how, router ovals

[BErney1014]

I'm looking for a site showing how to rout an oval. No luck so far. I'm regluing a warped round butcher block table top. After the rip cuts are made it will be changed to an oval. Any diy sites hiding?

[Bob Brogan]

If you mean you want to route the edge after you've cut the top, that's one thing. To do that you cut the oval first, then use a router bit with a bearing that will run along the edge while the bit cuts the profile you want. If you're planning on using the router to trim the table to an oval, that's going to be tougher. You'd probably have to make a template the bearing on the bit could ride on to cut the top to the oval shape in several passes as butcher block is usually thick. You would cut your oval in MDF, and sand the edges smooth. Then attach that template to the butcher block and use a straight cutting bit with a bearing set so the bearing runs against the template. You could fasten the template to the bottom of the BB top with some drywall screws since you wouldn't see that side, then cut your top slowly keeping the bit against the template. I'm assuming that you wouldn't be taking huge amounts of wood off the top.

[mp]

Here's an idea

've seen various plans for DIY oval jigs over the years. If you're near a decent bookstore or library check out some the of router books and jig-building books.

[John Crea]

Draw an oval, use that to make a template and then use a pattern cutting bit on the router and the template

John

[Morris Dovey]

The easy and inexpensive way: draw the oval on a piece of 1/4" plywood and cut it out - I'd use a bandsaw to cut it slightly oversize and a sander to trim it to the line.

Clamp this template to your top and rout it to shape - perhaps routing one side, then "leapfrogging" the clamps and routing the other side.

You can construct an oval template using a pencil, two push pins and a string loop. Push the two pins into the long centerline of the oval, put the string loop around them, and pull the string snug with the pencil point. With the string snugged by the pencil, draw the largest shape you can around the pins.

You can find useful info on spacing the pins and string length with a Google search on "ellipse major minor pin string".

HTH

[Frank Campbell]

There are two methods of laying out an ellipse here:

[BErney1014]

Thanks, I will make a 1/4 template and flip, flop, flip to complete the cuts with a pattern bit. I'll use the pin & string to layout the oval and template. There are 24 boards in the top; 3" to ripping and another inch to jointing resquaring the top to flat. It won't be a drastic elipse.