Best choice for rounding edges

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Rod Cole

>What radius?

I generally just use a block plane followed by sand paper. Quick and easy.

One of these days I'll make a beading tool, which I suspect would work dandy too.

- Rod

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Rod Cole

>Meant to say, it sounds like you are talking about a small radius...

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I use a block plane too. If I need an exact radius I use a homemade scratch stock.---Jack

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Ludger Hentschel

>You can buy a handy little Japanese rounding plane for $30-$35. The blade will cut 3/32" or 3/16" radius roundovers. Extra blades seem to cost $15.

Lee Valley has these: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41232&category=1,41182,41200&ccurrency=2&SID=

The Japan Woodworker also carries them: http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=06.572.0&dept_id=12119

I suspect a hobby user who only uses this plane on pine would never need to sharpen the blade. If sharpening becomes necessary, your idea of sandpaper on a profile will work well on these bevels.

Regards,

Ludger

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Alan Hamilton

>Ray,

I too usually use a block plane, but not always. I received one of those little "slick" planes, the kind with two irons, that works well. I also have Lee Valley's rounder-overs, which also work pretty well. But if the size of the round-over isn't important, a block plane is still the easiest.

Alan

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Jonathan Peck - N.Y.

>I use a marking gauge to scribe a line on both faces followed by a spokeshave, and then sandpaper

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

David Barr

>I use a small brass shave that is made just for rounding over edges. It's made by the guy at Olde River Hard Goods. He used to sell them for about $15 new and they are perfect. Do a search for his place and you may be able to get one.

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>The classic method for making a rounded edge or other round is to mark out your ends, then cut progressive facets - in the case of a rounded corner, first a chamfer, then cut off the corners of the chamfer (making a three-sided chamfer, sort of), then the resulting corners, and so on, progressively smaller, until it's rounded off. I find I have trouble being that organized, but I do find the principle helps.

Where you're not trying to imitate machine-made work, a hand-made rounded corner is quite nice aesthetically - you can get a surface that looks round until you catch it in the right light, then the facets will appear; and you can always feel them. It's a nice effect for those who like a little texture in their world.

Re: Best choice for rounding edges

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>You're never supposed to use a marking gauge like this since the place you mark is the tangency and doesn't get planed away. The resulting scratch can cause the radius to chip away. This is a great way to make an ovolo or quarter round with fillets however.

Adam

Best choice?

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Hi Ray

We're a polite group here and you've gotten many thoughtful answers, but just to play devil's advocate:

If I were to ask you about the "best choice" to rip a sheet of plywood, but I didn't have any saws and didn't want to buy any because I don't like how they sound, what would your answer be?

The individuals who have responded, have done so patiently, but I'm not certain yours is the fairest of questions, so I'm not sure their answers serve all readers.

"Rip the plywood by drilling a series of holes, then snap the plywood on the perforations...."

Is this really the best choice?

So let's make sure the record is straight. The easiest and most efficient tool for rounding an edge is a hollow plane. These are inexpensive. Their small, laminated blades are easy to sharpen. Most are soft enough to hone with a fine needle file.

The resulting shape and finish is beautiful and polished. Much nicer than faceting and sanding. Its also faster and leaves a uniform profile.

Every home carpenter/weekend craftsman should have one of these in his or her plastic tool box (where the stud finder is kept).

So why spend twice as long to do a job that will look half as good when its done to save 10 minutes of sharpening once in your life?

My recommendation is get a hollow plane and give it a try. If you have any problems, write back so we can try to help you with it. You'll be much happier once you have the right tool for the job.

Regards,

Adam Cherubini

Re: Best choice?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I agree, nothing beats a hollow, or even better, a half set of both hollows and rounds, for curves in straight sticks of different radii. I've been building a couple of long bars, with a 3" diameter, 3/4 round mahogany rails on the top front edge. A #14 hollow is the best tool for that job, too, better than the 12' long bed lathe we usually use for bed posts. It's also my tool of choice for spars.

Re: Best choice?

joel

>What diameter holes? and how far apart? does the thickness of the pywood matter?

I don't have a drill either - can I just use nail holes? (ditto questions above)

Re: Best choice?

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I find the two best techniques for cutting plywood if you don't have a saw are:

a) oxy-acetelyne cutting torch. This has the added advantage of giving you that "flamed" finish so popular in the 1970's with no extra steps.

b) smearing meat gravy along the line you need cut and turning a puppy loose on it (ideal breeds: Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain dogs, and Golden Retrievers; ideal age range 6-12 months). This is probably the quickest method.

There have been some interesting experiments lately with lasers, but anyone who can afford an industrial-grade laser can surely afford a $2 garage sale saw, whereas lots of us have welding rigs and dogs.

Todd Hughes, of course, would argue for a shotgun, but precise cuts, particularly straight ones, are difficult with this tool.

You forgot...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Peanut butter, Bill. Keeps me from lickin' the plywood, and the dogs love it. You can make thin kerf cuts by spreading it in a thinner line;)

Re: Best choice?

joel

>Bill you got some really good ideas there and in the true spirt of learning I will try to combine the best features of two of your ideas and scotts peanut butter idea to get the job done fast.

I am going to lay down a thin peanut butter line and give my dog a blowtorch.

I'll let you know what happens.

Re: Best choice?

Alan Hamilton

>Bill,

Those are good ideas. I wonder why no one around here uses either of your methods. Around these here parts, for rough cuts, we lay the plywood so one side is resting on the curb, and the other in the street, with the cut line even with the curb. Then we just run it over with the car. There's just one thing; it doesn't work with heavy plywood and a light car.

When precision counts we put the sheet on the curb, the same way as before, and then run along the line with lawn edger.

Alan

He digresses...

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I remember reading that, in the early years of the Saab car, the R&D department used to have neighborhood kids sit in different parts of the car when they were road-testing weight distribution ideas. Perhaps piling a few children, say 10-12, into or onto your light cars would help with cutting the thicker plywood.

When I was (briefly, thank goodness) maintenance mechanic in a waterbed factory in the 1970's, we used this method to compensate for the fact that the larger forklift was still too small for the loads of lumber we received - putting as many of us as fit on the back of the forklift kept it from pitching forks-first into the pavement when fully loaded. This may explain why one of my jobs while there was rebuilding the hydraulic cylinder on the lift tower. It definitely explains why I quit as soon as the next job opportunity came along.

I should point out that both your ideas constitute a technical foul here on the handtool forum.

Re: Best choice?

Rob in Peoria

>Come on, you guys. I'm at work - quit makin' me laugh so hard. My co-workers are lookin' at me funny...

Rob in Peoria