Hand worked mouldings

Words and photos: Troy McDonald

As I continue to develop my skills as a woodworker I find myself drawing on traditional techniques whilst staying open to the advantages of modern methods. This article explores the use of traditional moulding planes, not so much to replace the spindle moulder or router, but to consider the benefits they can bring when used either independently or in conjunction with modern methods.

Moulding planes, anatomy and types

1. Hollow and round planes. Size 2 on the left through to size 18 on the right.

A selection of the more common and arguably the most versatile types of moulding planes is shown above (photo 1). ‘Hollows and rounds’ (H&Rs) are so named for the shape of their soles, although some describe them by the shape they cut. H&Rs are very flexible planes that allow the user to cut an endless variety of profiles.

2. Moulding planes with irons set at steeper pitch of 55°–60° are preferred for working hardwoods.

These planes are wonderfully simple tools made up of three or four basic components. The stock, typically quartersawn for stability has a sole shaped to the inverse of the moulding it is intended to cut. The shaped iron, available in various angles of pitch between 45 and 60°, is held fast with a wooden wedge (photo 2). ‘Boxed’ moulders were fitted with a thin strip of hardwearing boxwood to lengthen the life of the plane.

3. Two side bead planes and on the right a centre bead plane. All are ‘boxed’ with boxwood inserts in wear prone areas.

Photo 3 shows a selection of side bead planes. As the name suggests these are used to work a simple bead on the edge of solid timber. The plane on the right is used to cut a bead in the centre of a panel.

4. Snipe bill plane

Available in left and right hand versions, snipe bill planes (photo 4) are used to clean up the quirk of a bead, or to cut an initial track or trench in which a hollow or round can follow.

5. Dedicated moulding planes. Complex moulder on the right with twin cutting irons.

Finally, photo 5 shows three examples of dedicated moulding planes, so called because they are capable of cutting only a single profile. On the left is a simple sash plane and on the right is an example of a complex moulding plane with double irons. Complex planes, often difficult to tune and use, required multiple irons to cut wide mouldings and are best left for the collectors.

Choosing the planes you need

Moulding planes were made in staggering quantities between the 18th and early 20th century and are still widely available through antique tool dealers or retailers. Some of the more common and useful planes, including H&Rs, are again being produced by a handful of manufacturers. Which planes to purchase will depend on your style of work, however a selection of smaller side bead planes and one or two pairs of H&Rs (such as a pair of No.4s and 10s) will allow a good range of mouldings to be cut.

Fig.1 H&R planes of various sizes all scribe an arc within a 60° segment of a circle.

Buying H&R planes in matched pairs is an advantage but not a necessity. The sole of H&R planes describe a 60° segment of an arc and were stamped with a number which roughly corresponded to 1/16" increments in size (fig.1). Apart from a warped stock, there aren’t too many defects that can’t be fixed on moulding planes, but my advice is to only purchase tools in good condition with a nicely fitting wedge and an iron that closely matches the sole of the plane. Vintage planes invariably require tuning and this is where we’ll begin.

Tuning moulding planes

Tuning a vintage plane starts with flattening the back of the iron using the same technique as for flattening the back of your bench plane irons. With the back flat you will need to sharpen the profiled edge of the iron.

6. Sharpening and honing equipment

First mount the iron in the plane with a small amount of protrusion and sight along the plane sole to determine how closely the iron matches the sole. With a close match, sharpening the iron should be as simple as working the hollow sections of the cutting edge with a selection of shaped slipstones and strops. The round profiles can be sharpened on standard bench stones (photo 6).

If the profile of the sole and iron are grossly mismatched then it’s best to extend the cutter from the sole and re-mark the profile on the iron with the help of a sharp scribe. A splash of spray paint on the iron helps with clarity of the scribed line. With
the profile marked, the iron can be reshaped through the combined use of a bench grinder and rotary burrs or grindstones mounted in a Dremel.

For final honing of the bevel I use a short length of wooden moulding cut by the plane you are working to sharpen. Load the wooden moulding with slurry from a waterstone and work the iron backwards and forwards maintaining the appropriate sharpening angle. Keep one or two short offcut pieces of moulding matched to each plane for this purpose. You should end up with a nicely polished iron ready for remounting in the plane.

