question about routering out a tabletop

[js]

I'm going to be building a small pedestal table. the top is going to be about 14" across. I want to round it, plane it, then i want to rout out the material in the middle, just leaving a 1/2" bead all the way around the outside. Now I've never done this before, so if someone could point me in the right direction i'd be appreciatve. I would do a google, but i'm not sure what to search for. :)

[Bob Davis]

Here's a start:

was just reading about routing circles in a router book and it recommends attaching the whole thing to scrap wood using double-sided tape. That way, when you cut through the table top with the router, it won't move.

Bob

[js]

thanks, but thats not exactly what I want to do.

I want to keep a 1/2" lip around the edge, about 1/4" higher than the rest of the tabletop. I can round it no problem, just wondering how I would hollow out the tabletop itself.

[Lazarus Long]

This sounds like part of the procedure for making a pie crust table. On those, the table is really large, maybe 3 or 4 feet in diameter. The center is hollowed out as you describe, then the rim is carved.

Fine Woodworking has published stories about doing this. Perhaps they have an article you could buy or maybe the procedure is described in one of their books.

If I were doing it, I'd use a plunger router with a long clear base and a plunging straight bit. First thing would be to use that base as a trammel and cut the rim, rotating the base about the table center. After that, just use that straight bit to remove the center of your table. After you've unhooked it from the table center of course.

[js]

good idea. heres how I was thinking about it. Bear with me. :) .

use a plunge router, start in the very middle, and work my way towards the outer edge with circular cuts. That way the router is always supported on something, and doesnt go too deep. Then once i get close enough to my line, stop, and finish it off with a shrap chisel..

That sound like the way to go?

[js]

I just did some searching on "pie crust" table, and you were spot on. Thats exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks a bunch.

[Montyhp]

I think I would start with the router on a circle cutting jig and define the outside of the table top. Then I would move the router in 1/2 inch and move the bit up to take the 1/4 inch bite to define the inside of the lip. Then you can detach the router from the jig and free hand from there if you like. I think I would just keep moving the router in on the jig by the width of the bit until I reached the limit of the jig. The last bit of wood in the center would be easy enough to clean up with planes, chisels, sandpaper, scraper, etc.

[Lazarus Long]

[Silvan]

If you're making your pie crusts out of wood, maybe you'd better go back and take some more cooking lessons. You're doing something wrong.

[Lazarus Long]

Maybe he just needs more fiber in his diet ;)

[Robert Bonomi]

Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Early-American style, and constructed using apple wood.

An Early "American (as) Apple Pie" crust table.

Works if you make it out of cherry, too.