The Roun d O v e r B i t michael blois I have been back in the wood shop again recently exploring the techniques and tools used in furniture making. I am interested in the quality of something made by hand and the human connection it generates. When I first started tinkering in the wood shop, it was a reaction to the machine-made generic look and feel of the furniture I saw everywhere – unable to find what I was looking for, I decided to build some of my own designs. I still have a number of these pieces and enjoy their imperfections and warmth as they move from apartment to apartment. After a long hiatus I decided to reimagine one of my old designs. I tested it out in different materials, finishes and with a few new details that all work toward what I think is the best version of that concept. One of the tools that has sparked my imagination is the handheld trim router and more specifically, the round over bit. The round over bit has a concave profile and commonly ranges in radii from 1/8”, a slight rounding, up to 1” for an obviously round edge. These bits often come in a set along with a variety of other profile makers such as a chamfer, cove or bevel. Many more bit types are used to cut grooves and shapes used for joining panels. Straight bits used for trimming edges and cutting in a CNC machine. But there are a large number of bits that are not well known to contemporary design since they fell out of favour along with many other types of ornament. The double cove and demi, ogee and many other classical moulding profiles. These profiles shape crown mouldings, baseboards, wainscoting, sills and door casing; edges of tables, leg profiles and panels. Ornate combinations of concave and convex profiles are relieved by flat sections or recesses. The effect is a flowing shape that carries the eye across the piece and invites touch exploring the soft and sharp , bulging and receding profiles that remind us of the human body and other natural elements. Traditional furniture pieces are typically stained to make the wood appear uniform, bringing focus to the profile rather than to the wood itself. This is a contrast to the contemporary approach of expressing the wood and all of its variations and imperfections. 90 degree corners and exposed end-grain make it clear that the aim is to celebrate the material - it does not need ornate inlays and profiled edges to make it beautiful. Though the wood itself does a lot of the heavy lifting to give the piece a natural, high quality appearance, this approach shares similarities with an industrial aesthetic — hard edges, raw materials, exposed connections and so on. Is there something to be learned from the days of ornament and pattern books? Crown mouldings soften the edge between wall and ceiling, gable and table top. Beading or grooving adds a layer of detail that can bring a sense of scale to a piece or help contrast it from an adjacent surface. A bullnose edge, round knob or tapered leg invites touch and rests comfortably in the human hand. Though it does not technically conform to code architects frequently design a railing with a thin and flat metal profile for its sharp line and tidy appearance. But it is uncomfortable to grip and does not address the needs of all abilities. A round tube profile or one with rounded and shaped edges are easily gripped and are pleasant to use. This is just one example but it makes it clear that sometimes in design we forget the end result is not just for the eye but must serve the other senses as well.
a ll im a g e s M ic ha e l B lo is
40 on site review 39: Tools
