Curved Fascia Trim

[Peter Rideout]

Hello Everyone

We’re doing some more exterior work on the big barn, including the second half of re-roofing and now the end fascia boards (I think these are actually the rake boards?).

The photo is the top piece, straight for first 5’, then begins the curve of the gothic roof. It’s a very uniform piece, smooth curve and uniform width. How did they do this in 1915 and how do I reproduce it? Bandsaw with single point fence? Make a router template?
Any ideas are welcome.
Thanks

 

[Don Baer]

you might be able to clamp the old piece to the new one and use it as a pattern for you router.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

In 1915 I'd bet either a bandsaw or a bow saw (it would go pretty fast with a bow saw). You could fair the edge pretty easy with a hand plane (the outside with whatever the inside you'd need compass plane or a spoke shave .. or if you're handy with it a draw knife). If you lacked either a bandsaw or a bow saw you could axe & drawknife it to fit (you'd still want to saw the long straight section if you really could).

For repro I'd rough cut with the bandsaw and either use the old as a template or scribe a new template and fair with a router.

 

[Peter Rideout]

Thank you for the good advice, guys.
I’ve decided to take the time to prepare a good plywood template of the curve. I’ll mark it from undamaged spots along the old piece as best I can, then use a bendy piece of thin material to “connect the dots” and give a fair curve.
I can cut close to the line on the bandsaw Larry helped me upgrade a few years ago, then follow the template with a flush trimming bit.
I’ll post some pics of how it turns out.

 

[Jim DeLaney]

Thank you for the good advice, guys.
I’ve decided to take the time to prepare a good plywood template of the curve. I’ll mark it from undamaged spots along the old piece as best I can, then use a bendy piece of thin material to “connect the dots” and give a fair curve.
I can cut close to the line on the bandsaw Larry helped me upgrade a few years ago, then follow the template with a flush trimming bit.
I’ll post some pics of how it turns out.

That oughtta work right well.

 

[Jack Wendell]

I wonder what worked out for you. We did a little renovation and bought new furniture and appliances when we moved into the house we now live in.

 

[Peter Rideout]

I wonder what worked out for you. We did a little renovation and bought new furniture and appliances when we moved into the house we now live in.

This is how it looks today, Jack. It paid off to take the time to make a good template and fuss over getting a fair curve with a sander. The curve is a constant radius, as it turned out, and the flare at the bottom is just a reverse of the other curve. There’s about 5 feet of straight rafter going up to the peak. It’s a lot nicer day today than the snow flurries and dark that our boys worked in the last week of December!
Thanks for your interest.