So we all know that it’s important to round the edges of pieces on completed works. I’ve inadvertantly milled pieces to knife-sharp edges, and gotten cuts from them. 😉
What I wonder is how rounded do folks make your edges? Any rules of thumb?
I’m especially wondering around joinery. I’ve recently built a chest with nice DT joints. Should the corners be rounded off? I did that on the slab for the top, but I’m not sure what is appropriate for the DT corners.
Replies
Hi there,...the things I've done most for simply "easing" edges is to use a piece of 240 grit sand paper on them because it won't make them "rounded" visibly but it will make your edges sweet to feel and they will hold a finish product, if used, better also. I've also got a trim router with a trianglular off-set base with an 1/8" radius bottom bearing bit set a little LESS than full round-over cut (about 2/3's to 3/4's of the full cut...I don't ever change it and keep it only to do "general" edge easing that looks and feels like a hand sanded edge. Because the bit is pulled a little it won't look so rounded over but feels very good to the hand. This set up is for those times that I need to do a bunch of edges and want them to be very consistent, especially in some of the soft woods with hard and soft grain variations. Just my way of doing these things.
I try to round edges just a little to avoid getting cut. I use paper at 220 or finer to just take the cutting edge off.
In my work, I'm striving to make every edge crisp, not rounded and soft. Crispness is clearly a sign of good craftsmanship. The biggest issue for me is edges on tables and cabinets that people can fall onto and hit. Sharp corners and edges can mean stitches and ER visits. Heads are especially vulnerable, especially when attached to older folks, kids, and people that have had a little too much to drink.
I posted this before on Knots and some of the better responses suggested details that are soft to the head like chamfers, roundings with little steps at the top and bottom, and angled corners. That way, the corner or edge can be eased while retaining the sharpness of the chamfer edges or the reveals.
The practice of "rounding off," is basically to prevent the finish on the piece from wearing/chipping on a sharp edge. I like to round all my cabs/furniture with 1/8"-3/16" on all "handled" edges. IMHO, it makes the piece much more user friendly.
I use my router table with a 1/8" round over bit
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
I tend due to the style of furniture I like making to put a 45 degree camfer using a low angle block plane.
For me, it depends upon the piece and the style. Table top edges and corners are more aggressively rounded; if reasonable, a rounded edge is put into the design, while corners may have a 1" radius to them.
Mission / Arts & Crafts pieces get either a beveled edge (a few sweeps of a block plane) or slightly rounded during the last sanding step or two.
Pieces where joinery is foremost usually get a slight sanding to take off the edge.
Contemporary pieces can have elliptical edge profiles so no further softening is required.
I hope you get the gist of what I mean--it's early in the morning and coffee hasn't kicked in yet.
I guess that's pretty much I'm doing on the blanket chest-type box I'm trying to work on (when I get the time). The edges on the top are pretty rounded; especially the corners, since that what people will most likely bump into. For the DT corners of the box itself, I just hit them a little with some 220 grit; it didn't seem right to aggressively round off this joinery, and it's unlikely someone will bang into it.
Hold a strip of 220 as you would a shoe shine rag. A swipe or few along the edge breaks the sharpness without much rounding. Very fast and easy.
"It's a wonder that the rag don't tear, the way he makes it pop", etc, etc.
Chuck
That's guys, believe it or not this really helps. Specifically, it sounds like my approach is fairly common, i.e., fairly agreesive rounding of top edges and corners, and only light breaking elsewhere.
The method I do the most often is to use a sharp block plane set for a fine cut and run it over the edge 6-8 times, varying the angle slightly each time so I'm not actually making a chamfer. Then lightly sanding with 220 by hand to smooth it up. I usually end up with something like a 1/32-1/16" roundover. I don't really measure it, but stop when it doesn't feel sharp anymore. It's usually quicker than setting up the router with a roundover bit and it's somehow more enjoyable too.
If you build it he will come.
I've got a 1/16" bottom bearing rounderover bit in the laminate trimmer that I use for kitchen cabinet door & drawer fronts. I like the speed and consistent look. For some things, like the inside edges of the frame & panel doors I'll just break the edge with 220 sandpaper as the last step before finishing.
Hi I round the edges on the furniture i make with a 3/8'' round over bitwhere it is exposed , corners ect. I use 220 grit on face frames inside door frames ect.
Have a nice day Lee
I bought one of these radius planes from Rockler. It works pretty well, one or two swipes on each edge and you're done.
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http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5320
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