Skirting / routing questions

[PeterF]

Hi all,

I need to install some skirting and want it to match the existing skirting.
I have looked around and can’t see the exact skirting as a single piece. The existing skirting is made of 2 parts, a square edge plank and a “staff bead” moulding on top. I have thought about doing the same but can’t find anything that will match height and width.

So I am thinking of getting some 220mm x 15mm board and routing a bullnose into the top of it to match. I will need about 35m of skirting. The bullnose is about 15mm so the radius of the curve would be about 7mm or 1/4inch.

Is this a silly way to approach this?

There are also a few points where I want the skirting to curve round the wall. So I was thinking of putting some kerf cuts into the board so it will bend round the wall.

Should I pick MDF or Pine for my boards?
considering that I want to route a groove in them and bend them with kerf cuts.
Does MDF or Pine bend better?
Can I do all the routing at the space? (hopefully tomorrow)

Many thanks

Peter.

[joeatkin2]

If you can get a router cutter that fits that’s a easy win, but for about 80 quid you can get a set of custom spindle moulder blades made that will generate the exact profile you want

[PeterF]

Thanks Joe, I’m hoping that the router bit I’ve ordered will be close enough. Good to know that I’ve got a back-up if needed.
fingers crossed

[PeterF]

Any tips on how much MDF I should leave uncut when I try to make my bendy kerf cuts?
ie. how far through I should cut?

The pieces will be 15mm x 220mm
The bend will be 90 degrees and have a diameter of about 100mm

Thanks

[Jonty_Bottomley]

I’d try leave 6mm but do a few tests on some offcuts first and bend them round a bit of wood cut to the same radius.

[Kyle (Kyle Barker)]

You could try to get a baseline for tests using this tool https://www.blocklayer.com/kerf-spacing.aspx

[PeterF]

Homemade Skirting Update

Many thanks to all your help and advice especially Mark for lending me his dust collector.

For anyone wondering how it went…
I bought 3 sheets of 15mm MDF from Acre Lane Timber (1220x2440mm)
They cut it down into strips of 220mm, 5 strips per sheet. 15 planks of 2.4m = 36m

At the Makerspace I clamped 4 planks at a time to the work bench (4 at a time means they flex less on the overhang).
And routed along the edge. It made a lot lot lot of dust even with Mark’s dust collector.
It was a bit tricky keeping the router straight and level but I turned out well except a few small bits that can get fixed by filler.

Unfortunately there weren’t any bags for the karcher vac so I swept and dusted as best I could. I will try to come back in tomorrow and clean it up better.

Result:
36m of skirting that will match height and design of existing skirting
Cost:
£168 for 3 MDF sheets with 15 cuts (Acer Lane Timber)
£10 router bit on amazon
1 afternoon work

Alternative:
36m of skirting with design that won’t match from online shop.
= £240

worth it but soooo much dust

“the horror the horror”

Now to work out the kerf bending trick, hopefully heat or steam might help…

[RichM (Rich Maynard)]

Steam will almost certainly destroy the MDF!

[antonyoneill]

Now to work out the kerf bending trick

Would that be a suitable job for the big CNC?

[petra (Petra Backovska (they/them))]

Kärcher hoover bags arriving tomorrow…

[tomnewsom]

I have found a bog standard handheld circular saw ok for doing bending kerfs. There will be some feature of the saw’s base plate that you can run along the previous cut by eye, giving you a pretty even spacing.

[PeterF]

Great, thanks.

If someone could let me know when that come in. I’ll pop over and use them!

[petra (Petra Backovska (they/them))]

Arrived Now