I basically have just built my 1st dresser. I used Mike Peckovich’s drawings – traditional mortise and tenon construction with handcut dovetails. It really took some time to figure out, but I’m quite proud of it 🙂
I’m at the point of putting a roundover or bevel or …. to the tabletop. Not exactly sure how I should finish this edge?Â
Any ideas would be great
Ps top drawers are being redone
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Some pictures would be really helpful.
Side view
I can't see the feet; are they tapered?
My general principle in design is to try not to use a detail only once. Your piece is pretty rectilinear, so unless there are some curves somewhere I can't see, I would go with a small bevel on the top edge, esp. if the feet are tapered. I would not use a 45º chamfer, but a taper that has some similarity in its angle to the tapered leg's angle. In cases like this, I use a small router bit that was sold as a raised panel bit. I put a larger ball bearing on it (or you could adjust the fence on a router table) so that it cuts a low angle (but not the tongue part of the raised panel.) I use it either as a tapered edge, or I deepen the cut and have a small vertical reveal at the end of the taper.
Here is a picture of that detail on an end table in my living room. Light is poor but maybe you can get the idea. I used tapered legs on the table, as well as chamfering the outside corner of the legs. No curves anywhere on the table, except for the wild curly grain of the cherry top.
Make some samples and stage them with the case. Personally I don’t think a round over is the right vibe.
Do the samples. I'd probably end up with flat and square on top, and a bit of a bevel underneath, on the overhang.
For me it all depeds on how much the top will overhang. With very little I'd go square and flat... a heavy overhang would get an underbevel. In every case I'd put a slight chamfer on the corners and edges for finger / hip friendliness.
My general thoughts as well.
I made a very rectilinear piece a few years ago and put an under bevel on the top. I have always been sorry I did as it makes the top look too thin. I recommend that you leave it square and just barely ease the sharp edges.
I use an underbevel because I want to make the top look thinner! I like the solidity of a thicker top, but the thinner look a bevel gives. Solid chair seats get an underdeveloped for the same reason.
Of course, it depends on what style the piece is.
FWIW, I built the same dresser. For the top I put a gentle curve
on the ends and used a router bit designed to cut guitar finger boards.
It produces a gently curved edge, not a simple bevel. See photo and Yonico 13002 bit as an example.
IMO beveled edge shall look classy. Moreover, it looks dressy and is a safe option if you have kids around. Since your dresser is rectilinear, the top with a soft edge will look perfect. Though bevel edges look more traditional than contemporary, your piece should look neat.