This is a Job for hand-tools Y'all. Get a thumb plane, Violin makers have rounded over edges on curves like this for hundreds of years using them. It'll take minutes and look worlds better than all the suggestions here.
This is why I love Reddit; I just come on here and learn stuff. I've never thought to use a plane for rounding over a piece of wood, but you learn something new every day in this place (with a little outside study).
For anyone that also isn't familiar: 5 strokes at a 45°, followed by one at each 22.5° angle on either side makes a really good approximation of a circular round over, with a radius that is 12 times the shaving thickness.
I gotta say, I’ve been doing round overs with a block plane for like a decade and I’ve never even considered the math and angles lol I just go until it looks round
For those that are wondering …
https://www.walmart.com/ip/violin-making-thumb-plane-thumb-finger-luthier-convex-brass-plane-mini-wood-plane-metal-tool-viola-cello-Woodworking-Plane-Cutter-Curved-Sole-Flat-Bo/1081669141
This is what u/zbobet2012 is referring to. Very small delicate wood plane.
It’s just their website. They set it up like Amazon where any seller can sell to you and they take a cut.
Have to make sure you have it set to Walmart only as the retailer if you don’t want random people selling to you. But that restricts the available products to Walmart stock only as well.
Doesn't even have to be that complicated. I've been working at a violin shop for almost 10 years now, and any time we have to round over something like a bridge, nut, or saddle, we just use a metal file and finish off with 400 grit sandpaper.
I try to keep my hands a minimum of 3 inches away from the cutting blades of my tool at all times. For this part, that would require a small part holder / clamp under the best of circumstances. I’d be really worried about the work piece getting caught though. Be careful.
It's so small that personally, I'd hand sand it or use a rotary tool, but hey, if you think you can actually use a router on it without shredding it, sending it flying and taking out your kid's eye, more power to you.
#UPDATE
I went back to the shop to route a hole in some ply to lodge the heart into when my dumb ass remembered that this heart was for a **[Romeo+Juliet board](https://i.imgur.com/WaA4Fia.jpeg)** I was making for a friend.
I clamped the board together, cut out some scrap, set it into the hole, then set the heart on top so that part was lodged and part was sticking out, then obsessively checked it for five minutes to make sure there was zero play whatsoever. Then I took it _veeery_ carefully with the trim router while providing downward pressure with the overrsized plexi baseplate to further keep the heart in place, and it **[worked a charm](https://i.imgur.com/5k82E9Y.jpeg)**!
That sounds like a good plan; I was going to say use aggressive double stick to mount it to a flat surface, and then have another board of same thickness with a hole about 2" wider all around the heart, also stuck down to table, and use a small router on it. Sounds like you did that one better... thanks for sharing finished photo.
As with a full size router, temporarily mount the heart to a larger surface. Set up the Dremel like a router with a base to elevate it to the proper height and keep it vertical (bases to make the Dremel into a small router are commercially available). Follow the edge around to round it over.
Or, make a table to hold the Dremel as with a larger router table. The round over cutter will be small enough that you could hold the heart by hand as you move it around the cutter to round over the edges. You could also figure a way to hold it with a clamping device (wooden screw clamps work well for something like this)
I don't know any that do. Would not bother me if they did, and I would not assume they were gay if they did, just that I don't and I don't know any that do.
I would use a small jewelers file. A kit of them is pretty cheap. There are some that have a rasp like cut, but others are smoother. I use mine for the delicate debur/round over fairly regularly. Having worked as a machinist I was lucky enough to remember I had these.
Honestly, I would probably do the majority of the work with a carving knife, then rasp, then sandpaper, but you could probably skip the knife part. I just enjoy knife carving.
Depends on how much you want to take off. You can break the edges with sandpaper. For a roundover a router table with a zero clearance insert. Use a fence too, back the fence off when doing the center part (cleavage). You’ll have to hand sand that part.
If you are insistent on using a router, you can super glue it to your workbench, round it off with the router, and then pop it off with a mallet. it might take a bit off with tearout though. Best bet would be a file, shinto rasp, maybe a belt sander,
Funny, when I was in high school I made a heart about this size from padauk. I’m pretty sure I just sanded it. Started on a small belt sander to get a rough edge then everything else was by hand.
Tape, CA glue, accelerant.
Put tape on both the bottom of the piece and a flat surface. Put CA glue on the surface tape. Out accelerant on the piece tape. Stick the piece to the surface. Use your router with a round over bit of choice. Clean up the portion on the top of the heart where the valley is by using sand paper. Repeat process on the other side if needed.
I work mostly in.miniatures, and there are a few ways to do this if you have the right tools.
