[metalworker]

I'm totally out of my element here. I'm mainly a metal and mechanics type, but thanks to my mother I also picked-up upholstery and that's where this adventure begins. It starts with reupholstering a lazy boy for my daughter and moves on to "I'd like it a lot more with wooden arms". Long story short I'm making furniture in a machine shop. I've got the arms cut out and squared up using using carbide end mills on a mill and rough sanding with a 2" grinding belt and a body file (pictures attached). The plan is to round over the top edges 3/4" and the front vehicles and bottom 3/8". I bought Tideway router bits for this. My question is what order should I do this in and what are the problems I'm just to dumb to know about?

 

[DesertRatTom]

First, it will be easier to do if you have a table for your router. Doing this freehand is more of a challenge. If you tip the router, it can bite into the wood. If you're doing this freehand, you need to support the base. The easiest way to do this is to align two identical pieces a few inches apart and "bridge" the base across both pieces. That extra support will make all the difference. Also, it's a good idea to clamp the pieces down, or stick them down with double sided carpet tape. That will stabilize them an keep them from moving on you.

This is important to do on the end cuts. End cuts threaten to chip out as the bit exits the wood, so you should have some scrap of the same thickness backing up the end where the bit exits. This sacrificial piece will protect the end cut.

I am assuming that you will be using a roundover bit with a bearing, they look like these:

 

[metalworker]

Thanks for your input Tom
Yes on the bearing, I got regular 12" shank router bits to do the roundovers. I'll be doing the job on my mill the bit is stationary and the table moves. Different from a router table but very accurate. I am concerned about splitting out the corners and where the 3/8 and 3/4 meet.

 

[metalworker]

Thanks for your input Tom
Yes on the bearing, I got regular 12" shank router bits to do the roundovers. I'll be doing the job on my mill the bit is stationary and the table moves. Different from a router table but very accurate. I am concerned about splitting out the corners and where the 3/8 and 3/4 meet.

sorry not 12" should be 1/2"

 

[Lawseeker]

Welcome to the forum.
So, as unknowledgeable as I am, I will venture forward with a couple of comments.
You may want to be sure the mill machine will provide appropriate RPM for the router bit in use.

I think DesertRatTom was suggesting you clamp a sacrificial board to the long axis outboard side of the cut when you roundover the short axis to prevent tear out for that cut. I suspect but am uncertain you could use a similar approach when doing the long axis cut.

I too would be concerned about the corners. For what its worth, I would do the long axis last.

Perhaps you could do a test run with similar size scrap of wood?

The work you have done so far looks good.

This forum has many very wise members. Hopefully some of them will contribute to this thread with real and useful advise.

Marvin Felli, Texas, "Lawseeker" (from days gone bye_)

 

[jw2170]

G'day Marvin, welcome to the forum.

 

[Lawseeker]

Thanks James. I have only recently started posting again so I likely appear rather new to the forum, but in reality I have been a member for several years. Have consistently read forum writings and always been impressed with the knowledge displayed by members. Your comments are always interesting though some of them are a bit "different", one of the effects of being down under, I suspect.

Ya'all have a great day,.,,,

Marvin

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum @metalworker

 

[DesertRatTom]

... Your comments are always interesting though some of them are a bit "different", one of the effects of being down under, I suspect.
Marvin

It all perspective, perhaps we're up over?

 

[TenGees]

Often when routing wood you do a little at a time (small passes). Also I believe a mill is quite a bit slower than a router as Lawseeker mentioned. Because of the grain, wood can chip out near the end of a crosscut. At lower rotation it could be worse. I would recommend a test run too. With a mill you can possibly do a "climb cut" that might help with tear out. Climb cuts are more dangerous with a router because the material or tool can take off, so they are usually avoided. With everything clamped in your mill and mechanical advance, it should be safe.

 

[metalworker]

I did a test block yesterday and it worked out perfectly on the second try. I learned the hard way to do the verticals first. It seems like working on a mill is 180 out from a router table. The mill table runs bang on true so I set my bits at full depth and cut in a little at a time. Maybe the bumble bee isn't the only one that don't know he can't fly.

 

[metalworker]

TenGees
I did do a climb cut. No cnc here just a slow hand.