Musings

Encountering a Ripple Molding Cutter

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Given my recent acquisition of four dozen prints barbarically cut out of a First Edition of Roubo’s L’Art du Menuisier (c. 1771), among which were the fanciful machines on making ripple moldings, I was immediately overcome with the idea that I had to make some frames for these prints.  And of course those frames must feature prominently some ripple moldings.

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My memory was drawn back to some correspondence with RichardB, an architectural conservator whom I have known for more than three decades.  Much like me, Richard is a collector of knowledge, the older and more esoteric the better.  Anyhow, Richard knew a nearby fellow Jerry who had a ripple molding cutter his father (or grandfather?) had built.

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I arranged to meet with Richard and have him take us to visit Jerry’s shop, which turned out to be a remarkable and inspiring day.

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Yes indeed, Jerry had a motorized ripple molding cutter that performed astonishing feats, producing unspeakably elegant molding stock.

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I am pretty sure the master pattern rails on which the cutter head rides are made from Delrin or HDPE, I somehow forgot to ask, and the cutters are all hand made from various tool steel stock.

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I stood and watched it for a long time, it is hypnotic watching the cutter head moving back and forth, scraping out the profile and the ripple pattern.

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Jerry’s passion is replicating historic clock forms and he uses all manner of ripple molding on them.  I think Jerry is too busy to make any moldings for me, but seeing his in person sure lit a fire under me to make one.

Maybe next winter, or the one after that.

That’ll be worth a blog entry or ten.