Help needed with roundover bits...

[rockinrob]

Hi, I have a problem. I'm working with 5/8" stock, and am using a 1/2" round over bit. I'm using a hand held router, and the problem is the bearing just barely rides the bottom edge of the work piece, and every now and then will slip below that edge and I will start gouging into the material. The bit I have has a CL of 3/4", and so is just about any other bit I've looked up online. Is there a way to handle this? Do I need to go down to a 7/16" roundover (I found one with a 5/8" CL)? What if I wanted to use a 1/2" roundover on 1/2" stock?

I'm using a hand held router, would it help if I did this on a table?

Thanks!

[Gumby]

I'm using a hand held router, would it help if I did this on a table?

Thanks!

There's the answer right there. Build yourself a table. You could check out www.gifkins.com.au for some simple and effective plans. Scroll down to the 'build your own router table' bit. That will solve all your problems and you can use whatever bits you like with the stock running against a fence. if you are into serious hobby woodwork, it's by far the best way.

[Dan]

Either use the fence on your router table or use the edge guide on the router or clamp a guide onto your stock, either method will make the bearing on the bit redundant. :)

[Gumby]

Either use the fence on your router table :)

I was assuming he didn't have a router table. If he did, I don't think he'd be posting this question.

[Stylesy]

Also had this problem before (when I didn't have a table). I just clamped the stock on top of some sacrificial timber with the edge lining up. This effectively gave the bearing more room to run along (runs along the bottom timber) and stabilised the router. Actually, sacrificial timber is wrong because the cutting bit itself never touched it.

But then I got a table :D

[rockinrob]

Stylesy- I actually did that, but it was difficult to do on some pieces.

So use the table, huh...images/icons/icon11.gif

I actually have a table, it's OK but it has a crappy fence, and I guess I've grown accustomed to just doin' it by hand. I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to that thing, what's the best way to find the measurement of where to set the fence for a given work piece? Just measure from the edge of the bearing to the fence? The fence doesn't need to be parallel- what I mean is it's always lined up correctly as far as to the cutting point is concerned, right?

[Gumby]

Just set it by eye, run some scrap through it and then make adjustments with the scrap until you get the cut you want. Don't forget that if you are taking deep cuts, you should really take several small ones going slightly deeper each time. I don't think this has to be an exact science, it's more asthetics and practicality. (how's that for big words without a typi :D )

[Sprog]

The fence doesn't need to be parallel- what I mean is it's always lined up correctly as far as to the cutting point is concerned, right?

That is exactly right.

As Gumby said and make a really fine cut in the last pass for a superior finish.