Circletop Window Molding

[JohnWill]

I'm doing a home improvement project and I've come across a stumbling block. I seem to be unable to find interior wood molding for a circletop window.

I have a window that's around 27" wide, and it has three pieces of trim that make a half circle, I want to replace those along with the rest of the trim. The trim is 2 1/4" wide, and as I say, three pieces make a semi-circle of 27" in diameter.

If I can't find it, I'll have to strip the old ones, fill any holes, and use them again. Obviously, I'd rather just start with new trim.

 

[Guyzer]

John if they are made of wood you will have a tough time finding replacements. I worked in the " specialty " dept of a window joint and they made our curved pieces from scratch. It is something you can do if you have a way to steam the wood cuz that's what it takes to be able to bend it with it breaking.

 

[JohnWill]

Well, these are flat moldings like you'd see on the side of a standard window. so steaming them and bending them is pretty much out of the question in that axis! They have to be made custom or found somewhere...

 

[buck52]

probably cut out of 1x12 pine or poplar and finger jointed hence the three pieces... unless you have access to a piece of 1x 30 or so...

do you know the window manufacturer?

you could always do it in one piece with mdo plywood and edge band it

 

[JohnWill]

Actually, it's made of a single piece of pine, apparently a production line job cranking them out with a specific radius. I have three different sizes of circle-top windows here, all have similar molding, but obviously unique to the size of the window.

I have a couple of router, but nothing that will do that!

 

[buck52]

very unusual if they were one piece but...

unless you know who made the originals the chances of finding them are pretty slim

you could probably find a custom millwork shop in your area that would make them but ... quite expensive

 

[xgerryx]

Can you upload a photo of what you have. Its surprising what can be done with a router

 

[JohnWill]

I've actually thought about trying to make one on my router table. I can certainly cut the pine board in the proper shape, then I could route the various contours to match what is required. That would be a fair amount of work to make them, but as a last resort... Here's a shot of the whole piece, and a detail shot of what it looks like up close.

 

[xgerryx]

That would be a fair amount of work to make them, but as a last resort...

Shout me an airfare and I'll come over and do them for you.

Yes its a lot of work and usually not economic.

I've built a few of these quite a few years ago shortly after finishing my apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker.
If it was a simple profile and a "one off" I'd make up a radial jig to hold the router and then do multiple cuts changing the cutter as necessary . Quite a lot of time and hand finishing required.

For a profile like yours I would get a pair of knives made for my spindle moulder then build a circular jig to rotate the quarter sections past the cutter head semi free hand. Again a lot of work but once I had the knives and a customer willing to pay the result was very exact.

 

[Knotbored]

What is the thickness? perhaps a double thickness of 1" lumber?
I have seen tops for grandfather clocks made similar-
on those the 3 layers were cut on a bandsaw in 3 different radiuse pieces, routered with OG bits, then gued in layers offsetting each layer.
Your pictures show unusual shapes for routering-can we see a shot directly at the end with a coin or something in the picture for size reference?

 

[buck52]

as I thought... it is made in multiple segments and anything but flat as you orginally posted... that has quite a profile

as Gerry eluded to... that is done with a moulding plane setup special to do radius profiling

I have done many one off similar to that but to duplicate that exact profile would be a ton of work without the proper equipment

 

[JohnWill]

I have a general idea how I'd attack it, but I'd have to buy at least one special router bit, and I've truthfully never seen one that would really to the trick. The curved indentation the second from the outside would be the tricky part. I also agree that it would be a lot of work, and I think I'll go the route of stripping the old ones, filling the holes, and then refinishing them. I still haven't found where I can buy the replacements, still waiting for the window manufacturing company to call me back. I've been told by several lumber yards that the best way to get them is to from the window maker, since they normally come as part of the installation kit.

The total molding is 1/2", the same as standard straight window molding, and they're 2.25" wide.

 

[buck52]

This the bit you need for your router table ... http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-466-Matches-Industry-Standard/dp/B000P15E0K

then you would need to build a curved carriage/jig to hold the stock as you pass it through

ps... I believe standard window casing is 11/16 thick

 

[JohnWill]

I believe you're right, I didn't go back to measure it, it's indeed 11/16" thick.

That is the bit, of course, I'd also have to buy a new router with a 1/2" chuck!

Like I said, I think I'll reuse the old ones.

 

[hewee]

Let me guess you want it stained so can't use the one you have now that could be patched and painted.

But if this is a home that the trim on the windows came with call the home builder and find out who they got there trim from. If you lucky it is in town but it could come from any where. But if the builder is still putting trim like that in the homes you may be able to get them to order the trim for you too.