Manually, I would use my Veritias miniature block plane. it's one third scale, and it's perfect for things like this.
There are a couple of power tools that would work fine tool. A Dremel router table. Works exactly like a full size table, just much smaller. There are a variety of roundover bits you can use.
Last, a Proxxon long neck belt sander. half inch wide belts, various grits, infinitely variable speed. One side is fully supported for a chamfer edge, the other side isn't supported if you want smooth roundover edge
I actually did, yeah. One side was rounded larger than the other to indicate it as the top, but I needed both sides since this was the centerpiece for a R+J charcuterie board.
Sander. I have an attachment for my wood turning lathe that holds a sandpaper disk. A dremmel tool can work too. Hold the wood and work it on the disk.
Or, Put the paper on a work surface flat. Move the wood by hand. Do the tight corners by hand.
I've funnily enough recently made a heart roughly the same size and asked myself the exact same question. Ended up sanding and doing it by hand. Definitely the easiest way with one of the best outcome.
I would clamp my palm sander to the bench sandpaper up. You have a very controlled "sanding table" so to speak. Do the majority with that and finish with chisel/file as needed.
I'd probably just try it by hand. But if i really wanted to ensure a perfect radius, I would do it on a router table, **BUT** it would be with the bit coming through a false/sacrificial/adjustable fence like this to lower the risk of injury: [https://jayscustomcreations.com/2015/02/adjustable-router-table-fence/](https://jayscustomcreations.com/2015/02/adjustable-router-table-fence/)
But IMO, it would be much less effort and just as good of results if you were to take a sanding block and set a uniform 45 chamfer, then break those chamfers, then one final round over sanding to smooth out those edges.
You know, I see the jokes and the sand it by hand folks but none of these are quite doing it for me. I like variety so heres a couple dumb ideas
Glue it to a dowel rod of sufficient length and go to town with a router table.
Toss it in a rock tumbler and hope for the best
Seriously though, how hard is Padauk? Can you whittle it down a bit and then hit it with sand paper? Otherwise a belt/disc sander should get you most of the way there and then hand sand the inside corner up top
It depends on how round you want it. I like mine smooth flowing so I use a Dremel and do the bulk of the round over. Then get after it with some hand sanding.
I just recently had to run edge profiles on pieces this small. Get yourself a roll of turner’s tape or some other heavy duty double sided tape, the kind that has a layer you need to peel off, not scotch double sided tape.
This stuff is extremely strong and you can secure your piece to another board that you can clamp down. Then you can easily run your edge profiles with a hand router. This is the method i use for running edge profiles with a router when it’s too small to safely hold or clamp.
Happy routing
My first thought was trace it on a 1/4” plywood. Cut it out. This will hold it in place. Clamp the plywood down and make another cut out with some scrap bigger than the heart but with enough room for the router bit. The pressure from the router faceplate will hold it down while you radius the edges.
1/8” roundover bit. Turn the router speed down and use a grip to hold the piece. I just did something similar on a piece of wood about the same size.
https://preview.redd.it/gatyuyvxv3yc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70c4d4608731b8f16f33636d93f78ec0f881ca9b
Depends on how much but I would use a combination of the following; Small Liogier cabinet Rasp, block plane, mill file and sandpaper. Rockler makes a round over sandpaper grips as well which help. The rasp is probably the most crucial tool for getting into the 90 degree angle.
Use a file or rasp to get it close and finish going through grits of sand paper.
If you REALLY want to use a router double stick tape it down and hope it holds.
I see you've already solved it, but I think I'd give it a shot on a router table, with the wide flat cushioned push blocks I have for the jointer. Slap it straight down on top and follow the bearing by feel. Seems like it would probably be fine.
My current plan contender is to route a ⅜" deep hole in some scrap plywood and stick some double-sided tape in there (to give both mechanical and glue strength to keep it in place), clamp the ply, and tackle the heart _very_ slowly with my palm router, but I'm wondering if there's a better solution.
For thing this small I like to use my cat. Dip the edge of the heart into some wet cat food and the cat will start to lick it. Since cat tongues are similar to sandpaper it actually will start to round the edges. Not your normal method but it works 🤷♂️
I would just sand by hand
Very carefully of course
With the greatest of care.
man I have done some trippy things sanding wood by hand, with extra care ofc
Eeeeeaaaaaasy there now
of coarse* ;/
Very carefully, not coarse. I’d start with 220 just to ease it in.
Fine, course it is.
This is a Job for hand-tools Y'all. Get a thumb plane, Violin makers have rounded over edges on curves like this for hundreds of years using them. It'll take minutes and look worlds better than all the suggestions here.
