Ideas for rounding of edges of tapered legs

[markturner]

Hi, my current project has some trapezoid section legs, ( although two of the faces are not parallel, so its not strictly a trapezoid, but its near enough..) that also taper. The outer and inner corners need quite a big radius machined onto them, the opposite pair a smaller round, just to break the right angle. This off course, would be easy on a square section piece - I could have used the router table, or my little Festool edger, but I am struggling to see how to use either on the tapered and under raked surfaces.

The alternative is to try and do it by hand, with a plane and sandpaper, but I am conscious of how tricky it will be to keep the planes correct in all directions.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Regards, Mark

 

[marcros]

The smaller radius is probably less of an issue, but http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... at=1,42524 have struck me as being quite useful.

 

[Jacob]

Basic woodwork really. You need the practice!
If you want to be cautious you could mark the corners of a bevel with a marking gauge and plane carefully down to that. Then round off the corners with a block plane set fine. This is where the Stanley 110 suddenly becomes the best plane for the job!

Then sand by pulling the sand paper over across the edge held in both hands like drying your back with a towel, if you see what I mean.
Perhaps finish off with fine sand paper on a block.

Or you could just freehand it with block planes, 220 followed by 110. Block planes better for this than the more obvious spokeshave IMHO.
Not to sure about the LV gadgets above. Can't see the need.

 

[markturner]

Looks like it will be hand then, as you say Jacob, I could do with the practice...the rosewood is not ideal to plane though, one patch can be perfect, then wham, tearout....so I will have to be really careful....


Cheers, Mark

 

[Alf]

If the rosewood causes a problem, give a steeper bevel angle on the block plane a try. The cornering tools are, well, let's just say they can be a bit temperamental, IME. You lose your temper, and they act mental...

 

[Richard T]

As above, block plane - very sharp and set very fine.
I've found that if taken carefully you can feel for potential tear before it happens by feeling the grain change. And of course looking carefully at each stretch for any obvious switches to "uphill".

 

[Argus]

.


I've tried every tool known to man to cut chamfers of all sizes (.......for that is what you about to do).

I use block planes when I only need one or two chamfers, but if I need to do lots of exact repeats, typically on tapered legs, there's only one tool that does it.

Nowadays, I always reach for an old Stanley 65 chamfer shave. It's a spoke shave tool with adjustable fences and when set up cuts small edge-easing chamfers with no effort at all.

Here's a bit of blurb about it.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodw ... ol-of-2010

Preston and other makers made them many years ago. They are a bit rare, but worth it.... No-fuss chamfers time after time.

At least it's my first choice.

Good luck.