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Any Tips on cutting clapboard to fit around complex shapes?


Sharon-UK

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I am slowly (veeeeerrrrrrry slowly) applying Greenleaf individual clapboards to my Willowcrest, and I'm just wondering if there is any easier way to cut the complicated bits to fit around the shaped window mouldings. I am having to cut some pieces up to 10 times trying to get the correct shape AND not have the clapboard splinter apart, which it does so very easily. So far I've tried the following:

- cutting card to shape first, by trial and error, to make a pattern to apply to the wood.

- cutting directly onto the clapboard, by trial and error, to get the right contour. This works ok for simple shapes, but no good for really complex cut-outs like around the top window moulding.

- Using a new sheet of Blu-Tac (an office supply for sticking papers onto walls) to press against the contour of the window moulding, then tracing around this contour onto the clapboard. This sort of worked but not great.

My painted windows are glued onto the house and I am cutting the pre-painted clapboard to fit around them.

Any help that could speed me up much appreciated.

Sharon

Visit my Willowcrest blog at: http://mywillowcrestblog.blogspot.com/

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There is a thing carpenters use, that is like a steel comb with teeth very close together. When you push it up against a complex shape, the teeth take on that shape. I'm not sure what they are called, but I need to get one. Perhaps this would help?

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There is a thing carpenters use, that is like a steel comb with teeth very close together. When you push it up against a complex shape, the teeth take on that shape. I'm not sure what they are called, but I need to get one. Perhaps this would help?

Wow, whatever that thing is I need to get one!

Sharon, I can't really give you any "technical" advise because we just literally eyeballed it and it worked perfectly. There are no gaps or mistakes visible.

What I did was just hold it up to the spot, and used a pencil to mark where I needed to cut. It was really more intuitive than technical but, I also have to say that we were not worried about making mistakes, and knew that if we did, it would just have to be removed.

Good lluck, I know how frustrating it can be!

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There is a thing carpenters use, that is like a steel comb with teeth very close together. When you push it up against a complex shape, the teeth take on that shape. I'm not sure what they are called, but I need to get one. Perhaps this would help?

I went on a hunt and found that it is called a contour gage, they use it a lot on floor tile as well as cutting around door molding. I have one and use it all the time. for fine cuts. if you have a friend that has a scroll saw you might ask for them to cut the peice. if not a small hand jig saw with a small tooth blade also use tape around the cut side that will cut down tear out on the wood

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Another method I've seen is to trace the profile using a compass. You place the template or clapboard next to the profile and use the needle point of the compass to follow the edge you wish to trace, while the pencil in the other end of the compass draws the profile onto your template or clapboard. Hope this makes sense, if not here is an image of how it is done for fitting wallpaper:

how-to-install-wall-treatments-10.jpg

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Your Willowcrest is looking very good. I can't help with your problem, been lucky and had easy windows or put the siding on before the windows/trim went up.

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Sharon, I can't really give you any "technical" advise because we just literally eyeballed it and it worked perfectly. There are no gaps or mistakes visible.

What I did was just hold it up to the spot, and used a pencil to mark where I needed to cut. It was really more intuitive than technical but, I also have to say that we were not worried about making mistakes, and knew that if we did, it would just have to be removed.

This is exactly what I did Monica on my Beacon. Look fine and no gaps here either. :wave:

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I find measuring and cutting every piece tedious these are all things I have done that work:

I use contact cement for siding. I outline the window and door frames onto the house. Then spread up the glue just to 1/8"of the edge of the mark on the house side. Then spread it on the back of the whole pieces of siding. I glue from the edge of the house in towards the opening, to get a great fit on hte edges. When it is dry and stuck I trim any siding away to the window opening edges and then lay the windows in again and mark the window frames outline onto of the siding then I cut against a steel edge for the straight parts and carefully by hand around the curves. The siding will come off easily where the contact/rubber cement was only glued on the siding side but stays put where it was put on both the house and siding.

This can also be done with a HIGH HEAT glue gun and you only have to put glue on the house side, but it takes practice going fast enough and getting close to the edge of where the fame needs to fit and too use a thin enough bead of glue to keep the siding from looking lumpy.

If you use another type of glue you can make a shield of paper tape where you want the wood to come away when you trim the siding. The siding then glues to the paper instead of the house. This works with hot glue too as long as the bead is not to thick and soaks thru the paper.

Practice before trying on your house!

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Wow! some great ideas, thanks everyone. I think those contour gauges are called 'finger gauges' here in the UK, so I will have to visit the hardware store and see how much they are. I love Ben's idea about using the compass, I will definitely try that. I admire Agnes' method but I am finding that the clapboard splinters so easily that I don't think I could cut the complicated curve of the top of the window that way. I bet it works well on straight edges though and gentle curves.

I'm taking some time off from the clapboard to work out how to glass in the porch to be my shop window (as I am converting the Willowcrest into a quilting store).

Best wishes,

Sharon

Visit my Willowcrest blog at: http://mywillowcrestblog.blogspot.com/

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