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Build the Templates
Templates 1 and 2 (Fig. A, above) produce the curved outside corner on the tabletop and the matching inside on the solid-wood edging. To make the matching templates, you first need to make a one-time pattern to cut the profile on Template 1 (Photo 1). That template’s profile is cut from a 10-in.-square blank that yields an offcut. The offcut in turn is used to make Template 2, ensuring a perfect fit.
To make the one-time pattern, use a compass to lay out the corner arc radius you desire on a 10-in.-square piece of 3/8-in. MDF. Saw and sand the corner to final shape. Attach the pattern with screws to another 10-in. square of 3/8-in.-thick MDF. Use a 3/8-in.-dia. bottom-bearing flush-trim bit to cut out Template 1 on the router table (Photo 1). Add guide strips to the sides to complete Template 1.
Use the offcut from Template 1 and a 1-1/8-in.-dia. bearing on your 3/8-in.-dia. bit to make Template 2 (Photo 2). Use a corner blank as a spacer to locate the guide strips on the bottom of Template 2 (Fig. C, page 76). The strips center the corner blank in the jig. You’ll need to build a hold-down jig (Fig. D, page 77). Template 2 is used in conjunction with the hold-down jig to rout the curve on the inside of the corner edging. You may have to adjust the cutout and/or the height of the spacer blocks on the jig to accommodate different radii or edging thicknesses.
Template 3 is used to create the outside curve on the hardwood border. Simply saw and sand it to final shape and add guide strips.
Rout the Parts
Cut the tabletop to final length and width. Cut the curved corners 1/16 in. to 1/8 in. oversize using a jigsaw. Clamp Template 1 to the bottom side of the tabletop. Rout the curve with a bottom-bearing bit (Photo 3). I prefer a 1/2-in.-shank bit in this step, because you get less chatter than with a 1/4-in.-shank bit.
The next step is to rout the slots for the splines in the edge of the tabletop (Photo 4). The splines are made from hardwood. Rip the splines on your tablesaw, leaving them a bit thicker than the slots. Take the splines to your planer and shave off the thickness until you get a snug fit in the slots. Cut the splines to length, including a number of 1/2-in.-long segments for use on the corners (Fig. B).
Mark the inside curve on the corner blanks (Photo 5) and rough-cut on the bandsaw. Clamp the corner blank and Template 2 into the hold-down jig and rout the inside curve (Photo 6). Rout a couple extra corner pieces. You will use them later for test cuts.
Install the slot-cutting bit in your router table. Use the extra corner blanks to test the height of the slot cutter until the blank sits just a whisker above the veneer (Photo 7).
Next, slot the straight molding parts. You’ll have to reset the slot-cutter height, because you won’t be using the hold-down jig. If you make moldings that are wider than 2 in., it is a good idea to reinforce the miters with splines or biscuits.
Mark lines on the tabletop at 90 degrees to each side at points 2 in. from a corner (Photo 8). Hold a corner blank to the tabletop and mark it for the miter cuts. Draw the miter lines 92 degrees to the tabletop’s edge. This creates a wedge-shaped pocket that makes it easier to get a tight joint between the straight and curved edging (Fig. E, page 78). You only need to draw miter lines on one blank. It will be used to set up the tablesaw miter gauge for all the corner cuts.
Cut the miters on your tablesaw with the miter gauge set to 47 degrees (Photo 9). Use a stop block and clamp to hold the corner molding in place. Don’t worry if the cut misses the pencil lines slightly. The finished size of the corner molding isn’t critical because of the built-in 1/4-in. safety margins.
Attach the Edge Molding
Here’s where the sweat starts to break out on a woodworker’s brow. At this point, you’ve taken care of the joint between the edging and the tabletop. Now the problem is fitting all eight edging pieces end to end around the perimeter. The first step is to attach the four corner blanks (Photo 10). Next, use a test board to determine the precise angle for the ends of the straight molding (Photo 11). Test-fit every joint. You may have to tweak the angle for each end on the straight pieces.
Attach the straight moldings to the tabletop one at a time. If you have cut one too short, don’t worry—you have a second, even a third chance. The secret is shown in Fig. E (page 78). Use a liberal amount of glue on the end grain joints, because end grain absorbs more glue than side grain does. Complete the tabletop by routing the outside curve on the edging with Template 3 (Photo 12). Carefully sand or scrape the solid-wood edging flush with the tabletop. For some added detail, you can rout a chamfer, round-over or other profile around the edge of the solid-wood molding. We used two different wood species to help highlight the edging in the photos. The technique also works great using a single wood species.
Want to try this technique on a real project? Check out the “Teak Coffee Table”.
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