Or use it as a decorative rim around a wood window planter box (the one you've been wanting to build for a while but haven't seemed to have the time!)
Make a rubber mould of it, cast it in plaster and trim out your whole house.
My guess is that they didn’t chisel for the hexagon. I’d say they used a hole saw as you suggested and then pressed the hexagon ring in. By doing this it would ensure a tight fit and it would eventually compress the wood into the hexagon shape making appear like magic.
Oh and make a glass case using the ornate moulding to display cool trim work finds
Also uses the straight metal sides of the hexagon like a spring, so it could swell and shrink with moisture while still retaining tension and a tight joint. Beautiful idea.
This was my thought too. Maybe even wet the wood after putting metal piece on to get it to swell and form itself. I want to see the bottom of the "drilled " part. I'll bet they had a special bit that created it to have some width in the initial hole
I'm a 65 yr old son of a carpenter and a semi pro wood worker. My father used a bit and brace to drill out door hardware with a special metal fixture clamped to the door to guide the bit into the door, no pilot drill necessary. As far as the molding circle is concerned, a metal right angle jig much the same as the door jig could be used to clamp the two pieces together and then a hole saw that had a wide kerf could be utilized to create the circular trough for the hex ring. The hex ring could then be forced into the circle, weld knob first to create tension to hold the joint together. This is pure speculation on my part as I have never seen that technique before myself. I get a kick, Richard, at your excitement over such things. Good on you. I also agree with making a glass shadow box, hinged like a cabinet, using the ornate molding to house your unique molding finds. Cut away all but those corners, one facing out and one face in, to start the collection. Well done.
I agree with others that the inside was not chiseled. Chiseling the hex shape would have eliminated the clamping force just like using a round ring wouldn't provided clamping force if it had an inside diameter that matched the wood plug.
An undersized round ring would have worked. Pushing the hex ring on most likely deformed the wood to a hex shape. Checking for chisel marks where the ring was removed should determine this.
The ring may be a hex instead of circular for one of two reasons; easier to make or prevent the ring from slipping when pushing it on.
As for making the groove, picture something like a plug drill used for making wooden plugs from hardwood and the drill guide used for drilling doorknob holes on a jobsite.
They may have wet the wood and punched the ring on the wood
I have seen an old guy down in New Orleans after Katrina work with them. he had a hole saw bit similar to todays but was thick wall and no center bit like we are used to. He cut the ring with the bit leaving a circle of wood in the center just a bit bigger than the ring. The ring isnt round as you indicated but with another bigger piece of pipe, maybe 8 inches long and ring diameter, put it on the ring and just pounded the hexigon ring over the circle. Said it made it super tight that way. if you put a shaped part over a shaped peg, it will always get loose, pound a shaped part over a round peg and it will stay tight for life. What a clever find. I forgot about them. thanks for sharing the video.
Your passion for learning about carpentry will take you far, man! What a great attitude! Future high-lever carpenter, I'd guess!
Regarding the trim piece. I have seen other craftsman make silicone copies of ornate trim pieces in order to make plaster casting’s. This also preserves the detail for historical purpose. Appreciate your passion for craftsmanship. Thank you, Richard.
You could put a piece of crown on top of the ornate moulding and make a wall shelf. I was wondering if you could use a router to make the groove for the ring in back of the miter?
Honestly, if I were to recreate this, I would have used a hole saw boring jig (like that for drilling bores for locksets on doors), and fitting the ring over a slightly oversized circle. A hammer would work, but a levered press is more likely. Once the ring is pressed in place, applying a dab of water to the wood on the inside of the ring would cause it to swell, binding the miter together. Water is meant to make the miter tight while the glue dries
Water is not a good idea. You will get a fit that is tight when wet but will loosen when it returns to normal.
That molding would make a great frame for your You Tube Play Button, the reason things were made better back in the day is Pride and Craftsmanship which lacks today. Back in the 60s when I was a kid working in my Grandfather’s boatyard we would replank boat bottoms by using homemade steam boxes and put the hot boards in place and with ropes and pulleys plus a lot of shoulder and screw them in place but when you put the screws in place we would put all of the slots in line ( timing ) even though they would be puttied over and painted because you got into a habit so when the screws were exposed timing the screws were done automatically and to this day as a retired machinist with 40 years I still take pride in everything I do and I passed it on to my own.
