Of course, there is no denying the fact that a wood router is the best tool to use to round wooden edges down to size. Therefore, if you are working with wood, but don’t have a router, you might run into some trouble.
Is it possible to round wood edges without a router, though? The answer is yes, it is more than possible to do so, as long as you have the right tools.
Below, we are going to discuss a variety of ways to round wood edges without a router.
6 Best Ways to Round Wood Edges Without a Router
With that out of the way, let’s jump right into talking about six of the best ways to round wood edges without a router.
#1: Using a Chisel
The first option that you have at your disposal is a classic wood chisel. Chiseling away wood is a very aggressive way to go about it, and it works best if you need to remove fairly large chunks of wood, particularly if you will be sanding down those edges afterward.
Something that does need to be said here is that while using a chisel can be quite quick due to its aggressive nature, it’s also not easy. It takes a good deal of practice and know-how to use a chisel, particularly if you don’t want to remove too much wood at once.
What we can say here is that when using a chisel, you first should practice on scrap wood, and you also need to ensure that the chisel is very sharp. A dull chisel is more likely to destroy your wood than to produce a good result.
Take your time and go slowly.
Don’t use too much pressure when striking the chisel, or else you may crack the wood or remove too much at once. Slow and steady wins this race. To achieve perfectly round and smooth edges, you will need to finish it off with sandpaper.
#2: Using a Hand Plane
In our opinion, if you don’t have a router and need to remove wood from your projects, and you plan on doing a lot of woodworking, such as if you are making furniture, then using a hand plane is a good way to go.
When it comes to simply removing excess wood in a neat, clean, and accurate manner, then the hand plane is probably your best bet. The other good thing about hand planes is that they are very easy to use. Sure, it might take a little bit of practice, but it’s quite easy in general, much easier than using a chisel.
The only hard part about using a hand plane for rounding wooden edges is that hand planes are generally best for removing wood from straight edges and flat surfaces. They have a flat blade. If you are looking to make rounded edges, you will need to continually change the angle of the hand plane to achieve rounded edges.
Just like with a chisel, to achieve perfectly round and smooth edges, after having used a hand plane, you will still need to finish it off with sandpaper to get rid of any rough texture.
#3: Using a Wood File
If you are looking for a method of rounding edges with medium aggressiveness, then a wood file is a good way to go. A wood file is much more aggressive in nature than something like sandpaper, yet also much less aggressive than a tool with an edge, such as the chisel and the hand plane discussed above.
Wood files work well for removing a decent amount of material with each pass, yet they are not so aggressive that you can easily remove too much. Wood files work well for smaller projects and smaller wooden pieces that don’t require all too much work. They also work well for smaller detail work, as you can get both flat and rounded files, and they come in all sorts of sizes too.
All you have to do with a wood file is to keep rubbing it against the edges that need to be rounded off. This method is not the fastest out there, as it does take a good bit of time, not to mention a fair bit of muscle power too, but it’s a good method for smaller projects and detail work, especially if you need something a bit more aggressive than sandpaper.
#4: Using a Sanding Block
The next option that you have at your disposal here is some good old sandpaper.
ou can choose to just hold the sandpaper in your hands, or you can attach it to a sanding block, or even to a scrap piece of wood. Sandpaper is generally considered the easiest way to perform this task, although it does take quite a bit of work and muscle power.
Although using sandpaper for rounding edges is not technically difficult, it is energy- and time-consuming. Therefore, sandpaper is best used for finishing, for rounding off edges that are already fairly round, and mainly just for smoothing out rough edges.
If you need to remove a lot of material, any of the above three methods are best, and then you can finish it off with sandpaper. Sandpaper is great for small detail work, not for big jobs.
#5: Using a Power Sander
With the above point in mind, if you want to use sandpaper, but you don’t have a router, using an orbital or similar power sander is a good choice. Of course, using any sort of handheld power sander is going to be much easier and faster than sandpapering by hand.
That said, be careful not to remove too much material when using a power sander, as they can remove a whole lot in next to no time. Don’t grind your edges down too far!
It does take a bit of skill and practice to use a power sander, mainly because they move so fast that it can be easy to make a mistake. As is the case with wood, once it’s gone there is no going back. A good trick for beginners is to ensure that you never apply too much pressure. It’s best to go light and slow with these machines.
#6: Using a Jigsaw
The other way to round wood edges without a router is with a jigsaw.
Now, this is really only ideal if you need to remove large chunks of wood at a time. Moreover, you will still need to sand the edges afterward. Also, keep in mind that using a jigsaw for this purpose should only be done if you really know what you are doing. It’s not easy and it takes a whole lot of skill.
You can read this article to learn more about the differences between routers and jigsaws.
What Is the Best Way to Round Wood Edges Without a Router?
Realistically, there is no one best way to round wood edges without a router. Which method you choose depends on the specific work being done.
If you need to remove large chunks, use a jigsaw. If you need a fairly aggressive way to round off those edges, either a hand plane or a chisel will do fine. On the other hand, if you need something slightly less aggressive for smaller precision jobs, a wood file is best.
Finally, if you just need to make some small changes and create very smooth edges, manual or electric sanding is the best option.
Summary
The bottom line is that it is totally possible to round wooden edges without a router, and as you can see, there are many tools that can get the job done.
If all else fails, some good old sandpaper always works!