# Safely Routing T-Moulding for flooring transition



## bill0199 (Jun 9, 2009)

Hi all. Hoping for some help. I have installed new flooring in my home and need some transition pieces from tile to hardwood. I need 4 in total. There is only about a 1/16 height difference between the two floors. I have a lot of flooring left over so I was hoping to use what I have. Floor is 2 1/2 inch X 3/4 inch hickory boards. While they are finished they are not stained so any cut edges are easily fixed with sanding and some satin poly. I am not a fan of cutting on end on the table saw so was hoping to use the router table. I tested one by first routing a round over edge profile so this did not have to be done later. Then I routed the first side a little at a time using a half inch straight bit. The first side is not an issue. The problem is supporting the piece while routing the second side and keeping it from tipping. I was able to finish the first one by resting the first side on a piece of 1/2 inch mdf while the other side was up against the fence. But it felt far from safe. Hoping someone has done this before and maybe give some tips or perhaps a jig they used to do it. 
Thanks all.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

take it to the table saw..


----------



## bill0199 (Jun 9, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> take it to the table saw..


... so your solution to my apprehension to doing it on the table saw is to take it to the table saw.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

bill0199 said:


> ... so your solution to my apprehension to doing it on the table saw is to take it to the table saw.


yup..
rip to width... leave the piece long..
do your RO...
double kerf from the back/bottom flat to a depth of your liking... also, the distance between the kerfs is the desire thickness of the T's web...
rotate the piece 90° so that the face/top is against the fence and complete the rabbet...
trim to fit...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Note..
you should have an array of feather boards, push sticks and blocks to run an assist on this...


----------



## bill0199 (Jun 9, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> Note..
> you should have an array of feather boards, push sticks and blocks to run an assist on this...


The first rabbet doesn't faze me. The second does. So on the second rabbet I set up a featherboard up above blade, and tight to the initial rebate on the first side of the board?


----------



## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

Which floor is higher, the tile or the hardwood? You're treating this as T molding? I've done this and usually cut a 15 degree chamfer on the edges of T molding. I use a 15 degree router bit and run the T 
molding on edge on the router table. Then rabbet the bottom of the T molding so that the edges that sit on the floor and tile are no less than 1/4" thick. If there is an expansion gap between the hardwood and tile put a center support on the subfloor to support the center of the T molding.


----------



## bill0199 (Jun 9, 2009)

JIMMIEM said:


> Which floor is higher, the tile or the hardwood? You're treating this as T molding? I've done this and usually cut a 15 degree chamfer on the edges of T molding. I use a 15 degree router bit and run the T
> molding on edge on the router table. Then rabbet the bottom of the T molding so that the edges that sit on the floor and tile are no less than 1/4" thick. If there is an expansion gap between the hardwood and tile put a center support on the subfloor to support the center of the T molding.


The hardwood is higher. As I said by about 1/16". So T moulding is fine as I will rebate 1 side 1/16th deeper. There is a half inch gap between floors and I intend to support the moulding below. So one side will be 1/4 inch thick and the other 5/16.


----------



## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

bill0199 said:


> The hardwood is higher. As I said by about 1/16". So T moulding is fine as I will rebate 1 side 1/16th deeper. There is a half inch gap between floors and I intend to support the moulding below. So one side will be 1/4 inch thick and the other 5/16.