I can't wait to give this a try! That was a perfect idea, using a hole saw, but I think I'll use two of them. One inside the other, but just slightly smaller, in order to get the right width of cut. I'm also thinking of trying to heat the ring, like they used to do with wagon wheels. I bet I'm going to find out just why they didn't do that first hand. Them carpenters of yesteryear we're pretty smart. But once I get something in my head, I gotta try.
The molding would be a nice addition to a floating shelf/mantel above a television or fireplace. Just a thought, thank you for another great video!
I had a vision of all those casings being assembled at a blacksmith shop, where he did the holes and welded the rings. Once they were pounded in, I’ll bet you could transport them pretty easily, even treat them a bit rough without fear of them separating.
As far as the moulding, I immediately say the trim around a fireplace mantle, giving the mantle a real weighty look!
That seems logical.
It would need to be a rather compact mantle.
It's called skill, ingenuity plus a true craftsmen's motivation. I don't think we lack the skill or the ingenuity, but in this "get it done as fast and cheaply as possible" world. True craft comes at a premium, which means out of reach of the modern common person. I love going the extra mile.
Such a great find and beautiful to see some craftsmanship from days gone by.
The trim in your home was never assembled prior to fitting, so isn’t fastened to the test of the trim as much as it is to the wall studs. Studs move, the trim moves with it, as it’s not attached as well to the rest of the trim.
Burning it is just a waste when you could close it back up.
I feel it’s a cop out to just rip it off and replace, using the same method that opened it up in the first place!
As others have said I believe this was made in a factory assembly line. They had some sort of clamping jig for the miters and then another jig to drill the 2 circular parts and press fit the hexagonal locking ring over it..... That's probably pine wood so it's soft, and hydraulic presses would have no problem pressing the ring in place, locking the miters in place.
That would require measurements to the millimeter from the site framing, plaster and floor. Just an adjustable corner clamp with a few hole saw options for different widths of trip. Bet it was a standard tool for trim guys at a certain level.
I agree. Most likely done the way we do windows today: Measured at the site and ordered, then installed on site when they arrived from the factory.
the inside circle was always a circle, and formed to the ring as it was forced in. This is how it pulled the joint closer together.
You don't want that toxic smoke on your smors...haha Thanks for sharing that amazing joinery. My grandfather was an old french cabinet maker and the way he worked always blowed my mind.
As soon as I saw the relatively wide width of the circular recess, I was reminded of the initial cut of a plug cutter. One comment referred to a dowel maker, but a plug cutter may be the reference that most may be able to relate to. Now, to find the right combination of premade rings and ID/OD of a plug cutter may be a challenge.
I have to doubt all the holesaw / router / preheated ring theories.
Now THAT'S interesting!! I learned finish carpentry form two 'old school' sources; my uncle and father-in-law. The latter built shrimp boats and you would puke if you saw the crude tools he used to build 75-foot (Gulf Coast {Forrest Gump)) shrimping boats. We are..., oh-so -smart... and have a power tool for every purpose. Those guys took pride in their work - to the degree that you and I would look at their work a century later and say: "WOW! That guy knew what he was doing!"
I'm 75, so my attitude of, "Git-er-dun" has given way to, Let's leave a mark of my passing, that someone in 2122 is gonna say, "Holy smoke, look at how he did this!" The interesting thing is, I could bend and weld those rings as fast as you needed them, but Dang..., what a cool way to insure that miter never separates.
This probably doesn't qualify for a T-shirt, but having seen your channel for the first time..., you've earned my subscription(!), and Never forget..., "There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over."
Any time I needed corner blocks for trim, I would custom make them, including carving geometric rosettes, and I signed every one.
I always remember a saying I heard somewhere... people don't remember how long it took you to do something, they will remember how well you did it...
A mirror frame would look awesome
Seen that on a lot of houses around here when I did repair work for a local landlord. Many of the houses here were built in the 60s but some were built much earlier. When I rebuilt the cabinet on my table saw, replicated that around it's catch basin to ensure it stays sealed. Was trivial to do with a router bit on a dremmel and a piece of string but I would love to see the jig they used to punch them out in such large quantity in the past.
This is so much cooler than pocket holes or nails. With the right prep work as far as the jig, it wouldn't be hard at all. Good way to sign your work.