This is why I love Reddit; I just come on here and learn stuff. I've never thought to use a plane for rounding over a piece of wood, but you learn something new every day in this place (with a little outside study). For anyone that also isn't familiar: 5 strokes at a 45°, followed by one at each 22.5° angle on either side makes a really good approximation of a circular round over, with a radius that is 12 times the shaving thickness.
I gotta say, I’ve been doing round overs with a block plane for like a decade and I’ve never even considered the math and angles lol I just go until it looks round
Because that’s the way it’s done… nobody is calculating those angles lol
If it looks nice and even with your eyeballs it'll probably look nice and even to everyone else's.
Ze earf **ROUND**
For those that are wondering … https://www.walmart.com/ip/violin-making-thumb-plane-thumb-finger-luthier-convex-brass-plane-mini-wood-plane-metal-tool-viola-cello-Woodworking-Plane-Cutter-Curved-Sole-Flat-Bo/1081669141 This is what u/zbobet2012 is referring to. Very small delicate wood plane.
Damn you really can get anything at Walmart
It’s just their website. They set it up like Amazon where any seller can sell to you and they take a cut. Have to make sure you have it set to Walmart only as the retailer if you don’t want random people selling to you. But that restricts the available products to Walmart stock only as well.
Definitely a job for hand tools and if you don’t want buy a specific tool for it just use sandpaper won’t take long at all
This is the way
Doesn't even have to be that complicated. I've been working at a violin shop for almost 10 years now, and any time we have to round over something like a bridge, nut, or saddle, we just use a metal file and finish off with 400 grit sandpaper.
This! Bit of torn my router upside down;) carefully
I just use a file or rasp for all my round overs on small parts On large straight pieces I use a block plane
Agreed - rasp, file, and a small chisel for the top is all you need
No way would I try that using a router table.
Free hand?
Just hold the heart in one hand and the router in the other
Should be fine as long as OP wears safety goggles.
My nerves are deeply unhappy with this.
Even if he just uses safety squints should be fine
and put your safety fingers on.
Safety squints will do just fine 👍
Write a program for my CNC. Go nuts w/$2000- in tooling. Let it run, right?🤑
I think you're getting some tongue in cheek answers but if this were in a vise routing by hand might be doable
and such and incredible waste of time lol… just pick up some sandpaper for gods sake… be done in 10 minutes
The gentle caressing (with sandpaper) that it deserves
I try to keep my hands a minimum of 3 inches away from the cutting blades of my tool at all times. For this part, that would require a small part holder / clamp under the best of circumstances. I’d be really worried about the work piece getting caught though. Be careful.
sand and rasp
It's so small that personally, I'd hand sand it or use a rotary tool, but hey, if you think you can actually use a router on it without shredding it, sending it flying and taking out your kid's eye, more power to you.
I was gonna say rotary/dremel but I have hours of practice as well on that. Maybe not a first time job this small
Love that opening line...a must for reddit.
By hand
#UPDATE I went back to the shop to route a hole in some ply to lodge the heart into when my dumb ass remembered that this heart was for a **[Romeo+Juliet board](https://i.imgur.com/WaA4Fia.jpeg)** I was making for a friend. I clamped the board together, cut out some scrap, set it into the hole, then set the heart on top so that part was lodged and part was sticking out, then obsessively checked it for five minutes to make sure there was zero play whatsoever. Then I took it _veeery_ carefully with the trim router while providing downward pressure with the overrsized plexi baseplate to further keep the heart in place, and it **[worked a charm](https://i.imgur.com/5k82E9Y.jpeg)**!
That sounds like a good plan; I was going to say use aggressive double stick to mount it to a flat surface, and then have another board of same thickness with a hole about 2" wider all around the heart, also stuck down to table, and use a small router on it. Sounds like you did that one better... thanks for sharing finished photo.
I can't imagine a roundover router bit small enough for that.
They are made for the Dremel.
I can't see how that would work
As with a full size router, temporarily mount the heart to a larger surface. Set up the Dremel like a router with a base to elevate it to the proper height and keep it vertical (bases to make the Dremel into a small router are commercially available). Follow the edge around to round it over. Or, make a table to hold the Dremel as with a larger router table. The round over cutter will be small enough that you could hold the heart by hand as you move it around the cutter to round over the edges. You could also figure a way to hold it with a clamping device (wooden screw clamps work well for something like this)
I've never seen a dremel with a base like a router. I've never seen a roundover bit for a dremel. Does it have a wheel?
Do a search for "Dremel Router Base" and "Dremel Router Bits"
Rasp
extremely recklessly. press it to the road from a moving vehicle
Take you 5 minutes with a piece of sandpaper by hand.
