LHCD #1: Les Hastings Curved Doors

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This is part 1 in a 3 part series: LHCD

I guess everbody saw the tutorials Les Hastings did on making radiused or curved doors.

Well after all the effort he went to I thought it was certainaly a nice final product worthy of at least attempting as a sign of thanks.

So after many days reading all the info and wondering if I could do the same with the tools I had, I eventually decided to give it a go.

I had quite a few sticks of dunnage lying about and they all exibited dimensions that I could mill down and use.

So the prototype begins.

Today I "fiddled about working out how I was going to reproduce all the jigs in Les’s Part 1

I “found” a piece of melamine from a broken down cupboard so I started with that it was about 1.5m by 550mm.

Just about all of it was consumed, with little waste.

I used this to commence making the Rail and stile jigs I noticed Les’s jigs were 20mm or 3/4" different to the actual profiles so I had to ask why this was so, didnt really undersatand the theory but when I started it all came very clear.

The rail Jigs

I put a hold down clamp on one but found holding the material by hand was producing more accurate results, (keeping fingers away from bity bits)

Checking on the plan

This was where I got to today, not a real lot of construction progress for the day, apart from all the material preparation it was mainly just making the curved top amd bottom rails.

All oversize and rough sawn at this stage but providing enough positive results for me to continue.

Thanks Les.

Its possibly going to be a “roughie” first up but it was all enjoyable so far !!

Regards Rob

Rob,

I’m glad you’re able to make use of Les’s tutorial. I’d really like to try it some day, too.

L/W

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin

Very cool.

Losing fingers since 1969