Totally cool. Must have been shop made, even if assembled on site. People always think. From what I see of the hole left, the bottom is smoothly cleaned, all surfaces look machined. It could be accomplished in two steps, with a station that drills the ring hole, then a secondary stamp-down shearing tool set to the same depth. A better visual of the empty hole wood be nice. 😉
I really should be finishing my laundry room (drywall spackle sanding, paint, etc) but I'm here watching this awesome channel!
Same here. My laundry room is still in pieces lol
Case your mini split, i seen wall hung ac cases but never a mini split, maybe the contrast of such a modern sleek machine with an old detailed casing may make an interesting juxtaposition.
I’m supposed to be searching for a trick to save time wiring an additional circuit vs adding to a possibly already overloaded one.
As an electrician I’m still drawn to watch another tradesman revealing secrets of amazing craft. Dewalt and Makita and Bosche each benefited the year I discovered this channel.
Hey I’ve got the washer and dryer functioning, painting will have to wait.
Make a display of old joints and put it on your shop wall. Makes a great conversation and learning piece.
A perfect example Of a thing standing up to the test of time
I’m guessing that that circle could be cut with a router and a jig. A bit with a taper would give you the angle to hold the ring. Portable routers became available in 1915 with pneumatic motors. Interesting video, thanks!
The bit would not have a taper, just a straight cutting bit. The hex shape of the ring gives it spring force, the inner ring would be circular, the spring force would compress the inner wood some to give it the hex appearance. This could easily be done today with a relatively simple jig, and done completely onsite. The only hard part... finding a supply of the rings ;)
I think the trim was pre- assembled or prepard off site then put together at the job site. The craftsmanship back then was unbelievable. Great video Richard.
Considering the back profile of the trim, we are not looking at really old work. There do not seem to be any chisel marks. In fact, on the two corners shown, there are no visible tool marks of any kind. That strongly suggests some multi-blade tool in a press or multiple passes with a router in a circle jig.
Pulling the corner together definitely solves the problem he showed in the house where the miter was opening. Opening can occur either because the wall moves or as the wood shrinks. Having the edges pulled together by the ring or by the pocket screws should solve the problem. Personally, as I am redoing frames in our old house, I use a post and lintel system. When the joint opens slightly it is not visible.
That miter and the drilling was absolutely done in the shop and the round loops were purchased. I have seen a few different things used over the years, nothing better than the biscuit which I first noticed in a house built in the 1930s. As for the piece of trim save it and use it somewhere in your house I put in a octagon window little doors all kinds of places where I have used different types of trim. Cheers Don
I love your attitude: you are always looking for ways to do your job well and get better at your trade. If only everyone had that attitude towards their work the world would be a better place.
I think that decorative moulding would be well used as a frame around the box holding your shaper bits. You know, just to intimidate them😀
This is really cool, i love to see things like this. I'm originally from the U.K. with 15 years experience there and now have lived in Canada for the last 12 years. I love comparing the different techniques from the two countries.
I can't make out on the video, but would the inner circle have been kept circular and only taken the different shape after the hexagonal ring was pushed or pressed into place, thus giving a tighter fit?
i think you should use the old casing to make a frame or display box for the sections of the mitre rings. maybe leave room for any future interesting finds, it would be really cool to display them in your shop.
I was thinking the same thing about the inner being circular. 100 years of expanding and contracting can do a lot of things to wood.
I also vote for your idea for the display
Clever detail. Turn the ring and you increase the tension! Wow.
This technique reminds me of that trick of putting a nail in a block of wood cut with three slots. You compress the section at one end and drill a hole in the two center bits, place the nail, then steam the compressed section to expand it. This hex technique would compress the wood and allow the outer part to expand with ambient humidity locking the ring in place. I agree; genius!
It looks like something that would be pre made at the mill and sold to carpenters for quick assembly on site. Possibly using a router with a circle cutting jig and then a hexagon punch to get the consistent shape.
Looking at the wood, it seems to me that the initial recessed ring is cut to be circular, and the metal hexagon is hammered into place. Over 100 years the wood would expand and contract (the open space at each of the 6 points allowing for this), and take the shape of the hexagon. It would give a tighter fit over longer years, and prevent separation. We could do this today using thick snap rings and a thick tooth holer. The snap rings are open at one end, so the snap ring can spread with wood expansion.
Also remember there are tons of purpose built tools, by the craftsman, from older eras. Think of all the tools found where an academic would have no idea what it’s use is, or a descendant who did not take on that trade who wouldn’t know that thingy isn’t an unfinished project, it’s a specific tool.
