How do I cut a round top

[Woody 1]

Need a round top that is 25 inch across, any suggestions. I don`t do round stuff very good. Barry

[Jarhead]

Depends on what tools you are using. A simple solution and very accurate is a trammel arm jig for a router. (Just copy and paste "trammel arm jig" into a search engine and you'll find plenty of examples.)

It can easily be done with a bandsaw or a table saw as well if you don't have a router. All these tools require a jig to make perfect circles.

Cohen

[cabinetman]

If you say what tools you have, and what the material is we can guide you in making a jig, so you won't have to buy one.

[Woody 1]

I`ve got three different kinds of routers and one is a plunge router and I have 17 inch bandsaw. The top I need to cut out is a top for a tavern table and it needs to be 25 inches across and I am useing cherry wood. Barry

[mlwmerk]

I can't believe no one has asked you how thick is the material? Is the blank made up of several pieces glued together? Are there any braces underneath the table top? How big is the blank, assuming you need a 25 inch diameter circle?

Walt HD in CT

[JBark]

You have the tools to do it well a number of ways. You can draw the circle and bandsaw it, then plane and sand of the saw marks. Leave yourself as proud of the finsihed line as you feel confident in your cut and ability to plane evenly.

I usually use a router. I take a piece of 1/4" ply and at one end make it so I can attach my router to it (screw holes, large hole for the bit.) I then take of my router base plate and put it on the ply. I usually use a 1/4" radius straight bit but any size will do. With this in the router I take the equivelant of the radius and make a hole, through this hole goes a small screw into the underside of the table top blank. I repeat, THE UNDERSIDE. With this screwed firmly but loose enought to allow the ply to swing you are able to make your cut. I would use the plunge router, since you have one. Before cutting I like to take a practice swing to make sure I have set up correctly. You probably will prefer to clamp the top down which means stopping a few times to undo the clamps and move them.

This can be done without a plunge router since the ply will flex and become the substitute for the plunge mechanism. You can combine the tools you have, using the bandsaw for a rough cut and leaving the router to do the final, perfect circle cut.

Post that picture of the completed job.

John

[JBark]

>How big is the blank, assuming you need a 25 inch diameter
>circle?

Twenty-five inches...or more?

[JCCLARK]

I like using the bandsaw with a piot point.
This one I didn't want a hole in the top so I clamped it to
a hardboard template and moved clamps as I went



Jim C.

[Woody 1]

That looks great, I might just haft to send you some wood and have you cut me one out. Got a pic after it was completed, do like pics a lot. Thank you . Barry

[Neonsilver]

Could you also use double sided stick tape to hold it to the hardboard and not have any major slipping issues?