Carving Back Braces

[Bob Connor]

I was glueing and shaping some back braces this week so I took some pics.

Back is a 15' radius and the I shape the ends on my belt sander before glueing. These are Engelmann spruce. I keep the Red Spruce for the tops.



Next put a double layer of masking tape along the side of each brace to protect the back.

The block plane is a cheap Stanley that I took to with the belt sander and rounded off all the sharp edges. It's very quick and accurate and I can rough shape the lot in about ten minutes.

Because of the way the plane is constructed it will leave a ridge about 3mm from the bottom of the brace but this can be easily trimmed with a chisel and then sanded



Here's the final pics.

[Taffy Evans]

Thanks for that Bob. I've never tried shaping braces before they go on the plate, I'll have to give it a go.

[Bob Connor]

I do it with the top braces as well Taffy. Just rough shaping the scallops and tapers on the bandsaw.

I sort of know how much I'm going to carve off so it just saves a bit of time.

Doing the ends of the back braces on the belt sander makes them nice and uniform too.

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Bob
No lie, 10 minutes after my post to you, I had modified my belt sander and shaped a couple of test braces, I'm sold. l like the way the ends of the brace that gets checked into the linings are all uniform this will speed up that procedure also.

My sander/linisher has alway been mounted vertical so I adjusted it horizontal, and the already modified table I had used for the vertical use is now used in the horizontal position and it is adjustable, too easy. I'll post some pics later.

[cactus bum]

Bob, are you saying you use the rounded nose of the belt sander to get the radius of the curve in the end of the braces? And this makes it pretty and uniform? If so, I get it. I am carving braces soon myself. Thanks Bob, Cactus

[Bob Connor]

Here's a pic that should reveal all.

[Hesh1956]

Nice toot Bob buddy.

In addition to what Bob does, that I do too, if you install your back joint reinforcement (BJR) prior to the braces taping some thin acetate (available from office supply stores as transparency film) over the BJR and lining the braces and it will prevent marring of the BJR and back. It works great on tops too.

I keep meaning to mod the planes that I use for brace shaping to kill the sharp side edges but I still haven't gotten around to it...

[Rod True]

Nice Job Bob. I to use (or did in the past) my sander to shape the ends on my back braces. Great system.

As far as using the block plane to shape the braces, I just use a piece of arborite (counter top veneer) to let it ride on. It's very hard and would take a very long time to wear out.

[Dennis Leahy]

Bob, are you saying you use the rounded nose of the belt sander to get the radius of the curve in the end of the braces?

Pardon me if this is so obvious that it does not need saying, but if anyone out there reading sees the setup that is not a seasoned woodworker: be sure that you think about the rotation of the sander before you make any kind of a jig like this. You have to make sure the belt is NOT pulling the piece in, it has to be "spitting it out" or you'll quickly have a disaster.

That only makes sense if you have a jig that is confining the wood. If this was done hand held, I'd do just the opposite and touch the wood to the end of the belt that was turning away from me.

Probably didn't need to be said, but I said it anyway.

Dennis

[cactus bum]

Bob, Hesh, These tips are invaluable. Thanks Cactus

[vandenboom]

For what it's worth, I do the same thing for shaping brace ends and bridge wings on my home made drum sander,as I don't own a belt sander (yet).
I have never used a commercial drum sander, so don't know if the feed mechanism can be turned off, but with the home model, I control the feed, and it works great.
Frank