An alternate method would be to draw the design on the subfloor. Then lay both the field wood (bloodwood) and the apron wood (oak) within 1/4" of the drawn layout lines. The layout line should be dead on center of the 3 strip feature strip. The cuts need not be good, just within a 1/4" or so. Then build a router template and tack it to the flooring. Use new carbide, router bits. Then in 2 passes of approx. 5/32 each (for a total depth of 5/16") route out the feature strip area. The depth will be 5/16". Use 5/16" feature strip stock top fab the feature strip design. The radius strips could be cut from panel of 5/16" thick material temporarily laid up and carefully cut. Then inserted using glue into the radius areas. The straight strips are easy. Of course, careful routing and cutting of the feature strip are important. This way just avoids all those careful net cuts of the field and apron wood and by using 5/16" feature strip material, easier to fab the feature strips. The feature strip could even be premade in the sense that the three strips could be already laminated together prior to being installed. Then carefully "milled" to ensure uniform width. The router template would then be set up to rout out this exact width and the 3 strip feature strip could be glued in to the routed out slot. Make any sense? Sorta like installing a medallion.

makes perfect sense, Im sure it would have been alot faster, with equal end results. I love the router, use it on mosts floors in one way or another, but prior to this job I did a blood wood on a 45, and at the turned boards in the doorways I routed and splines all of them together, after about 4 boards the bit would die and kicked on me a few times, I use the bits all the time, lasting months, but that bloodwood forget it. No way was I going to attemt that LOL.

But I appriciate you idea, and willingness to share it, Im sure in some way it will come out in one of my next floors, As soon as I figure an equasion for a starburst

Is that a template for the router base to guide against instead of using a template that the bearing on pattern bit would ride against? Am I making any sense?

You could do it either way. However, if you're using a bit with a bearing guide, the bit will need to be long enough for the router to sit on top of the template and still plunge deep enough to cut the 5/16". I prefer to use templates where the base rides against it. Then the router is firmly on the floor. One could route the straight lines first, which are way easier. Then, use a trammel to route the quarter circles. The problem with trammels is it needs to be placed exactly the same for each corner (the template would as well) and you'll need a bit the width of the feature strip or a trammel that will allow minor adjustments to increase the cutting width.

well after thinking about this way, I realized that the quarter circles would be one peice of wood, Now while the two species of wood I had, had minimal grains etc, I did actually cut one of the corners in a full peice. I didnt relly like the look for it, Because the grain and charecter? were on a 45 degree angle (since I had to use a 6 inch wide peice that was 3 feet long) yet the actual peice was round. I found when I rip the boards in thin strips, it appears to look as if I actually "bent" a single peice of wood.

Did I explain that correctly? I think I may have confused my self a little LOL

I understand what you're saying. I think it depends on the woods and the color as which way looks better. Have you seen a bordered oak floor where there are half circles around the base of the first stair step? In otherwords, the border follows the curve of the bottom step. Well, I've seen it done with ripped thin strips and that looks COMPLETELY different than plain sawn oak. So IMO, one is better off cutting those curves from a larger piece of wood instead of bending strips. Bending thin strips can work well though, especially for feature strips and you did a great job.

Very nice work!! Thanks for explaining the precedure. I'm new to this and am doing some work in my own home. Did you install the ceiling woodwork? If so did you simply use a router on some wide bloodwood boards to make the quarter circle pieces? Thanks.

The celling is all drywall, It is just painted purple (the lip portion) on the celling was green. (they had purple carpeting lol) Since then the celling inset is a nice tan color, and the strip is burgandy.

Thanks Jay. Hope you don't mind but I'm planning to model our dining room floor after your work. My wife really likes what you did.

Is the bloodwood you used 2 1/4 inch width or 3 inch? Most places I contacted only sell 3 inch. One place says they can sell me 2 1/4 inch but it has beveled edges. Turns out it's actually strips that would eventually be turned into a pre-finished product, but without the finish. They claim I could easily sand it down flat but I plan to use a U-Sand sander and from what I’m reading it might take a long time to sand down past the beveled edge. Seems that it doesn't matter whether it's 2 1/4 or 3 inch but if I can’t get the right stuff I may opt for a different wood that’s similar in color.

Tom

the bloodwood is 3" the oak is 2 1/4" and the layout for the border is 1/4 peruvian walnut, 1/2 bloodwood, 1/4 peruvian walnut.

I have never used a Usand, but I know with my machines it was tough to sand the bloodwood. Be certain to use a mask the dust from it is brutal. They dont call it bloodwood for fun

Jay

You indicate that you glued the bloodwood field to the floor 8 inches back from the edges all the way around. Did you not use any felt or tar paper between the subfloor and the back of the hardwood anywhere in this project?

Thanks
Tom

yeah I cut the felt paper aprox 8 inches back from where the border was going to be, then trowel glued that section down. (make sure you dont go past your line with the glue, cause the subfloor with come up with it when you do your cutbacks)

Did you glue the red oak in the same manner?

An unfinished section of basement is under the room I'm working on. I was thinking of nailing additional 2x4's between the joists to line up with the seams between the bloodwood and red oak. That way I can nail into a solid 2x4 all around the edge of the bloodwood, and also get a solid nail at the edge of the red oak. Do you think I should still glue it?

Thanks again
Tom

I trowel glued and stapled the oak border, and used the same glue for the actual border also.. You could add 2x4's so your staples "may" go into them, but it would be 14/ of the staple penetrating at most. If I had the option to do that in thier home I most likely would have, but I still would have glued it based on the fact I know not all the staples would actually go into the stud I installed below.

Jay

After a lot of painting, ceiling crown molding work, and floor prep I'm finally laying my floor. I'm working the center field of bloodwood. I had planned all along to use a router trammel to cut the quarter circles on each corner, but with some additional reading I’m finding out that bloodwood doesn't always route very nice. I’m a little concerned that the topside of the bloodwood will chip out and I won’t have a smooth edge after routing. It’s probably too late because I already have half of the center field laid, but I wanted to better understand how you did your corners.

You said that you used 3/4 inch CDX that looked like an "L" piece of plywood with a 1/4 circle connecting the lines. Were the connecting lines between the tips of the “L” curving in toward the “L” or away from the “L”? Sounds like they were probably curving away from the “L”, you screwed it to the floor outside the field, ran the bloodwood over the form, marked it, took it back up and cut with a jig saw?

If you have any suggestions on routing the bloodwood I’d appreciate any comments.

Thanks again for your input.

Tom