Chapter 9: Shaping and Routing

Beyond Straight Lines

Not everything in woodworking is flat planes and square joints. Curves, profiles, chamfers, and decorative shapes add visual interest, improve ergonomics, and can serve structural purposes. This chapter covers the tools and techniques for shaping wood beyond straight lines and flat surfaces.

The Router

The router is arguably the most versatile power tool in the shop. It spins a shaped bit at extremely high speed (10,000-25,000 RPM) and can cut an astonishing variety of shapes.

Router Types

Trim (compact) router (~700W / 1 HP):

• One-handed operation
• Ideal for edge profiles, light mortising, flush trimming, and chamfers
• Less fatiguing for extended use
• Cannot handle large bits or deep cuts

Mid-size router (~1600W / 2¼ HP):

• The workhorse router
• Handles most routing tasks, including dadoes, rabbets, template work, and moderate edge profiles
• Can be mounted in a router table
• Plunge base option for starting cuts in the middle of a board

Full-size router (~2400W / 3¼ HP):

• For heavy-duty work: large raised panels, deep mortises, stile-and-rail profiles
• Heavy and hard to control freehand
• Best suited for router table use

Essential Router Bits

Router Safety

Routers are among the most dangerous tools in the shop due to their high speed and exposed bit:

1. Always wear hearing protection — routers are extremely loud
2. Always wear eye protection — chips fly at high velocity
3. Secure the workpiece — a router can throw an unsecured piece violently
4. Feed against the rotation — for handheld routing, move the router left to right along an edge (counterclockwise around the outside of a piece). The bit rotation pulls the router against the work for a controlled cut. Climbing (feeding with the rotation) can cause the router to grab and lurch forward.
5. Take multiple passes for deep or wide cuts — never try to remove all the material in one pass
6. Never start the router with the bit touching the wood — bring it to speed first, then engage

Handheld Router Technique

Edge profiling:

1. Secure the workpiece firmly
2. Install the bit and set the depth
3. Set the router on the edge with the bit clear of the wood
4. Start the router and let it reach full speed
5. Advance the router into the cut, moving left to right along the edge
6. Maintain a consistent feed rate — too fast produces a rough cut, too slow causes burning
7. Profile end grain first, then long grain (any tear-out at the end of an end-grain pass is cleaned up by the subsequent long-grain pass)

Dadoes and grooves with a guide:

1. Clamp a straightedge to the workpiece at the correct offset
2. Run the router against the straightedge
3. For wide dadoes, use two straightedges (one for each side)
4. Set depth with the plunge mechanism or by adjusting the base

Template routing:

1. Create a template from MDF or plywood in the desired shape
2. Attach the template to the workpiece (double-sided tape, screws in waste areas, or clamps)
3. Use a flush-trim bit (bearing at the base) or a pattern bit (bearing at the top)
4. The bearing follows the template while the cutter shapes the workpiece

The Router Table

Mounting a router upside-down in a table transforms it into a small shaper. Benefits:

• Both hands are free to control the workpiece
• A fence provides consistent, repeatable cuts
• Small pieces can be safely routed (impossible to rout small pieces with a handheld router)
• Larger bits can be used safely
• Consistent depth of cut

Router table technique:

• Feed workpieces from right to left (against the bit rotation)
• Use featherboards to hold the workpiece against the fence and table
• Never back a piece out of a cut while the bit is spinning
• Use a starting pin for freehand (bearing-guided) work — it provides a pivot point to control the initial contact

Chisels for Shaping

Chisels are not just for joinery — they are shaping tools in their own right.

Paring

Paring is the technique of removing thin slices of wood with hand pressure alone (no mallet). It is the most precise method of shaping wood.

• Hold the chisel with both hands — one on the handle for power, one on the blade for control
• Use your body weight, not muscle force
• Take thin shavings — if you are forcing the chisel, you are taking too much
• Keep the flat back of the chisel riding on the surface to control depth

Chopping

Chopping uses a mallet to drive the chisel through the wood. Used for:

• Removing larger amounts of waste
• Cutting across the grain (as in a hinge mortise)
• Starting mortises

Technique:

1. Place the chisel on the line
2. Strike with the mallet — one firm blow, not multiple light taps
3. Lever out the waste chip
4. Advance and repeat

Curved Chisel Work

For cleaning up curved surfaces:

• Angle the chisel and use a slicing cut (like a knife cutting bread)
• Work downhill (from high grain to low grain)
• For concave curves, use a gouge (a chisel with a curved cross-section)
• Take light cuts and let the tool do the work

Spokeshaves

A spokeshave is essentially a very short plane with handles on each side. It is designed for shaping curves, both convex and concave.