If you leave the floor board full thickness you can first do the chamfers on the router table or table saw with the boards on edge then cut the rabbets with a table saw dado blade or on the router table. Either way a piece of scrap after the first rabbet is cut will prevent the board from tipping when you cut the second rabbet. Leave a 1/2" wide full thickness strip down the center of the board.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I would also use the table saw. And what else I would recommend you doing depends on what tools and experience you have which was why you were encouraged to fill out your profile when you became a member. If you can use a full thickness piece of the hardwood then the solution is easy. And safe. You implied that there is a gap between the tiled portion and the hardwood portion. I'm assuming that the gap is the same depth as the hardwood. What you'll do is to machine a lip on either side of a strip of that flooring. How thick depends to some extent on how wide the lip needs to be to cover the hardwood. If the lip is narrow then maybe 1/16" is enough. Wider and you'll need at least 1/4" thick. You'll set the saw fence so that with your piece on edge against the fence the saw cut will leave the thickness of the lip against the fence. The only time you'll see the blade is as it exits the cut. Flip it over to the other edge and set the fence for the thickness of the lip for the tiled side and do the same thing. Now all you have to do is set the board down flat and use the fence to get the width of the lips you need. Once again, the only time you'll see the blade is as it exits the cuts but as Stick pointed out you should be using push blocks or sticks to do this. This is an easy job and not particularly dangerous.

The transition strip won't be thick enough to touch the floor so you'll need to shim under it to support it or you risk breaking the lips off. You could take a scrap board and cut the correct thickness on the TS if you want. That might be easier and faster..


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

bill0199 said:


> The hardwood is higher. As I said by about 1/16". So T molding is fine as I will rebate 1 side 1/16th deeper. There is a half inch gap between floors and I intend to support the molding below. So one side will be 1/4 inch thick and the other 5/16.


in this case I'd make a filler strip to go up against the wood flooring leaving a space for a ''grout line'' on the tile side...
put a strip of wax paper or saran wrap in the bottom of grout line and then fill the space w/ matching siliconized caulk...
the wax paper/saran wrap won't allow adhesion of the caulk to the sub floor giving you two point adhesion...
two point adhesion will allow for all of the material movement (floors) you could ever experience w/o breaking loose... 
or you could skip the filler and do a solid ''caulk line''...

Custom Building Products Polyblend #122 Linen 10.5 oz. Sanded Ceramic Tile Caulk-PC12210S - The Home Depot

no muss no fuss and no trip hazard...

NOTE:
if you caulk.. put masking or packaging tape on the floors to keep the caulk off of the floor surfaces and when you peel the tape you have a crisp line/edge...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

bill0199 said:


> The first rabbet doesn't faze me. The second does. So on the second rabbet I set up a featherboard up above blade, and tight to the initial rebate on the first side of the board?


you have a strip of flooring and it has......

1 face...
1 bottom...
2 ends...
2 edges..
1 tongue on 1 edge..
1 groove on the other edge...
*
new plan...*

all cuts are to be done w/ the bottom of the piece on the TS until noted otherwise...
use a full kerf FTG blade... (if you haven't one, no worries)..
carefully measure the width of the space/gap between floors and subtract 1/16''...
set the fence back from the blade ¼'' back from the *LEFT* edge of the blade...
set the blade to desired depth of cut...
w/ the groove to the fence remove the bottom lip of the groove...
reset your fence to allow for the 1st rabbet and the width of leg that is to go into the gap...
set the blade height...
make your 1st kerf cut...
move the fence out a short 1/8''...
cut...
repeat several times till you have an oversized kerf width...
remove piece...
reset fence to desired width of final piece..
raise the blade to do a full thickness rip...
*FLIP* the piece over on it's face...
using a feather board before the blade to hold the piece to the fence and a push stick to - well - push rip the piece to final size..
if you desire narrower lips just rip/shave the piece to your happiness... 
just make sure when you recut that the face of the piece is on the table...
to do this more safer put a sacrificial wood face on your fence and raise the blade into it w/ only a portion of the blade exposed to do the shaving w/...
several shaves is way better than a full cut...

*DO NOT* recut w/ the piece w/ it between the blade and fence...

..


----------



## normie2 (Feb 14, 2010)

Do not stand it on edge. lay flat on table saw do both sides and then rip to height. Do a 1/8th inch round over on the router table.


----------



## bill0199 (Jun 9, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> you have a strip of flooring and it has......
> 
> 1 face...
> 1 bottom...
> ...


Thanks. This sounds a lot safer than board on end. I'll try this. And this sounds like a good time to also put a zero clearance insert into the equation. 
Thanks all for your tips.


----------

