# round over problem



## skinner (Dec 9, 2006)

when rounding over boards, i find that i am leaving a ridge between each side that has been rounded over. 

do i raise the bit or lower it?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

Use a bigger round over bit 
http://cgi.ebay.com/1pc-1-2-SH-1-Ra...ash=item20ad47246a&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262
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woodwerx said:


> when rounding over boards, i find that i am leaving a ridge between each side that has been rounded over.
> 
> do i raise the bit or lower it?


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

woodwerx said:


> when rounding over boards, i find that i am leaving a ridge between each side that has been rounded over.
> 
> do i raise the bit or lower it?


Peter,

If the two rounded corners aren't coming together to make a continuous bullnose, you need to cut more wood. Therefore the bit must extend farther from the base. BJ may be right though. If the bit is too small you will begin to cut reliefs on the sides.


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## skinner (Dec 9, 2006)

thanks guys...will buy a bigger bit!!!!


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## Tom Hintz (Aug 31, 2009)

woodwerx said:


> when rounding over boards, i find that i am leaving a ridge between each side that has been rounded over.
> 
> do i raise the bit or lower it?


First, I assume you are doing this with a handheld router.
If the roundover is too big for the wood, (especially when rounding over both sides) the bearing can ride on the previoiusly rounded over portion and actually cut too deep during the pass on the opposite side and produce a ridge along the edge. If you use a router table and fence to control the depth, you can eliminate that ridge. Set the fence so that it is flush with the bearing and use bit height to control the amount of roundover.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

I'll add to Tom's comment. Rather than take the whole cut at once, reduce your depth of cut and do a few small cuts. They will be cleaner and you can control your round-over much more easily thus preventing the problem you're having.

That's one of the problems with routers. There's a variety of ways to address a problem. Not one is particularly better than the other, just a different approach to the same problem. 

My first take would be use a router table and fence with feather boards. Failing that, I'd use shiis with an edge-treatment bit, if your workpiece is wide enough. If not, I'd use a foot.


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## jimcrockett (Jan 18, 2006)

If you have a ledge on both edges of the roundover, then you most likely have two problems - the bearing is too small and you have the bit adjusted to take too deep a pass. Some roundover bits can also be used to create beads on one or both sides of the roundover - this is what you are doing. If you are using the router as handheld and have a bead at the edge of the board on which the router is resting, you have the bit set too deep; if you leave a bead at the bottom of the roundover, the bearing is too small.

You can purchase bearings from nearly all sources from which you purchase bits. If you have a caliper, measure the diameter of the bearing and go to the website for the manufacturer of the router bit that you are using. That should get you into the ballpark of the size bearing you need.

Jim


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