# Routing a decorative edge on the inside of a faceframe?



## Woodworker 52 (Jun 10, 2007)

How would you route a decorative edge on the inside of a faceframe, how do you get to the inside corners? or if you route before you glue the faceframe together how do you know where to stop to have the corners meet?
Thanks
Dennis


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dennis

That's a hard one to do, it's best to glue them up and then route the inside...
But if you want the look of a sharp corner ( bead) you can use stop blocks or do them on the router table with stop blocks...it's tricky setup but it can be done with care...if the frames are long you will need to make a longer fence to to hold the start and stop blocks...with some 3/4" MDF stock..

Run a tee slot down the new fence to hold the stop blocks...in that way you use it for all the parts of the face frame...

Just push the stock into the bead bit and at the end on the pass just pull it back off the fence..

It's best to cut your parts for the face frame a bit longer and wider then cut/rip them to size b/4 the glue up... 


Good Luck 


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Woodworker 52 said:


> How would you route a decorative edge on the inside of a faceframe, how do you get to the inside corners? or if you route before you glue the faceframe together how do you know where to stop to have the corners meet?
> Thanks
> Dennis


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## Drugstore Cowboy (May 17, 2007)

If you are ok with the inside corners being rounded the radius of your router bit - this is easy -- just route it after everything is in place as BJ mentioned.

If you want/need sharp square inside corners -- you are going to have some detail work to do any way you go about it.
Have never tried BJ's suggestion - but no doubt it would work fine.

Here are a few others I have tried with reasonable success -

1 - Route 'after the fact' as above - then go back with a chisel, dremel tool, carving knife or your weapon of choice and hand finish the corners.

2 - Route the decorative edge as a seperate piece then miter and attach it like commercial molding/trim. This works great if you are doing a beaded edge where there is a natural line to mask the joint.

3 - Route your edging the full length of the stock -- or at least before the final cut. Then -- with a hand saw, band saw, scroll saw, etc. _carefully_ remove and miter your edging as needed (see sketch).

Can't say that any one is better than another -- just depends on your own work style and the tools you are comfortable with.
No doubt you will get other good answers as well.


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