How to get a uniform thickness on a curve

[Anthony Whitesell]

What methods do you guys use for getting a uniform thickness on curved pieces? Straight is easy...planer or drum sander.

[Joe Scharle]

If the geometry doesn't fit the limitations of a machine, I use hand tools.

[Jamie Buxton]

Are you trying to make a curved plane, like a curved door? Or are you trying to make something thinner, like the curved edging going around a circular table?

[Anthony Whitesell]

Something like edging around a table. More like the outside edge of a chip & dip tray.

[Jamie Buxton]

Something like edging around a table. More like the outside edge of a chip & dip tray.

I generally use router jigs to make the curved edging for a table. For a round chips and dips tray, I'd use a lathe. For a non-round tray, I might well use a router. Depending on how you're hollowing the middle of the tray, you might be able to get the hollowing and the curved edging with the same router set-up; look for bits like this http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/144-0702/ea_-_groove_forming

[David DeCristoforo]

If the curved piece is circular your best bet is to cut it out with some variation on a compass with a router and straight cutting bit.

This arrangement for dimensioning stringing for inlays using a sanding drum (mine is just the end drum on my edge sander) also works very well for "fairing" curved pieces. The setup would be similar, the principal exactly the same:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=127628&d=1252615041

[Anthony Whitesell]

I don't follow the line very well, so I'm looking to see if there is a better way. A way less subject to my hand-eye coordination. The piece is not a regular shape (ie., not circular or flat)

[mreza Salav]

If you have a spindle sander, clamp a piece close to the spindle at the distance you want the final thickness of the board to be. This serves as the Fence, then feed the curved piece through it by hand. Have done this before a few times with success.

[johnny means]

If the curved piece is circular your best bet is to cut it out with some variation on a compass with a router and straight cutting bit.

This arrangement for dimensioning stringing for inlays using a sanding drum (mine is just the end drum on my edge sander) also works very well for "fairing" curved pieces. The setup would be similar, the principal exactly the same:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=127628&d=1252615041

This works on a bandsaw too.

[David DeCristoforo]

"This works on a bandsaw too."

Yes, it does and very well too. The only "issue" there is saw marks which need to be sanded out opening the possibility of losing the parallel edges.

[Stephen Edwards]

If the curved piece is circular your best bet is to cut it out with some variation on a compass with a router and straight cutting bit.

This arrangement for dimensioning stringing for inlays using a sanding drum (mine is just the end drum on my edge sander) also works very well for "fairing" curved pieces. The setup would be similar, the principal exactly the same:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=127628&d=1252615041

What does the term "fairing" mean, please?

[Dino Drosas]

Fairing just means making the arc smooth and not wavy. Example: making the bottom of a boat fair.