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Machining moldings from PVC trim board?

8/31/22       
Mark  Member

I have a job coming up to build a portico with cornice and eave molds as well as re-trim the windows with new sills, casings and pediment heads. There are a few coves and beads on the pediments also. I've been asked if I can run the moldings in PVC (Versatex)
Aside from finding the best speed and feed rate, sanding and sealing the open core. I'm anticpating a freaking mess and am cosidering putting a dedicated dust collector on the shaper, maybe even push it outside

Has anyone here tried running molding from PVC?

9/1/22       #2: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
james e mcgrew  Member

Website: mcgrewwoodwork.com

I have done this on a cnc, it will machine, static will cause flakes to stick and You may have to ground the DC to the machine. it a mess , a fun mess but still a mess, if it flakes and does not melt you will have it right.

9/1/22       #3: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark B Member

Ive run a ton of PVC, Royal, Azek, Versatex, etc. Im assuming the profiles you have to match have no mate from Azek or others? If you dont have a full molding profile chain from Azek, contact them ASAP and have them send you one to see if they even have a few that will save you running them from raw. Their moldings are all extruded with the standard dead smooth exterior all the way around.
For machining profiles on the shaper/saw either go to the dollar store and buy a few cans of static guard for clothing, or order some machinery anti-static spray (high priced version of the same stuff) and spray down your machines, fire up the dust collector and let it suck up a bunch of the static spray. It will help a mile with not winding up looking like a snow storm blew through the shop when your done. Keep the cans handy and re-apply as needed.
Sealing up the raw machined moldings is harder than finishing wood moldings which is why I say to see if any profiles are available in stick form before you resort to machining it all. If you can even rip elements off factory run profiles and toss the unneeded portions you will be way ahead as compared to having to prime/scuff/paint the machined profiles.


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9/1/22       #4: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark  Member

Already checked for trim; no one has anything that will suffice either for profile or dimensionally. Fortunately the amount of profiled trim is less than 200 feet. Versatex recommends sanding with 320 grit and a wipedown with acetone on machined faces. I've done this and it worked very well, very smooth under paint and adhesion seemed very good although time will tell.
What kind of knives did you use? One fellow told me the hard skin of the PVC notched his HSS knives;, which is what I was going to run as I can regrind a few sets that I have to a new profile. If I have to get carbide, Im pretty sure that will change things for the owners and make the designer unhappy ;-)

9/1/22       #5: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark B Member

I just run M2 by default on everything. There is nothing where the bump is ever an issue. If your only running 200' of material carbide would never be a need. Thats in he thousands of feet range.

9/1/22       #6: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Matt Calnen

For that short of a run, it seems like it would be cost effective to make everything out of Mahogany. The time spent cleaning the filter bags of white nasties, sealing the machined edges, and fixing the “volcanos” where fasteners are used would more than justify using a premium wood.

9/1/22       #7: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark B Member

There.is not.a solod wood on the planet that eill hold paint like pvc. Sorry for your luck... with high quality paint were talking decades without being touched.

9/2/22       #8: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Matt Calnen

I guess I have not seen a high end pvc trim job before.

9/3/22       #9: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark  Member

Matt, as one who not too long ago swore "I'm not making things out of plastic" I've come around some to appreciate the durability of PVC against the elements, particularly water, and rot. Under paint, theres no way to tell what the material is. The product has improved over time and for something like exterior window dressing, a good choice. Check out some of this shops work- executivearchitecturalmillwork.com

9/4/22       #10: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Kevin Basto

PCV trim boards take paint extremely well, I have jobs from 7-8 years ago that still look new, I'm even surprised how well they have held up in extreme cold and full south exposure. Only ever used Versatex.

9/6/22       #11: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
Mark B Member

Sorry for the end of day typos in my phone reply but our experience has been the same as the two above. Ive always been a wood purist but in many circumstances we've felt the better option to be PVC (mainly those where we know the customer is simply not going to keep up with maintenance on an annual basis). We too have several jobs that, to this day, look as good as they did when they went in even with regards to paint. A lot of the longevity of paint is dependent on the surface breaking due to substrate movement and then moisture getting beneath the finish. This doesnt happen with PVC even if a joint slightly opens or cracks. The material doesnt take on water.

Its sucks for wood purists but its no different than this MDF cabinet door craze. Sadly for those complaining about hairline cracks in face frames and rail/stile construction under paint,.. wood is just not the answer.

In 30+ years I have never dealt with a customer that has not been late on their exterior maintenance. And Ive never had a customer with enough cash and foresight to allow me some sort of mandatory maintenance schedule.

9/8/22       #12: Machining moldings from PVC trim bo ...
BH Davis  Member

Website: http://www.bhdavis.net

I think your HSS knives might not hold up as well as some have suggested. It might be a good idea to do some test runs with a different set of knives before ordering up the custom blades. That way you'll know for sure what you are getting into.

BH


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