How can I put a bullnose on the edge of this oak tread?

[el_Pedr0]

Hi all,

I've made a staircase narrower. The treads used to go wall to wall, so had flat cut ends. Now I'm going to cut them narrower I want the sides to have a bull nose to match the front.

The treads are oak. They aren't fitted to the stairs at the moment, so no issues with limited access.

I have a selection of hand tools, a bosch 1/3 sheet sander, a titan round random orbital sander, and a parkside router with a small selection of bits.

Would I be able to get a half decent bull nose with any of these? How should I go about it?

Staircase :

Tread :


Edge of tread :

 

[Adam W.]

Easy, plane it with any old longish plane skewing the plane as you go.

Draw the radius on both ends and plane away.

 

[el_Pedr0]

Ah! Planing, that makes sense. I have a block plane and a parkside planer.

Do you think I could get away with either of those, or is it time to invest in a plane?

 

[Austin Branson]

Don’t use an electric plane, it will end in tears. Plane a 45 degree chamfer top and bottom, going maybe a third of the thickness, then plane off both of the arris’s on each chamfer. Keep planing off the arris’s (as they diminish) until you are happy with the shape. You can make a reverse shape out of a piece of thin ply, and keep offering it up to the tread to see how you are progressing. Good luck. Austin

 

[Adam W.]

Block plane will do it, but you may have to sharpen it good and proper.....A customer service representative will be along shortly to advise you on that aspect of the craft.

 

[Ollie78]

Block plane as mentioned, clamp a bit of scrap wood the same thickness to the back of the tread to prevent breaking off the back edge. After the first one it can be used as a guide when clamped to the next one.

Ollie

 

[Droogs]

You mentioned that you have a router. So use a roundover bit of the correct radius. Do one arris and then turn the board over. If you are worried about wobbliness then use a scrap piece under the board but inline of the edge when doing the second run. Or for absolute accuracy, use a coving bit to create a ski jump to match the cut edge and use that to support the bearing of the round over. any discrepencies can then be sanded out

or make a temp support base in a teardrop design with the router at one end and a knob at the other to help balance the router in use

hth

 

[Tuna808]

If you haven’t much experience at planning use a router,it will be quicker and the finish product will look better.You might not find a bit with exactly the same radius,as the radius on the treads have been probably been done on a spindle moulder....that’s not an issue ,set your router well and route the front too.
i have recently fitted 22mm tread which already had a radius on the front and re routed them to the bit i had which was fractionally smaller....no problem and quicker too.

 

[el_Pedr0]

Thank you all for your help. I'll investigate the router bits that I've got. But it's also a reminder that it's probably about time I got out the diamond stones to sharpen that block plane anyway.

Must admit that I'm a bit wary of routing the fronts. If I cock up the sides its not the end of the world because you'll never be able to see them square on - there's only a 200mm gap to the wall. But the fronts are a different matter! And at the risk of a bad workman blaming tools - my £30 Parkside router is a bit wobbly

 

[Droogs]

Use a bit of mdf or ply to make this and drill to fit your router

 

[mikej460]

Just to show how easy it is with a very sharp plane look at this from 21:53 in

(1) Building a Wallclock - Episode 5 - | Paul Sellers - YouTube

 

[el_Pedr0]

Now, where did I put that plane?

Oh yes, EVERYWHERE!!

 

[Tuna808]

Yep,it looks very easy when you know how to sharpen a plane and most importantly use it as an extension to your hands.
If you haven’t mastered the art of planning you’ll mess it up for sure......could be done with a plane ,spokeshave even a chisel if you master the tools.
Everyone can cut with a saw but few can cut accurately,same applies for most hand tools.Watch Adam W moulding and carving pine.......looks easy?.......yes!.........try it.
Try whatever method you decide on a scrap piece first,then decide.

 

[el_Pedr0]

He's like some Manc samuari. Could cut clean through a man's leg with a single swipe of that plane. Certainly no fear of hacking out a chunk at the end of each pass.

 

[el_Pedr0]

In woodwork class, my teacher told me never to put a plane down on its base to avoid blunting the edge. I've been lying them down like it's some kind of religion for a few decades. Clearly not as important as I was led to believe.

 

[Tuna808]

When you’re in control of your hand tools you know their limitations but that come with experience and in many cases learning by mistake but essentially you need to have acquired the basic concept of how the tool cuts and most importantly how to hold them correctly to maximize its potential......
and yes it is good practice to place your plane on the side,it simply avoids damaging the blade......I to was surprised to the guy placing it flat ,but in all fairness i think he said the blade was in....Pedro buy a bit with a bearing and the radius you want ,there’s not much than can go wrong other than getting some burn marks if you feed your bit too slow.Took me less than 20 minutes to do 13 treads on a double winding staircase on the front and one side.

 

[Tuna808]

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Pedro buy a bit with a bearing and the radius you want ,there’s not much than can go wrong other than getting some burn marks if you feed your bit too slow.Took me less than 20 minutes to do 13 treads on a double winding staircase on the front and one side.

I’m with you on that, I’ve just done 16 drawers, so 128 straight sections, all with a little Mikita trim router and the round over was one of the shorter processes. Off cuts are your friend, so you can get the depth and speed correct

 

[Chippysu]

In woodwork class, my teacher told me never to put a plane down on its base to avoid blunting the edge. I've been lying them down like it's some kind of religion for a few decades. Clearly not as important as I was led to believe.

Me too, its good practice. But what you don't see in these other workshops is the piece of blade/sole protector e.g. Bit of carpet tile, under where the planes are set down. I still set them on side, I'm often on site where there's no carpet tiles! And if you're thinking I should take a piece with me, it's always on the other side of the room when needed!

 

[Adam W.]

Well, that's me been doing it wrong for, like forever.

I maintain that if you put it down on a clean wooden bench, it will no more dull the edge than putting it on the piece of wood which you are about to plane.