# Designing Pilasters and Capital for Room



## Bucktane (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi All,

Was hoping for some design help. I am tyring to design and then construct a set of pilasters and capital for a dining room. Each component will have recessed panels. I am stuck designing a curve on the rails. Was hoping someone may have some suggestions on the best material and approach to creating the curved rail.

I have used my router to create arched doorways and was think of using a similar approach and then on a board large enough to shape out the required rail, but then when joing with a straight stile you get into a curved miter, which sounds painful.

Another approcah I was considerating was using a router/jigsaw to creat the face frame out of 3/4 mdf as this will be paintgrade project.

I am attaching the rough design in sketchup for a visual. Would appreciate any suggestions as this one has me stumped.

The face frames are 2"x2"x3/4" poplar. The pilaster is approximately 9' and the curved section would be approximately 30" accross the horizontal/rail.


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

I dont see a big problem here. It sounds like your using an applied molding with faceframe like material. (3/4 X 2inch) Right? You will need a wider piece of stock to mill you radius from the impost to the upper tangient. Looks like,from your rendering that you are applying the accent over a semi-finished column wraped in a 1/4 ply? Or are you milling this up in rail/stile and panel sections? Lot of ways to skin this cat. Are you looking to make this monolithic?


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## Bucktane (Jan 11, 2011)

I am making the pilaster out of 2" face frames (poplar) which will wrap the wall around from the inside to the foyer. both interior and exterior room wall will have a 3/4" backer for the face frames for added depth and presence.

Pocket joining the face frames and using domino's to miter the pilasters around the wall.

So it sounds like you agree routing a larger piece of stock to create the curved rail would be the best way to tackle this? then used that one as a template for the others?

I neglected to pull out the waste piece where the curved rail and stile join over the impost. posting another image.

This is obviously only one side of the entrance way. the capital will be essentially three recessed panels going accross the face with the middle twice the size of the section shown in the drawing and offset 3/4".


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

Sounds like you have this pretty well thought out. 10-4 on the wide stock. I think it will go well for you . JB


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