3/8" half round?

[Byron Trantham]

I need about 50 running feet of 3/8" half round. Can't seem to find it commercially so I have to make it. My thought is to use a 3/8" beading/bull nose bit and run all four corners through then rip it in half and then finally plane it close to the 3/16" radius of the bead. I would use a knife to separate the pieces. Any other ideas? I have a Craftsman molding head for my TS but the beading blade is 1/4". I looked on line but they don't have a 3/8" beading blade.

[Jim Hager]

I need about 50 running feet of 3/8" half round. Can't seem to find it commercially so I have to make it. My thought is to use a 3/8" beading/bull nose bit and run all four corners through then rip it in half and then finally plane it close to the 3/16" radius of the bead. I would use a knife to separate the pieces. Any other ideas? I have a Craftsman molding head for my TS but the beading blade is 1/4". I looked on line but they don't have a 3/8" beading blade.

If you have the craftsman molding head and you need a certain cutter they don't supply, just make your own. I seldom if ever used the straight cutters that came with mine so I made a custom set with them. Just grind away to produce your own custom profile. It's easy to order a replacement for the straight set anyway.

[Jim Becker]

Safest way is always to do the full profile along the edge of a board and then rip it off. So the beading/bull-nose bit idea is sound. I've done this for both half-round and quarter round; the latter at 1/4" when finished.

[Doug Shepard]

I think I'd be inclined to plane stock down to 3/8 x 1" then do 3/8 roundovers on both edges then rip it in half. You'd have a flat surface to keep face down on the TS. Trying to keep that 4-corner rounded-over piece against the fence without wobbling sounds iffy to me.

[Dwayne Watt]

Run both edges of 3/8" thick stock through the 3/8 bull nose bit as you indicated. Trim the shaped portions off on the table saw or band saw.
This is the same technique used to make other moldings using a router and table saw.

[glenn bradley]

For safety's sake I would profile a wide board on the router table and rip the edge off, rinse and repeat.