# Large radius roundover



## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

I'm making a side table for my patio and envision legs with approximately 2" radius roundover on the outside corner. 2" R roundover bits are scarce and frighteningly expensive for a one time project.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to round over one edge of a 2" X 2" leg, approximately 24" long. I do not have access to a shaper.

Thanks,


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

I don't recommend cheap router bits but in your case it might be okay. :surprise2:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...s.TRS0&_nkw=2"+roundover+router+bits&_sacat=0


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

I’m going to suggest that this is one time where you may find using hand tools to be the most effective and inexpensive means to rough out the round shape.

A block plane, draw knife or spokeshave would all work. If you don’t have any of these, now would be a good time to invest in a block plane rather then a 2” radius router bit.


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*either ......*

Either make you radius smaller or plan on some hand work. I would set up the table saw to bevel the corners at 45 degrees and 22.5 degrees run them all through piece by piece. Then plane off the sharp corners followed by sanding with a belt sander. Finally a ROS sander to smooth it all off. 

Your stock must be at least 4" X 4" to have material left to use a 2" roundover. Why not just use round legs ...... :surprise2:


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

If you were doing this with hand tools only you would start by drawing your curve on a another board and cutting it out as a template. With the template you would mark the edges on each face of your legs. 4 faces per leg X 4 legs. Starting with your hand plane, you would start your round-over, checking with your wooden template for accuracy. Once you get close, you can move to a rasp to finish off the rounded corners. It actually will go pretty fast.


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

woodnthings said:


> Either make you radius smaller or plan on some hand work. I would set up the table saw to bevel the corners at 45 degrees and 22.5 degrees run them all through piece by piece. Then plane off the sharp corners followed by sanding with a belt sander. Finally a ROS sander to smooth it all off.
> 
> Your stock must be at least 4" X 4" to have material left to use a 2" roundover. Why not just use round legs ...... :surprise2:


I recognize that I'll have to start w/ 4 X 4s to make 2" X 2" legs. Why not round, because I have no means to make them round.

I think starting on the table saw sounds like a plan.

Thanks


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You can turn rounds on the table saw!*

All you need is a jig that secures both ends while the blade comes up and removes the material until it's round:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

One time project, like woodenthings said, I would cut angles on the stock to rough out the radius and then finish with a sander.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> All you need is a jig that secures both ends while the blade comes up and removes the material until it's round:
> 
> SIMPLE JIG! Turns a TableSaw into a Lathe! - YouTube


I made the jig in this video, and I must say it works great! Very fast! I removed about 1/8" per pass, vacuuming after each pass. You can even taper the leg if you wanted to.


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

One more comment wrt round legs.

My design calls for rounding ONLY one corner of the leg, and would look quite different with round legs.

I'm not interested in using round legs, so let's get the conversation back to how to round over one edge (corner) of a 2" X 2" leg, please.

Thanks


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*not so fast there ......*



GuitarPhotographer said:


> One more comment wrt round legs.
> 
> My design calls for rounding ONLY one corner of the leg, and would look quite different with round legs.
> 
> ...


If you start with a 2 X 2 and want to use a 2" radius bit, that will remove all the material on one corner up to the adjoining corners. If you want any flat on the adjoining sides, you should use a smaller radius bit. It's not clear to me what you want ...exactly. 

You can use the jig I posted to round over one corner or as many as you want by adjusting the height of the blade and by rotating the work 90 degrees or more depending...... :vs_cool:


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

woodnthings said:


> If you start with a 2 X 2 and want to use a 2" radius bit, that will remove all the material on one corner up to the adjoining corners. If you want any flat on the adjoining sides, you should use a smaller radius bit. It's not clear to me what you want ...exactly.
> 
> You can use the jig I posted to round over one corner or as many as you want by adjusting the height of the blade and by rotating the work 90 degrees or more depending...... :vs_cool:


What I want is exactly what you describe. I want to start with a 2" x 2" board and round over one edge with a 2" radius, leaving no flat side adjoining the curve. But I'm not really interested in building a jig/saw lathe. A friend has one and the finish is not great and the setup is a giant PITA. I would do that if I wanted to make a bunch of round pieces for a palisade or similar, not for furniture. Thanks for your help.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Before I had any other means, I used an $18 block plane, a spokeshave, rasps, and/or sandpaper to do this. If you can remove some of the stock with the tablesaw, excellent. If you have a block plane and you know how to sharpen the blade, it will go more quickly than you might think.


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## NoThankyou (Mar 21, 2018)

What you are trying to accomplish is a table leg with a single 90° corner with two straight sides of 2 inches and a curved side opposite the 90° corner. The curve is to have a radius of 2 inches.

