How to make a round-bottomed, round-ended groove - without a router

[Beatsy]

I have eight strips of wood that need "channels" cutting into the faces. These are functional (to give fingertips a place to grip when lifting what the strips surround) but they are in full view so there's a design and decoration aspect too. They need to be neat and tidy and nicely finished like the rest of the item (French polish, mirror-finish).

I have no idea what to call them, so here's a pic of what I mean (quicker to snap a sketch than remember how to use a CAD package I haven't touched for years). It's not to scale. I expect the channel to be 15 mm wide and 5 mm deep, or thereabouts.

Thing is, I don't own a router and don't want one as this would be the only job I have for it. I tried searching for a "by hand" method, but can't stop Google (or the duck) returning router-based solutions amongst all the other irrelevant stuff and ads. Searching ain't what it used to be !!

Anyway, how did they do this in pre-power-tool days? Suggestions, pointers or links appreciated. I'm happy to buy any hand tools needed, perhaps a gouge is part of the solution, but not power tools.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers

 

[Fitzroy]

Is is also round bottomed across the 15mm width, I assume so. My only thought on hand tools is you would have to make a Nag's tooth / old woman's tooth hand router with a curved blade. If you search Paul Sellers poor mans router plane, you can see how he made one with a chisel and block of wood. If you replaced the chisel with a gouge it may work.

 

[Beatsy]

Quick response! Yes, I'd like it to be round across the width too (kind of a half cylinder), but willing to take a flatter bottom if the cylinder is too difficult to keep consistent. I wondered if a custom (bodged) moulding plane might be a thing here. I'll look into that. Thanks. But still keen to see other suggestions. Ta.

 

[Spectric]

Without a router this must be a carving job, time consuming but possible.

 

[Jacob]

Traditionally I guess it would be with moulding plane with the right shaped round but the stop ends carved out with a gouge. Cleaned up with a shaped scraper if necessary.

 

[MikeK]

My recommendation depends on if you are interested in the journey or the destination of your project and how much you want to invest in making the eight pieces. If I lived in Malvern, I would drive to Peter Sefton's shop and ask if he could help.

 

[rogxwhit]

I guess it would be with moulding plane

You can't get a moulding plane into a stopped channel, Jacob.

How about a gouge or two - with a radius less than the cut! They would be out-canneled of course. File a scratch stock / scraper to finish the main length if you want a regular finish. You could even run it along a clamped straight wooden guide. Then sand judiciously, assuming that you want crisp edges.

 

[Jacob]

You can't get a moulding plane into a stopped channel, Jacob.

You can if the channel is long enough though you'd have to carve the stop ends

How about a gouge or two - they would be out-canneled of course. File a scratch stock / scraper to finish the main length if you want a regular finish. You could even run it along a clamped straight wooden guide. Then sand judiciously, assuming that you want crisp edges.

 

[Spectric]

This thread is really showing us how we are spoilt having a router, we just take it for granted but now the OP has thrown a challenge and wheras once upon a time it would be well known we have lost this hand skill.

 

[rogxwhit]

You can if the channel is long enough

He hasn't bothered to tell us how long they are ... but I'm assuming they're too short ...

 

[niall Y]

I presume we are not talking about something the size of a fluted pilaster with rounded stop-ends - but more 'chess board ' sized ?
So, if a gouge and moulding or combination plane would suit the larger scale, then just gouges should work on this reduced scale. A carvers spoon gouge would be really handy to help form the stop- end

Can't see why the OP is holding out against using a router, which is the easiest and most logical approach. Unless it's ideological stand. . If one is going to have to start purchasing various carving gouges to tackle the job, then the cost of a small router might not be that much more -

Looking at it from another angle - , get rid of the rounded ends and carry the shallow groove all the way through

 

[Beatsy]

10" wood, shorter grooves (length to be decided).

