I distinctly remember seeing an article or ad for a 3/4″ roundover router bit, with a cove in it’s bearing, so that can be used to make a true bullnose profile in two passes.
It’s purpose is to make a bullnose profile in two passes and NOT get the flat at the center of the bullnose profile that one usually gets when making a bullnose profile with a roundover bit that has a standard cylinder-shaped bearing.
Does anyone remember who makes it? I cannot find it again.
Why not just use a regular bullnose bit? Because the frame is too big to put on the router table, it’s too complex (pita) to cut and shape the pieces first and then to assemble with a miter at every joint, and there’s no place for the bearing on my bullnose router bit to guide the bit using the router freehand on the completed frame.
Who’s seen this little jewel, and who makes it?????
Mike D
Edited 12/18/2007 8:36 pm ET by Mike_D
Edited 12/18/2007 8:38 pm ET by Mike_D
Replies
I'm thinking that it may have been a short term item. The bearings in routers take a lot of abuse, so they have to be high quality. The easiest way for a router bit manufacturer to get a high quality bearing, is to buy it from a bearing maker. A specialized "rounded" bearing would have to be either a custom item, made by the router maker, or modified. In any case, an expensive PITA.
Mike.. This drove me nuts looking for it. I knew what you were talking about but I could not remember where I saw it.
Could it be a Ultra-Glide Radius Bearing AMANA
http://www.amanatool.com/bits-fv/57190.html
This drove me NUTS and found it in Woodsmith Mag. Vol. 29 / No. 170
Eureka!
Or, rather, the Greek for "YOU found it".
Thanks! Thanks! and Thanks.
Mike D
Well, heck. The smallest that Amana now makes is for 1" thick material.
I'll have to think of how to do this with a "regular" round-over or bull-nose bit with a regular bearing on the end. I've got a 19" by 7' frame to bullnose. Hummmm. A 7' auxilary router table? ... Naw!
I'll think of something. Thanks for the help!
Mike D
the 7-foot table isn't hard to do. Just get a solid core door, and cut a hole for your insert.
Glad I was wrong
Mike,
I assume the problem is that when you attempt to do a bull nose using a 3/8 radius roundover bit, the bearing has nothing to ride on and messes up the cut?
Just a thought..... Instead of using a 3/8 radius bit, could you use a 5/16 radius bit set just a tad shallow so that the bearing had a surface to ride on on both sides? You wouldn't have a true bullnose initially, but you'd have a good start and one that you could sand from there.
HI Quickstep,
Yes, that was the problem that I was facing. It's all part of the learning process, I'm finding. What looks simple at first isn't quite so simple - then what then seems inordinately hard - has a pretty simple answer. Usually several!
Thanks for your idea.
Mike D
I will assume (gets me in trouble a lot) you are using a 3/4 inch thick 'stick'.
Because I had nothing better to do, I went out in my COLD shop and routed a hunk of Ash using a junk 3/8 roundover bit I had. Routed by hand on a rubber mat. I hardly EVER use my routers free hand...
Anyway, the ridge I obtained was about nil for this cheap bit (Hickory brand?). Get some scrap and set your bit depth for the least 'ridge' from the bearing and then jump on your real work.
The sanding needed to clean it up is almost not worth doing! (I did say almost).
Attached are a few quick pictures of outcome. The pictures of the inside and outside curves are in macro mode so the ridge looks a lot worse than it is.
Have fun!
Cool! Where else can you ever get such good help as on this site? Yes, 3/4 stock (give or take a thou).
Thanks for the guidance - I think I can do this, now.
Mike D :)
I had the same experience as you using a 3/8 round over bit on 3/4" red oak.. Routed edge from both sides & cleaned up a very small ridge w/a hand sanding pad left a nice bullnose.
Why not use a router guide? I use a block of wood, notched out for the bit and mounted on the router base, works for me. Then you can use a round-over bit and do each side, or in one shot with a bullnose bit.
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Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.net
See some of my work at AWorkOfWood.com
That's what I do now.
Thanks.
Mike D
Edited 2/16/2008 11:10 pm ET by Mike_D
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