Rounding Edges

Re: Rounding Edges *LINK*

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Dan,

I have come across a plane on the St James Bay site, "corner rounding plane", that probably is the correct tool. However, I tend to reach for the appropriate size from my set of Rounds and Hollows. I suppose a Stanley #55 spoke shave could also be used, but would require more work.

Regards from Perth

Derek


St James Bay

Re: Rounding Edges *LINK*

Darrin

>some choices for you


http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41200&category=1,41182&ccurrency=2&SID=

another one  *LINK*

Darrin

>


http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&catid=54&objectgroup_id=222&offerings_id=5320

Re: another one

Robert Tarr

>I use this one a bunch. Got mine for $9 on sale...does a great job, albeit, looks like an electric router with a roundover bit did the work.

Re: Rounding Edges

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi.

>Dan,

I'm not sure if you are asking about easing edges or putting a radius on them. For putting a radius on an edge, there are different profiles of moulding planes that were made for this task or you could make a scratch stock or even a hand held scraper with the profile you want. For easing an edge, I usually hold a block plane at 45% to the surface and take four or five swipes at the edge. I then adjust the angle to about half of the 45% and take about two strokes on each of the arrises left by the 45% strokes, then half that angle and take 1 stroke at the edges that are left. It actually takes less time than it did to read this. It can leave small ridges, but one or two swipes with 220 grit sandpaper cleans everything up nicely.

Jim Crammond

Re: Rounding Edges

dave caudill

>I'm with Jim I don't have any special or specific tool for rounding edges I just use a block plane or a spokeshave. It takes a matter of moments and if its a little uneven a little sanding takes care of it. I think you will be surprised at how nice a job you can do with a block plane. Myself I don't mind a little unevenness if it looks good to me I leave it alone. As Jim said if you want to do a whole edge maybe a specific moulding plane or one of the combination planes like the #45 or #55 is what you are looking for. There are plenty of old moulding planes out there that will do te job.

I have done the tops of blanket chests with nothing but a block plane. You set the plane for a heavy cut at first and then a lighter cut as you get close to finishing. It can have a faceted look or you can sand it to a smoother finish.

Dave

Re: Rounding Edges

Jeremy Osner

>Lee Valley also sells a corner rounding tool that I always thought looked like a good idea but have never actually tried out.

Re: Rounding Edges *LINK*

Davy

>This is about the cheapest and nicest one I've seen.


http://oldetoolshop.com/forsale/other/index.html

Re: Rounding Edges

Michael Campbell

>I've had limited luck with those roundover tools; I'm sure some of that is my technique though.

Re: Rounding Edges

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Jeremy,

If you're talking about one of those tools that looks kind of like someone tried to make a spoon without going into three dimensions on the spoon part and then ground a radius on the underside of the curve -- theoretically good, but I've never been able to get any usefulness from them.

Re: Rounding Edges

Jack from Maine

>Before I learned about handplanes I filed or sanded the edges. I tried a cheap block plane and liked the results,but it was uneven. I figured ,mostly from watching Norm,that routing was the way to go. So I got roundover bits of all sizes.

When I discovered hand planes all things changed.The first time I tried smoothing edges with a tuned,sharp block plane I was amazed. You can shape an edge any way you want with a plane.---Jack

Re: Rounding Edges

Jeremy Osner

>Yeah, that was what I was talking about -- oh well, one less thing on my list of tools I want...

Re: Rounding Edges

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I'd like to second Jim's and Dave's comments on the use of a block plane or similar. In addition to what they mentioned, I'd like to emphasize that some subtle ridges may improve the final effect over a machine-smooth roundover.

Sandpaper

Andrew F in Australia

>1/8 round = sandpaper

1/4" round = block plane then sandpaper. Sandpaper first being dragged across curve to smooth any ridges then along axis of curve to take out cross grain scratches

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: Rounding Edges

Marc Burt in Northeast GA.

>Perhaps I'm alone but I've always had good results with mine. I start out with the smaller (1/16 I think) and then use the bigger one. It's always worked fine for me. It takes some getting used to though.

More likely is that

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>you're more competent at sharpening it than I am, or maybe just more competent.