Shopsmith Forums

I'm making 12" round cutting boards--maple, walnut, the usual stuff. What's the best and/or what's the easiest way to do an edge round-over?

Thanks

Jerome

Roundovers are fastest, easiest and smoothest by using a router and a roundover bit. Either a router table or a free router. I prefer the table.

Also the Mark V shaper using a fence..

Not so easy, and a bit more trouble is the disk sander and a tilted table. For this you need a pivot below the round workpiece.

What is the easiest and best way to do an edge-round- over? I would have to say an under the table router with a round-over-bit .

Handheld router or router table using round-over bit with a guide bearing.

Example

Thanks. I realize now that my question was too general and vague. Let me be more specific: On square edged boards, I have no problem riding them down the fence of my router table thru 1/2" and 3/4" round-over bits. At a slow steady feed with slight pressure on the back and outside edge I get perfectly clean cuts with no burn. Being used to that, I can't imagine how to feed in a round board at a steady pace without getting some chop an burn. Is there a jig, or special setup, that keeps the board aligned and allows a steady feed going around in a circle?
Bear with me...I'm not as bright as I look.

Many thanks

Jerome

This is one way that might work for you.

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss33 ... CF1917.jpg

Ed

Guide pin.

I believe that you are worrying about a problem that will not present itself. If you use a round-over bit, like the one shown in this thread, to round over the edge of a pre-cut circle you will have no problem. The bearing controls the depth of cut and you control the feed rate. You can not cut too deep; the bearing prevents that from happening. If you do not get a smooth cut because you pulled away from the bearing - just repeat the pass.

When I do a project like you describe, I typically run the entire circle through again just to smooth any spots that I might have missed.

One word of advise: make certain that the circles' edge is smooth before you start routing. If not, the router will re-produse those bumps and valleys.

Ditto to what dusty said. Remember when using a roundover bit with a bearing, you do not need a fence and you do not have to route the entire circle in one pass. You can take short passes - as many as you like. Just need to make sure the entire edge is eventually routed.

Also, on a router table, rotate your wood counter clockwise against the bit.

For handheld router, move the router counter clockwise around the wood.

I suggest making a test cut on scrap of the same thickness to make sure the bit height is set correctly.

Jim