Replies

1. 
   TXJon | Nov 10, 2005 04:48am | #1

   What if you leave the stock whole, route  the 1/4", cut the hole with the forstner, then route the 1/2"?

2. 
   USANigel | Nov 10, 2005 05:26am | #2

   As these are made of oak and would split very easily. I would sandwich between two other pieces to provide support, Sanding would be less prone to scraping pieces. But you would need to make a jig to control the sanding.

3. 
   Patto | Nov 10, 2005 05:36am | #3

   jamie,

   At risk of my convoluted ideas going astray again....

   Could you:

   • Take a piece of 1/2 mdf longer than the widget and about 8" wide.
   • Make the edge profile you want, including the roundovers along one edge of the mdf with the widget placed in the middle of the edge
   • Screw blocks to the MDF so that you can drop in each widget consistently. These should be at least a long block on the back to hold alignment with the edge and one at the end to position the roundovers. If the widgets are of inconsistent length, you could dispense with one the other end.
   • Put a toggle clamp on to hold the work and a couple of extra blocks at the back to act as handles
   • use a template bit on the table.

   As far as i can see, the potential problems with this are that such a bit might flex a little and give an uneven round over this depth; and cutting the template acurately.

   To do lots and lots you might need a more robust template material.

   dave

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 10, 2005 07:00am | #4

   I think you're probably on the right track, Dave.  Am thinking I'll have to use a template, rather than a piloted RO bit as with the rest of the piece.  I made my post in a rush, on the way out the door.  Am going to think on it tonight, and see what the conclusion is.  Thanks!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 10, 2005 09:48am | #7

   Made a couple of templates tonight, to be used with a 1/4" piloted straight bit.  I put a straight edge inbetween the 2 roundovers so I can "exit gracefully."  Will have to do the 1/2", then flip the stock over to do the 1/4" so I'll eventually make a 2-sided template that "captures" the stock, avoiding having to reposition the template.  This one is your basic "stick it on with double-sided tape" template.

   View Imageforestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   PlaneWood | Nov 10, 2005 07:41am | #5

   FG - I guess I don't see what the problem is.  I've done 1000's of plane handles using a 1/2" roundover and guiding them by hand against the bearing.  I've had a few cuts splinter out on me but nothing that caused a safety concern.

   In your case, I would cut the 1/2" roundover by pushing the piece to the left starting at the hole.  On the other side of the board, you'd flip the board to the left side of the bit and push to the right starting again at the hole.

   Wear glasses or goggles, for sure.

    

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 10, 2005 09:32am | #6

   Hi, Mike.  Are you sure you looked carefuly at the picture?  We're not talkin' here about rounding over the perimeter of the hole.  It's the "tips" so-to-speak of the stock where the hole ends.  Well, sorta...go back and re-look.  This piece of stock is only 3/4" thick and 9" long.  Nothing for a bearing to really bear on! 

   At any rate, I made a template tonight, will post a pic.  Am going to try it out tomorrow morning when I'm not sleepy.  Have a good one.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   PlaneWood | Nov 10, 2005 06:50pm | #10

   Oh, ok.  Then cut a notch out of a guide board and clamp it over the router bit.  The face of the guide board would be even with the touching face of the bearing.  Make the guide board long enough to hang over the ends of your router table so you can get some clamps on it.  I'm presuming that what your routing here is straight??

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

5. 
   ring | Nov 10, 2005 02:11pm | #8

   I think that if you gang them all together, before making any of the other roundovers, you will have plenty of surface to ride on.

   DR

1. 
   Scrit | Nov 10, 2005 03:21pm | #9

   I agree witrh DR. I've done this sort of thing before in batches. Make up a jig to gang them in fives or tens then run them on a pin router - much less liklihood of ripply edges than with a bearing guided bit. If you are worried about break-out use a sacrificial block at the ends and consider carefully climb cutting (but watch your fingers). After a thousand or so you'll get quite good at it! ;-)

   Scrit

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 10, 2005 10:56pm | #11

   "you will have plenty of surface to ride on."  But that surface would be the inside of the hole, right?  Seems iffy.  Unless I'm being really dense (not an uncommon occurrence!), in order to use a roundover bit on those tips, the hole in the Oak Whatzit has to go over the top of the bit.  A distant possibility with the 1/4" RO, but not with the 1/2" RO.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   ring | Nov 10, 2005 11:45pm | #12

   "you will have plenty of surface to ride on."    Actually I meant the base of the router.  It looks like the bearing will just get in your way.  Use a roundover profile without a bearing and run the router base along the ganged pieces, with an improvised fence for the router base to run against.  If you have 100's of 'em it might be worthwhile to make a real jig, but for a few dozen you can just clamp everything in place.

   DR

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 11, 2005 02:14am | #13

   Hi, Ring, thanks.  I played with the template and straight bit arrangement for about 10 minutes this morning before going to work.  The bit doesn't care much for that pointy edge, and it took a little pre-shaping and several passes to get it to work when routing just one Whatzit.  Your method is the next approach, when I have several of them to do.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   Patto | Nov 11, 2005 03:46am | #14

   Learn somrthing every day.

6. 
   UnclePaul | Nov 11, 2005 04:42am | #15

   Hey Forestgirl,

   Are you sure sanding isn't an option? Is there a precision issue? Do they fit with something else? My first thought was to round 'em off on the edge of a disc sander. Do they make those spindle sanding sleeves that small? If so that would work too.

   -Paul 

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 11, 2005 07:33am | #16

   "Is there a precision issue?"  Yep.  It's part of a tool, has to be made to spec and made efficiently.  I'll get it with a router, I'm sure, but it's funny how stuff that "on paper" looks like it should work encounters problems when you put tool to wood!  E.g., the template plan seemed perfect, but that top edge (the one that requires a 1/4"RO) is super-sharp/thin and doesn't rout well at all.

   The two front-running alternate plans are (1) gang 'em up and use a hand-held router and (2) zip the tip off with the scroll saw and then rout on the table.

   This oak I'm playing with is really, really old and super-dense/hard.  It seems possible that whatever white oak, or ash, that I buy for the project won't be quite so tough.

   Thanks, Paul.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)