Q:

I’m making a bench seat with a gentle curve on the front and a 25-in. radius on the ends. I want to put a 20° to 25° bevel on the bottom, to match an existing piece of furniture. How can I do that without buying a custom router bit?

Hilton Hale, Prescott, AZ

A:

The tabletop shown left, built for “An Exercise in Design” (FWW #184, p. 63), has gently curved sides and a bevel on its underside.

Create that profile with a 3-1/4-in.-dia. panel-raising bit in a router table, set up with a minimal gap between the fence and the bit. Use a stand to support the opposite end of the tabletop. That way, one end of the work bears against the fence and the other end rests on the stand, giving you a solid and safe setup.

SET UP A PANEL-RAISING BIT TO CUT A RADIUS EDGE

I’d strongly suggest doing a dry run first and taking several light passes to make the profile. If you aren’t comfortable using a router, you can scribe a depth line on the stock and cut the bevel with a handplane.

Drawing and Photo: Kelly J. Dunton

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