Router table for a curved edge?

[Dave Novak]

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!. The pic is one of a pair of corner shelves I built for the game room. I'd like to route an edge profile on the curved front edge. Is there any reason I can't use my router table for this? I'll likely be spinning a pretty beefy bit, and the router in my table is better suted for this. I'm concerned I guesss about the fact that the edge is curved. Thanks.

[Peter Quinn]

I do curved work on my router table fairly regularly. You need a starting point to pivot off of, either a starting pin or perhaps a curved board clamped to the table, you need a bit with a bearing, and to make sure there is a good bearing surface on the work piece or template. It can also help to fashion or buy a fence to catch the saw dust that will be produced.

The biggest difficulty I see with your shelves is the leading edge is all end grain which can be difficult to exit without a blowout. You could screw or glue a backer to the exit side given it will be hidden in the corner, or you could throw caution to the wind and climb cut the last couple of inches. I have done this, its never my first choice, I won't offer a lot of advice on freehand curved climb cutting of end grain as its probably best avoided, but it can be done.

[glenn bradley]

Using a starting pin and a bearing guided bit I regularly route profiles on curved edges. No worries.

[Myk Rian]

Using a starting pin and a bearing guided bit I regularly route profiles on curved edges. No worries.
+1 Works for me too.
Why would you need a large bit?

[Chip Lindley]

Is your curved shelf edge sanded smooth to perfection? If not, make it So! The profile bit's bearing will follow exactly, any imperfections in the edge.

If you have never done this operation, practice first, and get the feel for it. Heartbreak can be avoided, and glitches inflict injury on scrap instead of your nice laminated shelf piece.
Good Luck!

[pat warner]

A fence with the same radius and a pocket for the cutter is probably the safest way on the table. In this event, you need no pilot bearing. Chip is relatively easy to collect. You're well protected from the cutter and the work is supported for most of the trip.

[Lee Schierer]

A fence with the same radius and a pocket for the cutter is probably the safest way on the table. In this event, you need no pilot bearing. Chip is relatively easy to collect. You're well protected from the cutter and the work is supported for most of the trip.

With a large diameter bit you could still take too much of a bite routing by hand against the bearing. Even a straight fence would assist in doing lighter cuts., using the bearing on the bit for the final pass. You may need a backer piece on the trailing edge to prevent tear out.

[Jeff Heath]

You most definitely will experience some blowout at the end of your cut where your short endgrain exists. An easy fix is to glue on a sacrificial scrap on each end to prevent the tearout on the shelf. After, just cut it off and plane or sand to smooth.

Jeff

[Dave Novak]

Thnaks everyone. I'm not exactly sure what a starting pin is, but I'm sure I can figure that out with a search or two.

[Bill Huber]

Thnaks everyone. I'm not exactly sure what a starting pin is, but I'm sure I can figure that out with a search or two.

Here is a video of a starter pin, it is the little pin on the left of the bit in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqBRbpvO8k0

[Brian Peters]

How big of a bit is it? I would do it with a router top side by hand, better control with the end grain and you could climb cut to break the edge and take the rest in a conventional cut.

[Dave Novak]

Here is a video of a starter pin, it is the little pin on the left of the bit in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqBRbpvO8k0

Wow, that's my lift in the video, always wondered what those holes were for. Anyway, I was planning to use my fence. You guys aren't suggesting I shouldn't are you?

[Stephen Edwards]

Wow, that's my lift in the video, always wondered what those holes were for. Anyway, I was planning to use my fence. You guys aren't suggesting I shouldn't are you?

I'm not suggesting that you not use a fence. But, I would certainly not use a fence for this cut. I'd use a profile bit with a bearing, on the router table, and take shallow incremental, multiple passes at a slow to moderate feed rate, especially slowing the rate near the ends to achieve the desired profile. IME, If I use a good bit and go slow, there's no need for the starting pin, either. Again, I'm not suggesting that you not use one. But I have experienced no problems by not using it, if I follow the above procedure.