# Bead profile help



## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

New to the forum, looking for some advice. I'm replacing some trim work around the outside of garage door of my 1950's home and would like to match the profile. It's what seems like a simple 3 bead profile but the center bead is larger than the two outside beads. It's the fact that the beads are different widths that is throwing me. Also, this is a solid 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" piece of wood. I haven't seen any multi-bead bits with different sizes for outside vs. center bead. I've attached a picture and a rough profile to illustrate. Anyone routed this profile before? Are there single bits with this profile or is there a way to accomplish this with two bits? Any advice is welcome.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the router forum 
This kind of a profile is Usually done with a shaper
How much do you need


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## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

He can buy a router bit for it as well...

Router table and a couple feather boards and run it all day..


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

I used a small router table for some short slats - but a free-hand router with some jigs would work just as well. they are available in 1/4 and 1/2" shaft and different radius profiles. some practice and you should be able to get what you need.


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## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

Thanks for the replies. For this project it’s about 22’ total for three pieces(8’ and 2x7’). I’ve got a router table with a long feed or can do freehand. That bit looks like it would do the job. I thought about only replacing part of it but then I’d really need to try and match what’s there. If I replace it all then it only has to match itself. Probably smarter to just replace it all. Any links for that bit or similar?


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

this will give you a starting point. Plunge Round Over CNC Router Bits - Profiling CNC Router Bits - CNC Router Bits - Industrial CNC Tooling from Amana Tool - Products


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

how thick is the molding ?
I would probably cut the middle bead first - then the two outside beads.
then - run it through the table saw to make it all symmetrically even.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

G'day @sean3656 Welcome to the forum.

Iwould have thought a shaper cutter, but some good advice there about doing it with the router...


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## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

It’s 1.5” thick. Curious what they would have done in 1950. Definitely original trim. Dumb person who flipped the house in ~2002 just covered it in no character aluminum siding. I’m in process of stripping most of that off and fixing or replacing rotted boards BECAUSE the siding trapped moisture. Trim like this around every window and garage door. Will be nice when all done.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

Sean - this subject of "Replicating a Profile" comes up every now and then.
if you can, could you please post some photos as you go through the project of your methods and results ?


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## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

I will definitely post some photos and describe in detail what I’ve done. Thanks for the advice from everyone.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Search for triple beading bits. Here is a sample of a cheap one.
Autoly Carbide Triple Bead Router Bit 1/2 inch Shank Diameter 7/16 Cutter Diameter Multi-Beading Column Molding Router Bit - - Amazon.com


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## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

There are only two chouses here. Either use a router bit with the bead profile or have a shop grind you an exact replacement. If you don't have a shaper you might as well get as close a s you can with a router bit.

Ballew too,will make the bit. Maybe even modify a router bit for you. Only takes a credit card...


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Much of the molding inside and out on my home, built in the early 1950's, was made on-site using a Craftsman molding head on a table saw. The wife of the original owner verified this when I asked her about it. Carob Cutters still makes the cutter blades and will grind a set to match whatever profile that you need at a reasonable price. I'm not a fan of the Craftsman molding head, but I own one, and occasionally use it when I need new pieces of matching molding for my home. I've found that several passes using different cutters will make almost every molding for my home without the need for custom made cutters, but again, it takes several passes to get the complete profile needed. So far, I have only needed the basic set and some careful planning and test cuts to get the desired result. Feather boards are an absolute necessity to keep the work piece positioned correctly to get the desired result. I'm not a fan of this because of the siren-like roar that this thing makes, but it does do the job if set up correctly.

There is also a "Magic Molder" available for doing similar. It's supposed to be a little safer, but the cutter blades are different and I haven't seen many profiles available for it. Some searches on the internet should tell you about both. These do require at least a 2 hp table saw to work well. Mine is a 3 hp Delta Unisaw.

