How too router a circular disc?

[scouse12345]

Any tips on how i would add a routered profile too a circle of oak (approx 150mm diam)?

Oh! and without losing a few fingers in the process.

Cheers
Scouse.

 

[jimi43]

Do you mean a roundover on the edge. If so use a roundover bit with a bottom bearing follower which will then follow around the circle.

Cheers

Jim

 

[scouse12345]

Thanks Jim, completely lost me i', afraid,

Looking too achieve the following effect in the link

http://www.periodpattresses.com/epages/ ... 112OP-0001

Cheeers people.

 

[jimi43]

If you are doing it with a router a (click on pic) roundover bit..



as shown here at Rutlands will follow the circle you cut out because the bearing runs along the edge so the cutter follows it with the router flat on the top. Or you can mount in a table and turn the circle around the cutter.

With two effective roundovers just use a different one for the second cut to get that profile...

Others here may know if there is a double roundover you can get...I am sure there is

Jim

 

[WellsWood]

On the assumption that Jim is right, and your circle is already cut and you simply want to add a profile to the edge, then your problem is one of work holding. Personally I wouldn't fancy freehanding round a piece that small, but it would be a doddle in a router table with a bearing guided bit.

Router tables don't have to be fancy, you can knock something up in minutes to do basic stuff. All you need is a flat bit of MDF with a hole in the middle and the router base screwed of clamped to it with the bit poking through the hole. Then just turn it over and clamp the "table" in a workmate or similar and make sure your cut is ALWAYS AGAINST THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, otherwise the workpiece along with your fingers will be sucked into the cutter. There is at least one member on well qualified to explain the consequences of getting the last bit wrong.

 

[paul-c]

i know you have asked how to do this with a router - but it is a lot easier to turn it :?

 

[jimi43]

Good safety advice Mark! I was anticipating using a table with a fence to just show the wood the cutter and make a number of cuts moving the fence in as you go until the bearing runs on the stock......

With a circle the grain at some point is going to turn from one way to the other....watch out for that change...and keep the stock turning to prevent burning...

How experienced are you with a router Scouse?

Jim

 

[jimi43]

i know you have asked how to do this with a router - but it is a lot easier to turn it :?

Indeed...

 

[scouse12345]

Thanks for the replies fellas..

Spesh the safety ones, i kind of envisage having too turn the piece round the cutter by hand, just thought there may have been some kinda jig, too enable me too keep me fingers..

Scouse.

 

[scouse12345]

Wood turning, is next on me list of things too do...

Not overly experienced with a router, but do have a Triton router table set up..

scouse.

 

[jimi43]

Thanks for the replies fellas..

Spesh the safety ones, i kind of envisage having too turn the piece round the cutter by hand, just thought there may have been some kinda jig, too enable me too keep me fingers..

Scouse.

In that case I would advise that you screw the stock to a piece of ply or MDF from below and then use a roundover bit in the router moving the router. That way your hands are out of the way in case things go wrong.

If you want a cleaner cut...put another piece of circular ply under the oak as a template for the bearing to follow and the cutter can then go right down to the edge of your oak circle - don't try to do it all in one go...make small cuts...

Jim

 

[scouse12345]

Cheers Jim, sounds like a plan too me...

Thanks for the help fellas..

scouse.

 

[OPJ]

I don't like routing circles or discs on a router table full-stop. :S Even when the shaped it already formed and you're just wanting to treat the edge.

Instead, I'd try and do this with a hand-held router. Stick the circle to a sheet of MDF with double-sided tape. Hot-melt glue can also work well. :wink:

 

[chippy1970]

Or use one of those router mats

 

[Harbo]

Neither do I and this was held in a Woodrat:

Taken some time ago!

Rod

 

[woodbloke]

The big problem with any of these ways (and I suspect it's why Rod had a chunk taken out of his timber) is that in two quarters of the perimeter, the cutter will be moving against the grain, ie cutting uphill, which is fraught with all sorts of difficulties.
It's doable, but I recommend you buy a brand new cutter for this work, use a router table and take very light cuts - Rob

 

[Harbo]

Yes Rob you hit it in a nutshell - the wood pulled out of my grasp but not before I got my fingers out of the way! (fingers looked worse the next day when the bruising showed).

In the end I used an acrylic router jig with the timber clamped to my table, doing half at a time.

Rod

 

[Steve Maskery]

One way of reducing (not eliminating) the risk of kickback when doing this taks is to make a curved fence.

Take a piece of 18mm MDF and bandsaw a curve out of it. The radius should be a tad bigger than your disk, and the cutout can be, say, a quarter of the size of your disk. A bit like someone has taken a bite out of the side.

In the centre of that curve, drill a hole big enough for your roundover bit.

Glue an upright to the straight side so you can clamp it to you router table fence.

Set its position so that the router cutter in in the hole and your workpiece contacts the router cutter bearing and the curved fence.

You can then rout away with considerably more support and control.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Mr Ed]

If you use a large baseplate on the router into which you drill a hole for a centre pin at the correct diameter you can then rotate around that, hand held, without any issues at all. Personally I don't like bearing guided cutters and templates, so would not use the table. I'd rather cut the shape straight off using a pivot point as described.

Ed

 

[woodbloke]

Personally I don't like bearing guided cutters and templates, so would not use the table.

Ed

In the trade Ed, they are the most used cutters, specially straights - Rob