I have assembled 4 table legs which are approx. 3 inches square (white oak). The instructions call for 3/8 inch roundovers on the 4 corners of the leg (done) and roundover of the bottom edges.
The problem, of course, is supporting the heavy router and keeping it steady with very little to rest it on.
Any clever ideas?
BTW, many thanks for all the help with past problems!
Replies
z3 -
You could use a router table with a fence installed or what about just using a hand plane and some sandpaper to round the bottom edges?
Or...if you don't have a router table, you could use the other legs as support for the router laying them side by side and swapping them around as you go.
Josh
If were able to support and control the router while rounding the sides of the leg, then go around the bottom from the same face while the table is on its side. 4 times and the bottoms are all rounded. Still too unstable, then clamp some waste along side the legs the same thickness. Just remember to leave some clearance for the bit.
Next time make it easier on yourself and round the bottoms on the router table before you assemble.
Yea, I missed that they were already assembled. Ha!Josh
Let me clarify! "Assemble" refers to gluing three pieces of wood together to make a 3-inch square table leg. The table itself is NOT assembled!
I do have a router table. Clamping all four pieces together would get one side of each leg, but that leaves the corners after all 4 sides are done.
"Let me clarify! "Assemble" .......... but that leaves the corners after all 4 sides are done."My mistake with respect to the interpretation of "Assembled". Looking back I can also see that my post could be read with a different tone to the one intended.However what I said about rounding from the faces of the leg still stand . When done there will not be any corners left assuming the use of a bearing guided bit.To better explain I grabbed a chunk of scrap (2 1/2" x 3" rough) and numbered the 4 sides along with some lines on the corners to make it easier to see when they're gone. Four passes were done with a 3/8 round over in my PC 890, hand held, with the "leg" clamped flat in a vise.Pictures 1-800 & 2-800 are of the marked "leg".Pictures 3-800, 4-800, & 5-800 are after sides 2 & 4 (the narrow dimension) were cut. Pictures 6-800 & 7-800 are after sides 1 & 3 are cut.The last picture, 8-800 is the end of the leg. There are no corners left because the bearing followed the corners cut during the first two passes.If I have still misinterpreted your problem then you'll need to post some pictures so that I or someone else can take another stab at helping you.
"If I have still misinterpreted your problem then you'll need to post some pictures so that I or someone else can take another stab at helping you." I'm feeling flumoxed here. Unless there's some problem that's eluding me, this is a simple, classic router-table operation. I would, however, use a rasp and sandpaper for the end-grain. Am I overlooking something???????forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes, that is what I thought as well. This seems pretty straightforward. Toss them on the router table with a backer board to prevent blowout on the corners. Done. Or do it by hand.Josh
"I'm feeling flumoxed here. Unless there's some problem that's eluding me, this is a simple, classic router-table operation. I would, however, use a rasp and sandpaper for the end-grain. Am I overlooking something???????"z3peru took a couple days to post a reply after his/her? initial post, so I am not sure when or if there will be an answer or response to my second post. (Sounded a bit miffed with my first attempt to help.) I think that if "z3" has used the router table with the fence and a miter gauge only to make straight passes over the cutter, rather than the bearing to control the cuts there will be a point of sorts on each corner of the leg. I went down to the shop, got the scrap and router again, and took one more picture (1-800) to illustrate. By the way Jamie are the pictures the right size and shape for dial-up? They were resized from almost 3 megs each using the utility I told you about a while ago.
Pictures were great, QC! A fine example to cite in the future, they even opened straight into the frame with no problem (I usually "Open in a New Window" for the biggies).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Why not forgo the router entirely. By marking some guide lines around the leg a little judicious use of a rasp and sandpaper (and/or very sharp plane) can give a very accurate round over.
Platform (laying on its side) can be clamped to the assembly or a loose leg. In FWW no.96.
Ample support for router, use round over (or any terminator) with oversized subbase and trim as desired.
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