The only way that I can envision making that leg *safely* is to start with a 2 x 3 piece. With a router table, fence and a 2 inch round over bit it would be very simple. The two inch side against the table and the three inch side riding against the fence and bearing. 

Then on the table saw trim off the excess.

Not what you wanted to hear but you should finish the project with all ten.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Here is a cheap 2" round over bit.https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00REGVS8Q/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

77 mm is closer to three inch radius. uxcell makes a 2" reasonable one
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-2-inch-Cutting-Flutes-Roundover/dp/B01MRT30VA

starting with a square, ending with a quarter round....? that would be very unsafe.

better to start with a 2" thick but wider board, do the round over, then rip the rounded edge free. sharp TX blade needed - you have (hand) sand the kerf side

I would also recommend using the TS to do a rough 45' cut on the corner. this will minimize the amount of wood removal with the router.

to do four pcs 'identical' consider making a spacer rig for the router fence. that way the "final" set-up for the round over cut never changes - clamp some spacers on the fence for the initial passes. (unless you can do all prelim / initial passes on all four pcs before resetting the router fence...)


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

Given that the router bit linked to is from the UK and, if ordered today, will arrive sometime between May 30 and June 20, I think I'm going to go with the advice to make it of a 2 X 3 to give more stability and safety, and I will use the table saw to cut off as much as practical, then I'll use my block plane to remove most of the rest, then I'll use the oscillating belt sander to do the final shape.

My first task is to make and accurate, and durable profile cutout as a go/no-go jig.

Work won't start before next week, my shop partner is using the shop this week.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks,


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

TomCT2, the bit you linked to is 1" cutting radius. Gotta read the specs.

I'm pretty sure I searched all the usual suspects for a 2" cutting radius router bit and found nothing acceptably priced. This is a one-time project, I seriously doubt that I'll need it for anything else. Like the ~$200 rail & stile profile set I purchased to make two doors and a drawer front.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*that's a huge router bit*

I doubt if you will find that bit. It would have to be 4" in diameter overall and about 2.5" of vertical cutter. That ain't gonna happen.
Back to plan "B" ..... by hand with a plane and sander, or using the round over jig on the table saw.

You could just buy a 4" round table leg and quarter it OR buy it quartered:

https://www.tablelegs.com/shafts-for-large-modular-columns-3-25-diameter/


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

woodnthings said:


> I doubt if you will find that bit. It would have to be 4" in diameter overall and about 2.5" of vertical cutter. That ain't gonna happen.


 I haven't looked for one, but you are most certainly right about that. It wouldn't fit within a router base, because 4" doesn't include the 1/2" shank. The largest I could find was a 1 1/2" radius bit which I got for a job about 8 years ago. It's whoppin' big and scary to use.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This is the easiest*



woodnthings said:


> You could just buy a 4" round table leg and quarter it OR buy it quartered:
> 
> https://www.tablelegs.com/shafts-for-large-modular-columns-3-25-diameter/


It would look like this:


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

woodnthings said:


> I doubt if you will find that bit. It would have to be 4" in diameter overall and about 2.5" of vertical cutter. That ain't gonna happen.
> Back to plan "B" ..... by hand with a plane and sander, or using the round over jig on the table saw.
> 
> You could just buy a 4" round table leg and quarter it OR buy it quartered:
> ...


That's an interesting solution, but this has a couple of problems; first those are 3.25" diameter columns, and second, when you check "quartered" the price goes up to $65 per piece, out of my price range. If I wanted to pay more than $200 for my table, I just buy one or have someone else make it.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I have decided on a plan and will be working to execute it next week when I have the shop.


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## Larry42 (Jan 10, 2014)

A table saw, pattern, bench plane and a bit of hand sanding if required. Simple, fast, easy. KISS!
Personally, I would skip the sanding and leave the fine facets from the bench plane show that it was "hand made." The lustrous finish that a nicely sharpened plane leaves is nicer than a sanded finish, my opinion.
Old school woodworker with a shop full of CNC equipment, to make a living.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*How did you get that price*



GuitarPhotographer said:


> That's an interesting solution, but this has a couple of problems; *first those are 3.25" diameter *columns, and second, when you check "quartered" the price goes up to *$65 per piece*, out of my price range. If I wanted to pay more than $200 for my table, I just buy one or have someone else make it.
> 
> Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I have decided on a plan and will be working to execute it next week when I have the shop.


This link says $29.95 for quartering one column giving you 4 legs:
https://www.tablelegs.com/quartering/

Granted they are too small, but there may be a price for 4" ... I donno? It would still be cheaper than large shaper cutters, or having it made in separate pieces. If you can find someone who will turn your 4" column, in your choice of wood and length, quartering them is no big deal.


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