Stopped using roundover bits on every edge and my work looks way better now

Spent years putting a 1/4 inch roundover on everything because I thought it looked finished. Finally tried leaving a few edges sharp and square on a walnut table last month, and the contrast between the chamfer on the bottom and the crisp top edge actually makes the piece stand out. Anyone else go through that phase where you over-soften every edge?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_coleman24d ago

Is it just me or does your router bit collection start to look like a graveyard of one-hit wonders after a while? I remember buying a set of like 12 different roundover bits thinking I needed them all, but the only one I use now is the 3/8 inch for my desk corners. You know what really woke me up was building a Shaker-style nightstand where every edge had to be crisp. First time I tried it, I kept reaching for the router like a reflex, but forcing myself to stop made the whole piece look cleaner and more intentional. Now I only soften edges where hands or knees will actually hit them, and the sharp lines draw your eye to the wood grain instead. Funny how going backwards in technique can push your work forward.

iris92724d ago

Oh hold on, I have to jump in here because that Shaker nightstand thing really got me thinking. Actually the 3/8 roundover is great but I found out the hard way that a 1/4 roundover is usually better for drawer fronts because the 3/8 can eat into your joinery if you're not careful. But yeah, I totally get what you mean about forcing yourself to stop using the router. It's like you discover this whole new layer of craftsmanship when you let the wood speak instead of just rounding everything off.

parker_palmer4424d ago

Is it really that deep though?