Types

• Flat-soled spokeshave: For convex curves and flat chamfers
• Round-soled spokeshave: For concave curves (like the inside of a chair seat)

Technique

1. Secure the workpiece (a shaving horse is traditional; a vise works too)
2. Push or pull the spokeshave along the curve, working with the grain
3. If it catches or tears, reverse direction
4. Take light cuts
5. Check the curve frequently — it is easy to remove too much in one area

Spokeshaves are essential for chair-making, tool handle shaping, and any project with flowing curves.

Rasps and Files

Rasps and files are shaping tools for curves, transitions, and areas where planes and chisels cannot reach.

Rasps

Rasps have individually cut teeth that remove material aggressively. They are the primary shaping tool for curves in solid wood.

• Flat rasp: For convex curves and flat surfaces
• Half-round rasp: The most versatile shape — flat on one side, curved on the other
• Round rasp: For concave curves and holes

Grain and cut ratings:

• Coarse (bastard): Fast material removal, rough surface
• Medium (second cut): General shaping
• Fine (smooth): Finishing, leaving a surface close to sandpaper-smooth

High-quality hand-stitched rasps (like Auriou or Shinto) cut dramatically better than cheap machine-made rasps. The individually hand-cut teeth create a smooth, consistent cut without chatter.

Files

Files have machine-cut parallel teeth. They cut more slowly than rasps but leave a smoother surface. Use after rasping for smoothing, or on their own for light shaping.

Technique

• Push the rasp or file forward with moderate pressure. Lift on the return stroke (dragging backward dulls the teeth).
• Work at a slight angle to the direction of travel for a shearing cut.
• Use your other hand on the tip for control.
• Check your work frequently — remove material gradually.
• Clean clogged teeth with a file card (a brush with short wire bristles).

Shaping with the Bandsaw

The bandsaw is the primary power tool for cutting curves. See Chapter 5 for basic technique. Additional shaping tips:

• Relief cuts: For tight curves, make straight cuts from the waste edge to the curve line at regular intervals. As you cut the curve, waste pieces fall away, preventing the blade from binding.
• Pad sawing: Stack multiple pieces together (taped or nailed in waste areas) and cut the shape through all pieces at once. This produces identical shapes efficiently.
• Rough and refine: Cut about 2 mm outside the line on the bandsaw, then refine to the final line with rasps, spokeshaves, or a spindle sander.

Scroll Saw

For very fine, intricate curved cuts (fretwork, inlays, puzzle-like shapes), a scroll saw uses a thin, reciprocating blade that can cut extremely tight curves. The blade can be threaded through a drilled hole, allowing interior cutouts without cutting from the edge.

Chamfers and Bevels

A chamfer is a flat, angled cut along an edge (typically 45°). A bevel is an angled surface that extends the full width or thickness of a piece.

Cutting Chamfers

• Block plane: Hold the plane at 45° to the edge and take light passes. Use your fingers as a fence to maintain a consistent angle. Quick, easy, and produces a clean result.
• Router: A 45° chamfer bit with a bearing produces a consistent chamfer. Adjust the depth to control the chamfer width.
• Table saw: Tilt the blade to 45° and rip the chamfer. Best for long, consistent chamfers.

Stopped Chamfers

A chamfer that starts and stops before reaching the ends of the piece. Mark the start and stop points, cut most of the chamfer with your chosen tool, and blend the transitions by hand with a chisel or file.

Shaping Compound Curves

Three-dimensional shapes — like chair seats, sculptural elements, or carved components — require removing material from multiple directions.

Techniques

1. Rough the shape: Use an angle grinder with a carving disc, a draw knife, or aggressive rasp to quickly remove bulk material
2. Refine with spokeshave and rasps: Work toward the final shape, checking from multiple angles
3. Smooth with scrapers and sandpaper: Final surface preparation

Making Templates

For repeatable curved shapes:

1. Draw the shape full-size on paper or cardboard
2. Transfer to a rigid template material (MDF, hardboard, or plywood)
3. Cut and sand the template to the exact shape
4. Use the template for marking, routing (with a flush-trim bit), or checking your hand-shaped work

Practice Exercises

1. Edge profiles: Practice cutting a roundover, a chamfer, and an ogee profile on scrap boards using a router. Compare handheld results to router table results.

2. Spokeshave curves: Shape a tool handle (for a chisel or file) from a piece of hardwood using a spokeshave and rasps. The handle should fit comfortably in your hand.

3. Template routing: Create a simple curved template (an arc or S-curve) from MDF. Use it with a flush-trim bit to produce identical curved pieces.

4. Chamfer practice: Cut a stopped chamfer on all four edges of a board using a block plane. The chamfers should be uniform, and the transitions should be smooth.

Previous Chapter: Planing and Surface Preparation

Next Chapter: Gluing and Clamping

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