I just finished a job that required routing dadoes, veining, and edging on large circular and semicircular shapes. The standard router edge guide is useless in these situations because the straight edge of the guide won’t register accurately against the curved edge.

To solve the problem, I modified the guide by adding two ball-bearing wheels as shown in the drawing to the right, and now the guide follows circular shapes quite well. I drilled other adjustment holes to attach the bearings in different positions so that I can work on a wide range of circles with different radii.

Quick tip: Can’t find a supplier of ball bearings? Try your local sporting goods store, where ball bearings are sold for use in skateboards wheels.

David Noble, Wilmington, N.C.

Fine Woodworking, February 2001 No. 147

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