A cockbead is a small molding with a fully rounded edge. In this article, Chuck Bender gives step-by-step instructions for creating cockbeading and applying it to the cutout apron of a William and Mary case piece. After being cut, pieces of cockbeading are submerged in water with a little added glycerin to ehance their pliability. They are then secured to the apron with hide glue and rose-head nails. Some pieces are cut to final dimensions before being applied, while others are cut in place.| FineWoodworking
Back in the mid-1980s, my brother and I were growing tired of installing 1 1/2-in. clamshell casing, and 2 1/2-in. streamline baseboard. As finish contractors, that’s all we did on every job, day after day (after we had installed the doors and windows). By then we’d nailed off miles of small trim in thousands of... Read the full article| THISisCarpentry
Hard lessons from a tough winter It was the dead of winter in 2014, and the roller coaster that I own (better known as Megna Building & Remodeling, a residential remodeling company in NJ) had dipped down into a slow, flat spot on the tracks of my business. Feet of snow covered the land... Read the full article| THISisCarpentry
Developing and Producing Rake Crown with a Shaper and Band Saw The most important part of carpentry is design. If the design isn’t right, if the drawings are mediocre or worse, no amount of joinery skills will save a project from failure. Unfortunately, executing proper drawings prior to cutting wood and creating sawdust isn’t a... Read the full article| THISisCarpentry
Traditional Methods for Developing and Producing Rake Moldings The required joinery for a molding that transitions from level to rake around a corner frequently puzzles many carpenters. At first glance it appears that it should work, but upon experimentation, it can be maddening to find out that it won’t. A Note from the Publisher: NOTE:... Read the full article| THISisCarpentry
Drawing and Developing Rake Crown Profiles A little over a year ago we published an article about Eave Returns. While the focus of that article was about creating a “Poor Man’s Return,” we continue to receive comments and emails asking about how to develop the required molding profiles for a “Classical” eave return and pediment.... Read the full article| THISisCarpentry
Years ago, in a Fine Homebuilding article, I explained how to build corbels for an Italianate mirror frame. I ran out of pages in that short article before I could discuss how to layout the pediment. I have plenty of room here, so I’ll cover that part of the story, and I’ll include all the material that we couldn’t fit into the Fine Homebuilding Master Carpenter article.| THISisCarpentry