Which direction do you feed a router to round edges?

On the outside edge of a workpiece, feed the router left to right — counterclockwise around the piece as you look down on it — so the spinning bit pulls into the wood rather than away from it. This is called feeding against the bit's rotation, and it gives you control and a clean cut. Feeding the wrong way lets the router 'climb' and skate along the edge, which is dangerous and tears the wood. The rule: keep the bit's cutting edge biting into fresh material as you push.

What size roundover bit should I use?

For softening sharp edges on furniture, shelves, and tabletops, a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch roundover bit is the everyday choice — enough to take the sharp corner off and feel good to the hand without changing the look much. A 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch radius gives a more pronounced, decorative bullnose look. Match the radius to the thickness of the stock: a big roundover on thin material can round away most of the edge. Start with a 1/4-inch bit if you buy only one.

Why is my router tearing out the wood?

Usually one of three things: feeding the wrong direction (letting the router climb), taking too deep a cut in one pass, or routing across end grain last. Fix it by feeding against the rotation, sneaking up on the final depth in two or three passes instead of one, and routing the end-grain edges first so any tear-out at the corners gets cleaned up when you rout the long grain afterward. A sharp bit and a steady, moderate feed speed also reduce tear-out dramatically.

Do you need a router table to round edges?

No — a handheld router with a bearing-guided roundover bit does the job on most workpieces, and it is the right tool for large pieces you can't lift onto a table. A router table is better for small parts (which are hard to clamp and dangerous to hold near a handheld router) and for consistent results on many identical pieces. For rounding the edges of a tabletop, shelf, or box, handheld is standard. Clamp the work down so it can't move.

How deep should each router pass be?

For a roundover, set the bit so the bearing rides the edge and the profile is cut to full depth — but if the radius is large or the wood is prone to tearing, get there in two or three progressively deeper passes rather than one. Each pass should remove a comfortable amount without the router bogging down or chattering. Sneaking up on the final depth gives a cleaner profile and reduces burning and tear-out, especially in hardwoods and figured grain.

How to Use a Router to Round Over Edges

Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor

Updated August 2026

Overhead view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in soft early-morning light

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Rounding over sharp edges with a router is an easy, satisfying skill that instantly makes a project look finished and feel good to the hand. It costs the price of a roundover bit (about 10 to 25 dollars), takes minutes per piece, and has no permit or structural implications — just the normal care of a spinning bit. The two rules that keep it clean and safe are feeding the router in the correct direction (against the bit’s rotation) and, for larger profiles, sneaking up on the depth in a couple of passes rather than one hogging cut.

How To Dress Up Edges with a Roundover Bit (buildsomething.com)

Tools and materials

A router (compact/trim router or a full-size router) and a bearing-guided roundover bit — a 1/4-inch radius is the versatile first choice.
Clamps to hold the workpiece dead still, plus safety glasses and hearing protection.
An orbital sander to blend and smooth the routed edge afterward — see our orbital sander picks.
This is a natural next skill after basic cutting; if you want to build a table for small parts, see how to build a router table.

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a power tools & workshop project, in soft early-morning light

Step 1: Install and set the bit

Unplug the router. Seat the roundover bit fully into the collet, then back it out about 1/16 inch before tightening — bottoming it out can cause it to loosen in use. Set the height so the bit’s pilot bearing will ride against the edge of your stock and cut the full radius. On a large roundover or hardwood, plan to make the first pass shallower and lower the bit for a final pass.

Step 2: Clamp the work and test on scrap

Clamp the workpiece firmly to your bench with the edge to be routed overhanging so the bearing has clearance. Always test the setup on a scrap of the same thickness — check the profile and confirm the bearing is riding cleanly. Adjusting on scrap costs seconds; a wrong setting on your real piece costs the whole part.

Overhead view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in warm late-afternoon light

Step 3: Feed in the right direction

For an outside edge, move the router counterclockwise around the piece (left to right as you face each edge) so the bit cuts into the wood. This is feeding against the rotation, and it gives you control. Feed the wrong way and the router "climbs" and darts along the edge — dangerous and messy. Keep the router base flat and both hands on it.

Step 4: Rout end grain first

Rout the two end-grain edges first, then the long-grain edges. End grain tears out at the corners; routing the long grain afterward cleans up that tear-out. Move at a steady, moderate pace — too slow burns the wood, too fast tears it. Let the bearing follow the edge; don’t force the router sideways into the cut.

Wide environmental view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in soft overcast light

Step 5: Sand the profile smooth

A routed edge is close to finished but usually has faint mill marks. A quick pass with 180- to 220-grit sandpaper folded over the profile, or a soft sanding sponge, blends it perfectly. Now the edge is ready for finish and feels smooth to the touch.

Where to go next

Rounded edges upgrade any project — a cutting board, a bookshelf, or a picture frame. To get more from the router, build a router table. It all lives under the power tools and workshop hub.

We never buy or physically test the tools we rank — our picks come from aggregated owner reviews and expert consensus, explained on how we rank.

How to Use a Router to Round Edges