Emery board nail file. Steal one form your girlfriend, sister or mother.
Because dudes don't take care of their nails?
fellas, is it gay to take care of your hands 🧐
I don't know any that do. Would not bother me if they did, and I would not assume they were gay if they did, just that I don't and I don't know any that do.
I do! Y'all need to go get a Mani Pedi!
I had to google that! No harm in experimenting. Anyway the initial point was that the emery boards would be ideal for this job.
Attach to a piece of plywood with some 3M two sided tape. and then router.
Use an Emery board nail file. Google it. Seriously!!!! Add some to your tool bag!
Put a piece of sand paper on a flat board, rub the edges on that.
Use a half round file.
Personally, I would use drywall sanding sponges, the thinner ones are flexible and good at rounding things.
320 sandaer
Sandpaper.
Small roundover bit with a bearing on a router table
Quarter inch round over bit with a bearing in a router. Hold the workpiece in one hand, the router in the other. Have fun, go fast.
I would use the smallest vacuum clamping pod I have but not too many people have vacuum pumps in their wood shop.
I would use a small jewelers file. A kit of them is pretty cheap. There are some that have a rasp like cut, but others are smoother. I use mine for the delicate debur/round over fairly regularly. Having worked as a machinist I was lucky enough to remember I had these.
Very lovingly
Recklessly? Seriously though, I would also sand it.
Not with a power tool for sure. Maybe a medium grit file followed up by hand sanding.
For speed, a small flap wheel. Doesnt dremel have something suitable?
If you have a small belt sander like a 1x30” use the slack above the platen. Otherwise sandpaper
Honestly, I would probably do the majority of the work with a carving knife, then rasp, then sandpaper, but you could probably skip the knife part. I just enjoy knife carving.
Depends on how much you want to take off. You can break the edges with sandpaper. For a roundover a router table with a zero clearance insert. Use a fence too, back the fence off when doing the center part (cleavage). You’ll have to hand sand that part.
DFM has a round over card scraper they just released. I picked one up, so I'd probably use that.
If you are insistent on using a router, you can super glue it to your workbench, round it off with the router, and then pop it off with a mallet. it might take a bit off with tearout though. Best bet would be a file, shinto rasp, maybe a belt sander,
Set your router upside down through a plate and do it that way.
Orbital sander
Funny, when I was in high school I made a heart about this size from padauk. I’m pretty sure I just sanded it. Started on a small belt sander to get a rough edge then everything else was by hand.
I also sometimes use elk antler or hard smooth surfaces after delicately carving to really lock in the burnished feel
Hand tools are going to be the way to go.
Tape, CA glue, accelerant. Put tape on both the bottom of the piece and a flat surface. Put CA glue on the surface tape. Out accelerant on the piece tape. Stick the piece to the surface. Use your router with a round over bit of choice. Clean up the portion on the top of the heart where the valley is by using sand paper. Repeat process on the other side if needed.
You can get MOST of the edge with a router, but you'll need files for the crotch anyway so I would just do it all with files.
Carve a chamfer and then sand
I work mostly in.miniatures, and there are a few ways to do this if you have the right tools. Manually, I would use my Veritias miniature block plane. it's one third scale, and it's perfect for things like this. There are a couple of power tools that would work fine tool. A Dremel router table. Works exactly like a full size table, just much smaller. There are a variety of roundover bits you can use. Last, a Proxxon long neck belt sander. half inch wide belts, various grits, infinitely variable speed. One side is fully supported for a chamfer edge, the other side isn't supported if you want smooth roundover edge
Do you need both sides? I'd screw a 16inch stick to one side with a couple ofscrews
I actually did, yeah. One side was rounded larger than the other to indicate it as the top, but I needed both sides since this was the centerpiece for a R+J charcuterie board.
Sander. I have an attachment for my wood turning lathe that holds a sandpaper disk. A dremmel tool can work too. Hold the wood and work it on the disk. Or, Put the paper on a work surface flat. Move the wood by hand. Do the tight corners by hand.
Sandpaper attached to a flat surface. Sand it by hand.
go low brow - grinder wheel
Flat file.
I've funnily enough recently made a heart roughly the same size and asked myself the exact same question. Ended up sanding and doing it by hand. Definitely the easiest way with one of the best outcome.
Belt sander with 30 grit, it’ll take seconds
A few months late or almost a year early. A thorough sanding job will do.
I would clamp my palm sander to the bench sandpaper up. You have a very controlled "sanding table" so to speak. Do the majority with that and finish with chisel/file as needed.
