Bespoke 'bolection' door mouldings?

sarkozy

I've spent a painstaking few months stripping 100 years of paint off our Victorian 4-panel front door.

It's now ready to fill and paint. But along the way, I learned old water damage has damaged the fairly intricate bolection mouldings. In particular, the mouldings had previously come away from the panels and shrunk at the corners, leaving big gaps, and were subsequently, badly filled. The door itself is sound.

I have 2 options.

I can re-fill these gaps with slips and filler and hope people don't notice.

Or I could get replacement bolection mouldings and have them fitted.

My question is whether I'm likely to find very similar mouldings?

If not, could I get replicas made, and how much would it cost? (Likely requiring 4-6m of moulding.)

(Getting a new door would cost at least €2,000, if not €3,000, so that's not an option.)

kadman

New mouldings requiring new cutters to run the profile.

Normally you pay for the material amount, plus labour, plus new cutters.

Depending on cutter size, probably from 300 euro a pair upwards,

and joinery keeps the cutters. Depending on how specific you need the profile,

or whether you can work with the joinery near match from their existing cutter profile stocks,

these things can effect the price.

You shouldn't need to sell a kidney though.

kadman

Pics of the mouldings would be helpful,

sarkozy

Will do.

I've found it hard to find services online who say they do this or have extensive profile cutters or pre-cut stocks to choose from.

Suggestions, recommendations (via PM if necessary) most welcome.

Alun

My grandfather was an antiques restorer and used to do this all the time, i.e. make one off cutters for custom mouldings and beadings. Maybe contact some of them?

recipio

As its only one door its hardly worth the expense of having custom mouldings made ? I'd be surprised if you did not get a close match with a router bit and even wide mouldings can be made in steps and glued together. Have a look at www.wealdentool.com and you might be lucky.

kadman

Any profile can be exactly matched to a new cutter profile 100%.

Its an easy process. Depends on what the budget is really??

timfromtang

sarkozy wrote: »

I've spent a painstaking few months stripping 100 years of paint off our Victorian 4-panel front door.

It's now ready to fill and paint. But along the way, I learned old water damage has damaged the fairly intricate bolection mouldings. In particular, the mouldings had previously come away from the panels and shrunk at the corners, leaving big gaps, and were subsequently, badly filled. The door itself is sound.

I have 2 options.

I can re-fill these gaps with slips and filler and hope people don't notice.

Or I could get replacement bolection mouldings and have them fitted.

My question is whether I'm likely to find very similar mouldings?

If not, could I get replicas made, and how much would it cost? (Likely requiring 4-6m of moulding.)

(Getting a new door would cost at least €2,000, if not €3,000, so that's not an option.)

These mouldings were originally made by hand, with moulding planes. There are many enthusiasts who use and restore these old planes. I'd suggest giving the euro's (300 for new cutters RIDICULOUS!!) to an enthusiast, and having PROPER replacement mouldings made, made in the same way as the originals.
JUst my Tuppence
tim

woodturner

If the moulding wasn't too big, blanks for Euro cutters could be ground to match the mould. They're not as expensive as the serrated knives.