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Material to use for soffit bracket?

| Posted in General Discussion on September 27, 2002 09:50am

I am completing an addition to a historic house in Michigan which has brackets under the large overhangs. I need to replicate these brackets on the new roof sections and am not sure what is the best material to use and the best assembly method to avoid spliting. The brackets are about 18″ tall, 15″ deep and 4″ wide. The existing brackets are made in three sections – a 2″ solid piece is sandwiched by two 1″ scroll cut pieces (1″ scroll piece – 2″ solid center- 1″ scroll piece).

I am considering clear cedar, redwood, fir or pine.

I have seen some built ups made by alternating the grain to reduce spliting.

I would appreciate any advice on anyones experience with the the best material and assembly process.

Thanks,

Carl

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Replies

  1. r_ignacki | Sep 28, 2002 12:35am | #1

    I doan know how elaborate this scroll part is, if you need to sand alot of jigsaw cuts, go with the redwood..... soft stuff.

    # # # #   # # # ,  # # #--# # # # !

  2. User avater
    coonass | Sep 28, 2002 01:18am | #2

    Carl,

    Made some similar a few years back with old growth cypress and they have held up perfectly. Would use redwood or cedar but not pine, don't know about fir.

    KK

  3. User avater
    goldhiller | Sep 28, 2002 06:07am | #3

    I wouldn’t recommend cross-graining the build up, if that’s what you mean by alternating. Although this is what is done in plywood, it doesn’t translate the same in the thicknesses of the pieces that you’re doing. The cross-grained assembly would guarantee conflicting stresses through expansion and contraction and the outer scrolled/cutout pieces would likely loose to the demands and strength of the inner solid piece causing those outer pieces to split.

    I’ve always kept the grain of these scroll supports running vertically to the supports and none of them have ever split. I’ve built perhaps four dozen of them for clients as well as those on the addition to our house.

    I’m not certain how much difference it will make as to which wood you use as they shouldn’t really see much UV or rain in that they’re protected under the soffit. The ones on the main body of our 1875 Vic are original, in excellent condition, and made of pine, although this is old-growth tight-grained stuff; today’s pine is simply not of the same quality that was available then. On that note, you may want to turn to one of your other choices.

    Any of the other choices should work well for you, and it’s already been pointed out that the redwood would cut and sand easier. The cedar should cut and sand easier than the fir, also, but then if you’re using a scroll saw to cut these and they’re up there twenty or more feet off the ground……… sanding may or may not be necessary. I would insist on clear stock though, as any knots could become an issue of aesthetics when and if they should loosen or fall out.

    I would think that clear PT wood could also be used so long as you allowed the material to dry out from its treatment prior to doing any millwork. Stand it on edge so that the air can circulate evenly around the board if you should choose this route.

    Cypress would also be an excellent choice for this project.

    I’ve always glued my scroll supports together via clamps and Titebond II, which is rated for this type of exterior application. I’d probably avoid using the polyurethane glues in this instance because the stuff foams up as it cures and so you’d find yourself trying to pick the stuff out of those cutouts so it wouldn’t look like a glob of paint in there.

    You can insure the best bond to resinous woods such as cedar and redwood if you wipe the surface with acetone immediately prior to applying the glue.

    Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
  4. Piffin | Sep 28, 2002 08:14am | #4

    I'd give thought to exterior manmade board called MEDEX. Comes in sheets 50"x 98" and several thicknesses. I had some at 1-1/4" and 1"

    What you are describing is called a corbel. Are these structural or for show?

    2500 and counting...

    It's possible to have quality AND quantity!

    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. IronHelix | Sep 28, 2002 02:47pm | #5

      Piffin....................."Medex"............please tell me more.  I'm not familiar with this product, but I have a house under construction that would benifit from the use of Medex.   And I assume that it is not inexpensive!  

      Curious..................................Iron Helix

      1. UncleDunc | Sep 28, 2002 02:56pm | #6

        Medex is a formaldehyde free MDF. A Google search returns several hundred references, including dealers.

        1. IronHelix | Sep 28, 2002 03:07pm | #7

          Unc Dunc...................I hardly had quit typing when your reply arrived..........thanks for the "google" info.............................Iron Helix

      2. Piffin | Sep 28, 2002 06:35pm | #8

        It is not inexpensive but a decent product. I seem to remember about $60/sheet.

        MDFis water resistant.

        It feels slightly waxy to me, like it is a small percentage of Trek type stuff. I think it is just the kind of glues used to manufacture it.

        When you see large curved modern entries at stores and malls and some painted signs, they are pronbably made from Medex. Check with you lumber supplier.2500 and counting...

        It's possible to have quality AND quantity!

        Excellence is its own reward!

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