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My uncle told me to always use a 1/4 inch roundover bit on maple drawer fronts, but it chipped out on my last project.
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lisa55d ago
Wait, he said to ALWAYS use it? On maple? That's wild. Maple can be so tricky with tear-out. I would have gone with a smaller bit, maybe 1/8 inch, and taken super light passes. Or even used a sharp chamfer bit instead. A quarter inch is just asking for trouble on that hard grain.
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Actually, your uncle has a solid point. Maple needs a sharp bit and a slow, steady feed rate more than it needs a different size. That 1/4 inch roundover is a classic look for a reason. @lisa5 is right that maple can chip, but blaming the bit size misses the real fix. A super sharp carbide bit and taking your time with the router will get you that clean edge every time. Switching to a smaller bit is just avoiding the skill issue, to be honest.
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