# Roundover bit for a circular dice tray?



## Colonel Travis (Apr 2, 2013)

New to the routing world and want to figure out how to make a round dice tray similar to this:









That one appears to be made from several blocks glued together, but I've got a circle jig and will just cut it out of one piece of wood. Thought I'd use 8/4 poplar and rout out the middle, leaving a little bit at the bottom for the base. So:

1.) With 8/4 thickness, can the entire side be done with a rounding over bit?
2.) How do you rout the edge circle safely?

Alternative way - thought about routing out a circle, then maybe an 1.5 inches or so inside that cut out an inner circle, so I'd have a donut and then I'd attach a thin base. Rather have it all one solid piece but just throwing both ideas out there.

Thanks.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

First of all, welcome to the forum and would you prefer to addressed as Colonel or Travis? One of the reasons that the example is glued together from several pieces is so that the maker could avoid having to rout, sand, and finish end grain. End grain is difficult to rout and finish. Long after the the rest is well finished, the end grain may still be sucking up finish and still looking dry why the finish dries. It's not that it can't be done, sometimes you have no choice. It is just more work and doesn't always look as good. They probably used plywood or panel material for the bottom.

If I assume that the dice are about 1/2" cubed, and that the tray has a bottom at least 1/4" thick then you would need about a 1 1/4" round over bit to copy that design. If using 8/4 material, you could go 1 1/2 inches. I haven't seen larger round overs in router bits, maybe shaper bits are larger. A 1 1/2" round over is around 3 1/2" in diameter.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

It can be done easily using a template and ski jig. Look up some posts by Harrysin.

Here are my two attempts:

http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/39608-no-snow-try-skiing.html

http://www.routerforums.com/show-n-tell/42353-coin-dish-mkii.html


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## Yeoman (May 20, 2013)

Hi, I think another reason for making the rim from separate sections might be to avoid distortion due to uneven shrinkage, as you know shrinkage occurs mainly across the grain rather than along its length. An added bonus will be that less wood will be used.
Alex


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Colonel Travis said:


> New to the routing world and want to figure out how to make a round dice tray similar to this:
> 
> View attachment 64047
> 
> ...


Probably the fastest way would be to use a router table and bull-nose bit, these are available in sizes from very small to very big. A starting pin or better still, the fence, should be used to guide the wood into the bit and the wood must be rotated anti-clockwise. The tutorial in this pdf should help you to make the dish.


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## Colonel Travis (Apr 2, 2013)

After I posted this I looked around the site and saw some of the coin tray ideas, which helped me think about this more clearly. Should have done that before asking the question, sorry, but I greatly appreciate the feedback.


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