 

[Ttrees]

The ends need drilling if it's going to be in any way not a slog,
unless you can carve it out with whatever chisel(s) you need, should it be possible with some regular chisels, poundshop job and they need grinding.
I'd like to see this if someone has a link.

You need to modify a bit IMO if not doing anything like the above.
Something like a guide block sorta thing, and something like a spade bit or flat stock tapped into a tube might do it.

Could something else with a shank already be possible to grind such a profile?
Perhaps seeing if you could wrangle a "core box bit" into a drill chuck?

 

[mudman]

If only 5mm deep, then I would say it wouldn't take too long with coarse abrasive wrapped around a dowel of suitable diameter.

 

[rogxwhit]

How does that form the ends?

 

[mudman]

Hadn't thought that far but at least it forms the channels. You'll have the same problem of forming the ends whatever method you use to form the channel.

 

[PerryGunn]

Can't see why the OP is holding out against using a router, which is the easiest and most logical approach. Unless it's ideological stand. . If one is going to have to start purchasing various carving gouges to tackle the job, then the cost of a small router might not be that much more

IAWTP

Keeping it cheap, a £40 Katsu router and a core box router bit is the way to go... and once you have a router, even a small one, you find more and more uses for it...

...but sometimes people have an almost masochistic drive to try to do everything by hand

 

[Beatsy]

...

Can't see why the OP is holding out against using a router, which is the easiest and most logical approach. Unless it's ideological stand. . If one is going to have to start purchasing various carving gouges to tackle the job, then the cost of a small router might not be that much more -
...

1. I am not a woodworker and it's never been a hobby or interest of mine (just something I've done from time to time). My involvement is entirely based on this one project. Yes, a (novel) chessboard. I'll continue making squares for the board after it is initially completed (making alternative sets of squares with different veneers) but no power tools (or router) are needed to do that. The grooves go in the outer frame pieces, and I won't need any more of those anyway.

2. Most everything is done "unplugged" but I just remembered that I do use an electric drill to make the holes for the magnets in each square. So not an ideological issue.

3. I like learning new practical skills and adapting/improving current ones. The journey, and all that.

4. If I did get a router I'd start looking for other things to do with it - and find them! My *real* serious interests are already being time-starved by this project and with just about the worst possible timing - so I really don't need to make that worse. Depending on self-discipline ain't gonna work

Having said that, you do have a valid point. Being entirely practical about it, I could go and buy a router and the relevant round bit (cost not an issue), cut the grooves, then chuck the router away. Job done. But I don't want to - for reasons that aren't entirely clear (or logical) but are tangled up in the points above...

Cheers

 

[akirk]

Like others - I think the router is probably the best option - however, no need to buy one - can you not borrow one?!
I am in Bristol - so not too far away, if you are happy to pop down, you would be welcome to run them over the router table / use one of several hand-held routers I have here...

on the other hand - petrol might cost more than buying a cheap router! Others may live nearer...

 

[Fitzroy]

1. I am not a woodworker and it's never been a hobby or interest of mine (just something I've done from time to time). My involvement is entirely based on this one project. Yes, a (novel) chessboard. I'll continue making squares for the board after it is initially completed (making alternative sets of squares with different veneers) but no power tools (or router) are needed to do that. The grooves go in the outer frame pieces, and I won't need any more of those anyway.

2. Most everything is done "unplugged" but I just remembered that I do use an electric drill to make the holes for the magnets in each square. So not an ideological issue.

3. I like learning new practical skills and adapting/improving current ones. The journey, and all that.

4. If I did get a router I'd start looking for other things to do with it - and find them! My *real* serious interests are already being time-starved by this project and with just about the worst possible timing - so I really don't need to make that worse. Depending on self-discipline ain't gonna work

Having said that, you do have a valid point. Being entirely practical about it, I could go and buy a router and the relevant round bit (cost not an issue), cut the grooves, then chuck the router away. Job done. But I don't want to - for reasons that aren't entirely clear (or logical) but are tangled up in the points above...

Cheers

Don't throw it away, send it on to me when you're done