Thread: Newbie question - routing table edges

his, depends what look you are trying to achieve.

If you are trying to make the top look lighter (thinner), you can get a roundover bit with an exaggerated, softer curve like this:

Some other options:




In Melbourne, try Carbi tool, Carbatec, Professional Woodworkers Supplies, maybe Carrolls (Drysdale), or any hardware store for router bits.

If you didn't want to buy a special bit just for this, you could just use normal roundover or ogee bits, try sketching different patterns & think about how you could cut it with mulitple router passes & possibly different angles of attack with angled sub bases on the router, etc.

Other than the look, I'd consider how it feels, ie nice & smooth, no sharp edges; any grooves that may collect gunk, etc.


Cheers................Sean

Suggest you might go to your public library. There are lots and lots of books on Routing, all free to loan (or just read). These books will give you, and show you so many options it will make your head spin. Then you can make an informed purchase of the bits you need. I found Patrick Spielman a good source of information.

You also might like to search on Google under Router Profiles, print out what interest you, and you have a reference for next time. Hope it helps.

HarryM

Originally Posted by HarryM

I found Patrick Spielman a good source of information.

good call Harry, Gary Rogowski is another one whose books are excellent. his DVD under taunton press is a must have, just to watch him ipmprovise a router table with a sheet of melamine, a hardwood plank and a few clamps.

Hislopal, the biggest lesson in routing articularly with big bits is to make the cut in stages, dont try to remove all the stock in one pass, only cut in about 3mm each pass and leave about 1mm for the final pass so the router is not working hard and can make the last cut as clean as possible

Originally Posted by scooter

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Other than the look, I'd consider how it feels, ie nice & smooth, no sharp edges; any grooves that may collect gunk, etc.


Cheers................Sean

Agree 100%, especially if you expect to sit at the table and rest your lower arms on the edge, eg dining, worrking reading etc. After the first oohs and ahhs of being able to rout a fancy edge on a table top, the way it looks fades and the feeling of the edge is what really matters. After router edging several tables and desks with intricate edges I will now only ever use a widely rounded top edges if I expect to rest my arms on the edge. This dining table I am typing this post on has grooves that collect gunk and a sharpish edge that always leaves dents on my arms.