Next comes the wedge. Looking deceptively simple, the wedge is precisely shaped with angled edges that both bed the iron and deflect the shavings clear of the throat. When these angles are not fitted perfectly, planing mouldings can quickly become a very frustrating process.

To tune the wedge, start by ensuring the rear of the wedge that fits to the iron is planed perfectly straight. Some moulding planes have skewed irons and these will need the wedge bevelled to match the skew angle of the iron. Similarly, the front face of the wedge must seat perfectly against the throat of the plane. Any gap here will see the plane quickly choke with shavings. Getting the wedge shaped perfectly sounds daunting but with a little perseverance you should find it relatively trouble free.

With iron and wedge tuned, the wedge can seat the iron with a light tap from a mallet (never a hammer). To unseat the wedge, avoid the temptation of tapping it up out of the throat of the plane. Instead, tap the heel of the plane with a sharp rap of the mallet. Similarly, adjusting the iron is done by tapping on the heel (to retract) or the toe to increase the depth of cut. Lateral adjustments can be made by tapping side to side on the iron itself.

Moulding planes in use

7. Grain selection should flow up and out of the edge to be worked.

Choose straight grained stock. Regardless of the type of moulding plane, stock selection is a critical aspect of success. Material should be chosen that has the grain running up and out of the edge being moulded (photo 7). Straight grain material is typically required for successful moulding and highly figured stock, changes in grain direction and reaction wood around knots should all be avoided.

8. Begin moulding at the far end of the work, moving progressively back with each pass.

Start at the far end. In use, moulding planes are started at the far end of the board with each subsequent pass started a little further back to allow the cut to follow through the previous pass (photo 8). Planing in this way, assists the plane to track in a path already cut. This is opposite to how we traditionally use bench planes where the cut is started at the nearest end of the workpiece.

9. Handcut side bead. Note the small quirk which is not possible with router bits.

Side bead planes are simple to use. With these you’ll amaze yourself at how a small bead almost leaps from the board after a handful of strokes. Used correctly they will leave a very detailed bead with a quirk much finer than anything that can be achieved with a router (photo 9).

10. Springlines indicate the angle of incline on which the plane must be used.

Stay on track. Dedicated moulding planes are typically required to be held at an angle indicated by the spring lines marked on the heel or toe (photo 10). H&R planes on the other hand have no such angle of set. With no fence or guide, the angle of the plane can be varied to alter the radius of the profile being cut. This freedom in use, can make H&R planes a little more difficult to use initially. Experiment with extending your fingers as a fence to help guide the plane and keep everything on track.

11. Waste removed, fillets set in and the first cove cut.

12. Round planes used to cut the large upper cove.

13. Finished moulding and the planes used to produce it.

14. Finished moulding with the original that was copied.

Remove excess stock. Due to the difficulty in sharpening, it is always desirable to minimise the amount of cutting the moulding plane is required to perform. For this reason excess material should always be removed with the tablesaw, plough or rebate plane prior to calling ona moulding plane. Photos 11–14 demonstrate the technique used to replicate a length of period moulding. Photo 11 shows the waste removed on the tablesaw followed by a small cove being cut with a round plane.

Typically I wouldn’t make the number of tablesaw cuts shown in this example however this degree of waste removal makes the moulding work much easier and is worth considering for your first attempt.

Combining profiles. Next, the large cove was cut with three sizes of round plane and the fillet was smoothed with the rebate plane (photo 12). Finally, the large ovolo was then cut with a hollow plane. The finished moulding and the planes used to produce it are shown in photos 13 and 14.

Moulding planes and more particularly H&Rs are very flexible tools that shouldn’t be seen as the domain of the traditional woodworker. Like any tool, there are limitations to their application, but to understand their strengths and become proficient in their use is to add an additional dimension to your woodworking.

I find these planes particularly useful for small runs of complex moulding or when used in combination with modern machines to modify or add to machine-cut mouldings. Side bead planes in particular allow for the addition of fine detail to cabinet work.

I hope this article will provide some inspiration to dust off your old moulders or alternatively encourage you to invest in a small number of new planes to build on your woodworking skills. Next issue we’ll look at joint making planes and how to use them.

Troy McDonald is an engineer and woodworker based in Brisbane.