Drilled Moldings

Figure 7-45. A typical pattern for drilling holes in stock that will be strip-cut into molding.

You can produce interesting and original moldings if you follow the procedure demonstratea Dy me following example. Clamp together three pieces of 1-1/2" thick stock and draw a layout for holes as diagrammed in Figure 7-45.

After the holes are drilled, separate the three pieces and strip-cut each one on the table saw or bandsaw so you end up with individual pieces like those in Figure 7-46. Saw with a smooth cutting blade so the pieces will be smooth without needing a lot of sanding.

Figure 7-46. Strip-cutting, after drilling, produces individual pieces like these.

Figure 7-47. The pieces can be used separately or they can be joined to form panel designs.

The parts you produce can be used individually or they can be assembled edge-to-edge to make interesting panel designs (Figure 7-47). Try some experiments with how you strip-cut the pieces after they are drilled. For example, instead of sawing with the stock flat so you cut across the holes, make cuts with the stock on edge. By planning the saw cuts and then joining particular pieces, you can produce intriguing patterns like the one shown in Figure 7-48.

Figure 7-48. Patterns of assembled pieces can vary depending on how you strip-cut the pieces. A mortising chisel was used to drill the holes.

Figure 7-49. Semi-circular grooves, through or partway, are formed by edge drilling stock on the joint line of pieces that hav been clamped together.

You can also vary designs by drilling different size holes and by changing hole spacing. The same drilling technique can be used to produce semi-circular grooves (Figure 7-49).

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