Cutting a perfect circle in wood

For a closer look at each method, be sure to check out the YouTube video. The most common way of cutting circles in wood is using a plunge router with a circle cutting jig.

Most saws are made to cut straight lines, but what if you want to cut a circle? For more details on each method, be sure to check out the YouTube video. I used my bandsaw to shape it, but this step is optional. Remove the base plate from your router and use it to trace the screw holes on one end of you strip of plywood. Plunge the bit through the plywood jig, then remove the jig from the router and make the hole bigger.

Cutting a perfect circle in wood

You can immediately download your product off the order receipt page after the purchase. There are a lot of different options for cutting circles in wood and there are a lot of different needs to consider. Can I have a hole in my work piece or not? To cut a circle on this jig I need to set the distance from the blade for the pivot point. Now I need to find the center of my work piece and to do that I mark with a straight edge from corner to corner and where those lines meet is my center. This method assumes the bottom of the piece wont be visible, like the bottom side of a table. And after, I cut the big corners, I move on to each new corner, cutting them off as they get smaller and smaller. I position the work piece right at the cutting edge of the blade and spin it until it is perfectly round. This is my jig and just like the table saw jig it has a runner and holes a different distances from the blade and a pivot pin. Once again I made a hole in the center of my work piece and dropped it onto the pivot pin of the jig. The hole in the circle lines up with the center of the X I made on the work piece.

More References 3. It looks similar to a compass, but with a really sharp blade on the end instead of a pencil.

Home » Woodworking. Learn how to cut a circle in wood six different ways, depending on the tools you have in your garage or workshop! Cutting circles in wood can be tricky, there's no doubt about it. Heck, it is hard enough to cut a straight line, let alone a perfect circle! However, with the proper tool and the right method, it is entirely doable. Soon you'll be able to cut a circle in wood with ease! There are quite a few different ways to tackle this task.

Home » Woodworking. Learn how to cut a circle in wood six different ways, depending on the tools you have in your garage or workshop! Cutting circles in wood can be tricky, there's no doubt about it. Heck, it is hard enough to cut a straight line, let alone a perfect circle! However, with the proper tool and the right method, it is entirely doable.

Cutting a perfect circle in wood

Handyman's World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. If you have much experience with woodworking, then you know the challenge presented by the prospect of cutting a perfect circle from a piece of wood. These techniques, as it turns out, take a lot of the guesswork out of making these uniquely curved cuts.

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It leaves super clean edges. To use the jig, find the center of your wood blank and make a small pilot hole, then mount the blank to the pivot pin on the jig. Then mount some stops from underneath up against the front edge of the table. Builds include mainly woodshop project… More About diymontreal ». The easiest way to do this is with a beam compass. Use a finish nail with the head cut off as a pivot pin. To use the jig, find the center of your wood blank and make a small pilot hole, then mount the blank to the pivot pin on jig. If you need the circle to be solid instead, you may not want to use a hole saw. Router Cabinet. Cutting circles with a table saw? Line up the line on your jig with the front tip of you saw blade, then use a magswitch or stop to lock the jig in the position. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. If you cut straight through the wood without stopping, it can cause the backside to become jagged and rough when the hole saw pops through.

With the right tools and a little bit of practice, you can create perfect circles every time. One of the most common hand tools used for cutting circles in wood is a coping saw. This saw has a thin, flexible blade that allows you to make intricate cuts with ease.

Go all the way around the circle until you are left with a perfect circle. Method 1. In general, the size of the hole saw refers to the exterior of the saw but the interior size will be listed in small print. Flush Trim Router Bit. At the center of the arbor should be a hole that is big enough to insert the pilot bit into it. This method starts out the same as the previous using a plunge router and a circle cutting jig. Then sand the cut edge until it's the perfect size! There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. To draw out the circle either trace something that is a circle such as a CD , use a drafting compass, or use a protractor. The arbor is the connecting piece that attaches the saw to the drill and the pilot bit guides the hole saw and it begins cutting. Hole saws create a small pilot hole at the center of the circle that they cut out. The entry side of the hole tends to cut cleanly, but the back is another story! Plunge the router and line up the bearing with the clean lip previously left by the router. The easiest way to do this is with a beam compass.