Router bit height issue

[Chris Campise]

Hi All!

I'm trying to roundover an inside edge of a square frame that's attached to a toybox I'm building. I'd like a slight shoulder on the edge along with the roundover but the issue I'm having is that the screw holding the bearing on the 1/4" radius roundover bit is hitting the toybox. This prevents me from lowering the bit enough to create the shoulder. If I wanted just a plain roundover I have the clearance available for that - just not the shoulder.

Any tips or tricks on doing this? I was looking at purchasing one of those Amana miniature roundover bits which look like might buy me the clearance I need, but I'd rather use what I have if possible without purchasing something I'd rarely use. :confused:

-Chris

[Phil Thien]

The stock screws that hold the bearings are typically socket cap screws, which have a sort of tall head. Would it be possible to go to a hardware store and find a screw with a slightly shorter head? Or would that still not be enough clearance?

[Chris Campise]

It's definitely a socket cap screw. I think I need just a hair shy of 1/8" of extra clearance to make this work - which might be the size of the screw head. I'll see what the big box stores have for screws.

[pat warner]

Use an ovolo with an edge guide.

[Mike Heidrick]

Hand scrape.

[Lee Schierer]

It's definitely a socket cap screw. I think I need just a hair shy of 1/8" of extra clearance to make this work - which might be the size of the screw head. I'll see what the big box stores have for screws.

Look for a button head or pan head screw in the same size and length of thread. The button head will give you the most clearance.236002

[Jerry Miner]

You can remove the screw and the bearing, then use the bit with an edge guide, as Pat warner suggested.

or

I have ground off the screw head to almost nothing, just enough to hold the bearing in, made the cut, then removed the screw with visegrips and replaced the screw

[Carl Beckett]

Sometimes you can just grind down the top of the SHCS (socket head cap screw) to get the clearance you need and still have enough to hold the bearing.

[Chris Campise]

I took the advice of grinding down the top of the SHCS and it worked like a charm. It gave me just enough clearance to put a shoulder on my roundover. Thanks for the tip!