Charley


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## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

CharleyL said:


> Much of the molding inside and out on my home, built in the early 1950's, was made on-site using a Craftsman molding head on a table saw. The wife of the original owner verified this when I asked her about it. Carob Cutters still makes the cutter blades and will grind a set to match whatever profile that you need at a reasonable price. I'm not a fan of the Craftsman molding head, but I own one, and occasionally use it when I need new pieces of matching molding for my home. I've found that several passes using different cutters will make almost every molding for my home without the need for custom made cutters, but again, it takes several passes to get the complete profile needed. So far, I have only needed the basic set and some careful planning and test cuts to get the desired result. Feather boards are an absolute necessity to keep the work piece positioned correctly to get the desired result. I'm not a fan of this because of the siren-like roar that this thing makes, but it does do the job if set up correctly.
> 
> There is also a "Magic Molder" available for doing similar. It's supposed to be a little safer, but the cutter blades are different and I haven't seen many profiles available for it. Some searches on the internet should tell you about both. These do require at least a 2 hp table saw to work well. Mine is a 3 hp Delta Unisaw.
> 
> Charley


Thanks for the detailed info. This is the kind of info I'm looking for.regading history details. I can't imagine most builders these days taking the time to do this. Seems they just grab the Home Depot special and call it good. Since a lot of the trim is rotted I've just decided to replace all and replicate as close as possible using a router bit or two but if i was trying to replicate exactly, seems like a shaper would be the way to go.


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## Gary Lee (Jul 9, 2007)

sean3656 said:


> Thanks for the detailed info. This is the kind of info I'm looking for.regading history details. I can't imagine most builders these days taking the time to do this. Seems they just grab the Home Depot special and call it good. Since a lot of the trim is rotted I've just decided to replace all and replicate as close as possible using a router bit or two but if i was trying to replicate exactly, seems like a shaper would be the way to go.


Just a suggestion, Sean. The trim profile appears to me to be a* standard "brick" mould*, exterior door trim. I have installed tons of it on new applications and also repairing/remodeling. You may want to ck out local lumber yards for same *or similar*. As you have said you are going to replace it all anyway, it will all match when finished. Other wise, that is a lot of multi pass routing, for an entire house. But then, you will loose your bragging rights........😕


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## Rev. A (Jan 29, 2021)

mgmine said:


> Search for triple beading bits. Here is a sample of a cheap one.
> Autoly Carbide Triple Bead Router Bit 1/2 inch Shank Diameter 7/16 Cutter Diameter Multi-Beading Column Molding Router Bit - - Amazon.com


I think you'll get what you pay for at that CHEAPO price. Buyer beware. I got burned by cheapo tee slot cutter.


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## ken in minnesota (Apr 5, 2021)

sean3656 said:


> New to the forum, looking for some advice. I'm replacing some trim work around the outside of garage door of my 1950's home and would like to match the profile. It's what seems like a simple 3 bead profile but the center bead is larger than the two outside beads. It's the fact that the beads are different widths that is throwing me. Also, this is a solid 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" piece of wood. I haven't seen any multi-bead bits with different sizes for outside vs. center bead. I've attached a picture and a rough profile to illustrate. Anyone routed this profile before? Are there single bits with this profile or is there a way to accomplish this with two bits? Any advice is welcome.
> View attachment 399574
> 
> View attachment 399575


you could order a profile cutter from Woodmaster than check around for someone locally that would cut however many feet you need


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## sean3656 (Sep 18, 2021)

UPDATE: Ended up buying a leaf edge beading bit which got me pretty close to the original profile and since I'm replacing it all, was just fine for me. This was my proof of concept scrap. I just ran one pass with the bit centered on either side of the center of larger bead then another pass on the outside of each smaller bead and then ran through table saw to cut off excess as other posters recommended. The smaller beads were a bit pointy but I can round that over with a little sand paper.

I would say doing this with a shaper would probably be "easier" especially if you were planning to do a lot of it. Though more work, now I have a cool router bit to do other profiles with. Still need to run the actual trim but now I know the process. Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions on this. Great forum.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

that looks really good !! thanks for the update.


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