If You've Got A Hitch, Then Scratch It; or: Don't Throw It Out, It's Only Molding; or: My Scratch Stock Is Bigger Than Yours

 It's finally time for the new roof, and that means I need to resolve the issue of the rotten molding.  I hadn't realized it was rotten, but a closer inspection revealed bees, and a fascia full of insulation and squirrel scat.  Fun times on a ladder!

 The problem with replacing old stock is that new molding will not match your original profile:  The new stuff looks the same, but it's thinner.  You can get specially made moldings, but that's a lot of money, especially if you only need a little bit.
 Other options?  Buy many router bits, or buy many molding planes.  As much as I like the second option, it's hard to justify, monetarily.

 Then, I had a thought: what about the humble scratch stock?  The scratch stock is a simple way to create a  profile in wood, usually a small bead edge.  It isn't as swift or as consistent as a plane, but if you only have to work a little bit of wood, it's a cheap option.

I had previously made a bead edge for my cabinets:

 This was a slightly larger task, but I thought I'd give it a try.
 I bought some 16 gauge steel from the Home Despot, traced the profile, then went to town with the angle grinder
 

Finished up with files, then sandpaper, then honed both sides.

Tossed it in a piece of wood and had at it.

So, half way through my success I showed my progress to my dad, and as I was explaining it I realized I goofed:  I cut off the wrong side of the profile.
That was enough for one day; I came back to it in the morning and reground the correct profile.  So far it's been working, though it is slow progress.  I was making a lot of dust the first time around, but I did a better job of honing this time and there are more shavings now.  I'm sure there will be some tweaking, but it looks like I'll have a workable molding.

Update:  So much scraping!