I am starting a deck job next week that includes a “picture frame border” of (2) 5.5″ deckboards (garappa) around the perimeter. The rest of the deckboards (ipe) will then be layed on a diagonal inside the border. This style has been fairly commong lately. I usually install the perimeter boards first and then set and scribe each of the deckboards (on the diagonal to it). This method is accurate but time consuming. I am happy with the finished product but really need to speed up my labor time.
I am thinking of laying all my decboards to within an 1/8th of the border. Usually I keep the deckboards 3/16th off the border. So I could come back with a guide and 3/16th pattern bit. The bit would ride along the guide (which is flush with the border) and cut my 3/16th reveal much more quickly then scribing piece by piece.
Any thoughts on why this would or wouldn’t work? Any other time saving techniques?
Thanks for the help.
Replies
It is common to run decking long.
Then come back and cut to a line or whatever works to keep it straight.
Rather than using a router I'd opt for a circular saw. If a slight roundover is what you want at the cut line, I'd go ahead and do that with a router afterwards.