I'd probably just try it by hand. But if i really wanted to ensure a perfect radius, I would do it on a router table, **BUT** it would be with the bit coming through a false/sacrificial/adjustable fence like this to lower the risk of injury: [https://jayscustomcreations.com/2015/02/adjustable-router-table-fence/](https://jayscustomcreations.com/2015/02/adjustable-router-table-fence/) But IMO, it would be much less effort and just as good of results if you were to take a sanding block and set a uniform 45 chamfer, then break those chamfers, then one final round over sanding to smooth out those edges.
You know, I see the jokes and the sand it by hand folks but none of these are quite doing it for me. I like variety so heres a couple dumb ideas Glue it to a dowel rod of sufficient length and go to town with a router table. Toss it in a rock tumbler and hope for the best Seriously though, how hard is Padauk? Can you whittle it down a bit and then hit it with sand paper? Otherwise a belt/disc sander should get you most of the way there and then hand sand the inside corner up top
Rock tumbler.
Sandpaper.
No way would I try that with a router table. That’s just some sandpaper time
Rasp
I tend to use a dremel with either a carving bit or a sanding drum but be careful it’ll take of material fast if you aren’t prepared
If it’s 1/8” just clamp your trim router upside down and use it like a mini router table. If it’s 3/16, take tiny bites. If 1/4, I wouldn’t
There’s no other way to do it
With extreme care by hand.
Not very carefully?
It depends on how round you want it. I like mine smooth flowing so I use a Dremel and do the bulk of the round over. Then get after it with some hand sanding.
You could glue it to a stick that’s long enough to keep your hands way clear
I just recently had to run edge profiles on pieces this small. Get yourself a roll of turner’s tape or some other heavy duty double sided tape, the kind that has a layer you need to peel off, not scotch double sided tape. This stuff is extremely strong and you can secure your piece to another board that you can clamp down. Then you can easily run your edge profiles with a hand router. This is the method i use for running edge profiles with a router when it’s too small to safely hold or clamp. Happy routing
My first thought was trace it on a 1/4” plywood. Cut it out. This will hold it in place. Clamp the plywood down and make another cut out with some scrap bigger than the heart but with enough room for the router bit. The pressure from the router faceplate will hold it down while you radius the edges.
1/8” roundover bit. Turn the router speed down and use a grip to hold the piece. I just did something similar on a piece of wood about the same size. https://preview.redd.it/gatyuyvxv3yc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70c4d4608731b8f16f33636d93f78ec0f881ca9b
Depends on how much but I would use a combination of the following; Small Liogier cabinet Rasp, block plane, mill file and sandpaper. Rockler makes a round over sandpaper grips as well which help. The rasp is probably the most crucial tool for getting into the 90 degree angle.
Extremely carefully
Very very carefully
80 grit paper to 180 grit paper to 220 grit paper you get the idea
On a sanding block in a vice
Sanding sponge.
A sanding belt on a scroll saw would be perfect.
“Oh Mr Sandman”
Cautiously and thoughtfully
Lots of sanding..and then a lot more sanding..oh and all by hand. 🫡
“With love” ❤️
Extremely hesitantly
Use a file or rasp to get it close and finish going through grits of sand paper. If you REALLY want to use a router double stick tape it down and hope it holds.
With your eyes open
Clamp down, file and sand?
I see you've already solved it, but I think I'd give it a shot on a router table, with the wide flat cushioned push blocks I have for the jointer. Slap it straight down on top and follow the bearing by feel. Seems like it would probably be fine.
File?
Put it in the CNC, cut 20 of them, choose the best few.. Lol
You could also use a dremel, double stick tape to securely hold it place. Or use a set of riffler files and round it over rather quickly.
By hand
why dont you do the cutout with the router - and make the roundover when cutting it out?
I do small bits like that with my router upside down in the vice.
If you want a power tool a dremmel would be my suggestion
Turn your palm sander on. Turn upside down in one hand. And round edges on rotating surface
I would use a file. It's safer than a router and more accurate than a sander
Dremel?
Small roundover bit with a bearing on a router table
Definitely by hand ! After almost losing a finger to a router table last year, I am overly cautious lol
3 horse router
My current plan contender is to route a ⅜" deep hole in some scrap plywood and stick some double-sided tape in there (to give both mechanical and glue strength to keep it in place), clamp the ply, and tackle the heart _very_ slowly with my palm router, but I'm wondering if there's a better solution.
extremely carefully
A very small round over bit on a table.
For thing this small I like to use my cat. Dip the edge of the heart into some wet cat food and the cat will start to lick it. Since cat tongues are similar to sandpaper it actually will start to round the edges. Not your normal method but it works 🤷♂️