For separating casings, I prefer to use spackle. The pink kind. Run it with my finger and come back with a damp microfiber cloth after it dries. The damp cloth smooths it down and puts the contours in it better, and the spackle holds paint better and looks more natural. Try it on your door casing and see how it works for you before your toss it out.
For the ornate trim I would say you could make some sort of decorative valance or header for a door or window, obviously you could use it as a picture or mirror frame, but I would personally try and incorporate it into my home in a trim detail. As far as the hexagonal ring I definitely feel they used a hole saw without the guide bit and just used a pre drilled hole jig as a guide and clamped it down. As always love the content, keep up with the amazing content and thank you for all the inspiration and sharing of knowledge!
Keep on diggin Richard, keep on diggin Bud!!! Hoping all is well, Dirty Jersey out!!
I think you're right on about the drill press. Sometimes you run into things that are a signature of one pure craftsman. He probably made his own drill bit, welded his own rings, and made his mark on many houses that very few people will ever have the privilege of following behind.
I was wondering about something commercial. Bit to cut the trough and rings, sized for a standard 1” (or so) chisel to cut the facets. Probably expecting the carpenter to create a purpose built jig to hold the casing pieces perpendicular (with wedges?) and a fixed piece with a hole to guide the bit.
Do you think instead of it being a hexagonal wood piece (the part the ring fits around), it started as a circle of wood, then the metal hexagonal piece is pounded over it and over time, the pressure from the hexagonal metal ring made the wood hexagonal shaped. That would then put even pressure on everything.
The ornate piece would be a good wrap for a China cabinet
Came here to say this! Good stuff.
Compared to the cheap looking Lowes finishing wood we use everyday this shows how carpentry has been a lost art
Your video shows more about you than the past; investigating the detail and containing your knowledge to further your kind is a privilege well earned here- great guy! aloha!
I think it was done with a hand router of some type and a jig to hold the trim in place and a circle cutting jig for the cut. The edges around the inside of the circle look too clean for chisel work, especially for a recessed inside corner. This would be an efficient way to to get fast repeatable work which can also be seen by the consistent placement of the rings.
Hand routers weren't around at that time.
@@charleshultquist9233 Not sure where you got that, but it's incorrect. Portable powered routers were available in 1906. Before that foot powered routers with rotary bits available starting in 1877. Before that, router planes. I cant find a specific date they were invented but they were known to be used in Colonial Williamsburg over 250 years ago. Do a quick Google search before disseminating false information.
I was taught this method back in the early 90s but it was with a true circle of steel. The "hole saw" bit was custom made with a slight chamfer, 1 1/2 on the top side down to 1 9/16, over 5/16" of depth creating the wedge, we used a drill press and gigs to position the wood. There was no centering bit. We would precut, glue and brad nail the casing, then carefully turn it over and make the pocket. Once the pocket was made we used a precut 1/4 wide X 1/8 thick X 1.5" diameter piece of steel to lock the molding into place by hammering it down into the pocket. (not as aggressive as it sounds) This process is very time consuming, but in a hundred years the molding will still be tight. I don't use this technique anymore and maybe I should. I have no idea where I could even get the custom hole saw bit made. The gentleman who made the ones we used (when I did my cabinet and trim apprenticeship) passed away almost 20 years ago. As for the crown molding I would make a mold of it for future cast pours. Then I would use it in a mantel project.
Sounds like the methods you were taught was a slight variation in what was used in this video. It sounds very interesting though. I may see if I can come up with a similar method for myself one day.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I had the same thought regarding the fancy molding, first find a way to duplicate it. Maybe build a router template(s)? Also a router could be used to make the circle cut, whether round or hex. Size it to work with rings that can be found already in the market for other purposes or buy steel pipe and cut rings of the correct thickness. Just 2 cents from a DYI hack!
Hi my home in the Uk is 125 years old, the trim around the doors and windows are what we call Architraves. They are all out of pitch pine and all the mitre joints are as tight as the day they were fitted, All of the internal doors are original and are made up from yellow pine. |All the through mortice and tenon joints were wedged. When I bought the house i stripped all the old paint finishes from all the internal joinery and gave them a natural finish. I am a joiner by trade (long time retired) and enjoy your program.
I came across this in a house I was working on in St. Louis about 15 years ago. I had a similar reaction to the discovery. I still have one of those rings in the center console of my truck.