With Rockler’s corner radius routing templates, forget searching for the right sized can, cup, or other curved object to trace every time you want to round off a corner.
To use one of Rockler’s corner radius routing template, first select the proper radius and snap the template into the handle. Hold the template on your workpeice and transfer the radius. You can even use the template for cutting the radius on your router table.
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Each template has 4 different radius sizes, 1 at each corner.
The template set gives you radii from 1/8″ to 2″, for a total of 12 different sizes among 3 different templates:
- First template — 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″
- Second template — 5/8″, 3/4″, 7/8″, and 1″
- Third template — 1-1/4″, 1-1/2″, 1-3/4″, and 2″
The handle is made from glass-filled ABS and the templates are 1/4″ thick ABS. The templates have three rubber strips on the bottom, to grip the workpiece. The slots allow you to snap the handle into place for any of the four radii on each template.
With the handle in place, the pins and tabs on the handle extend past the template and overlap the edge of the wood to perfectly align the radius template.
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You’re going to need a flush trim bit for your router, as the bit’s bearing rides on the template when you’re trimming the corner.
For $50, you get the handle/template fence, and three templates. Like many of Rockler’s new products, these templates seem to be priced pretty high, but we’ve also seen Rockler drop the introductory price after a few months. Or you can wait until a 15% or better coupon comes your way.
Price: $50
First Thoughts
I can imagine you’re thinking: “enough with the Rockler posts already Ben!” I have to admit it’s really easy to write about their products because I can drive 15 minutes to a nearby store to inspect them, but in my defense Rockler really does crank out the new products pretty fast.
I would never have posted about this product if I hadn’t gotten my hands on it in the store. I was really impressed with the way the handle locked into the template and how well thought out this product was.
When you pull on the grip in the handle with your fingers, it locks the template into place with the pins and tabs against the edges of the workpeice. The template also sticks well to the board on its own due to the sticky rubber strips on the bottom of the templates.
I’m thinking that if you round over a lot of edges in many different radii, it might be worth it to buy a set of templates like this rather stumble around the shop looking for something the right radius to use. Or you make your own set, as shown in this video by Toolify.
At least the Rockler corner radius routing templates are still available and a whole lot cheaper than the ones Woodpeckers sold. Woodpeckers’ radius templates are made from aluminum and can be used independently without having to switch back and forth with a handle, but you would have to do a lot of corner radiusing to justify the price of the set.
Woodpeckers’ QuickJig templates were $40 for each 2-radius templates, or $240 for a set of 6. Before that, they also had a similar template-and-handle system that was $280 for 12 radius sizes.
KokoTheTalkingApe
I think I would make a template from scraps about 300 times before I spent $50 on this thing. And I would use something thin like masonite or plexiglas, so I could work from the top with a hand-held router also.
fred
So how about the Woodpecker’s past one-time-tool CRQJSET-SYS at $300 for a set of 6 in a systainer. If I do the math $300 X 300 / $50 = 1800 – that’s a lot of scrap templates – but I certainly get the point. Maybe the $11 one at Woodcraft?
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/159913/Radius-Template-MDF.aspx?gclid=CL6FmKnEgs0CFVhahgodftsFrg
Or Infinity Cutting tools has a 3 piece set (Number: CRT-001) for just under $25 that provides 12 different radii
Jimmie
Thanks for that. I might add that to my next Inifinity order…
Benjamen
I finally took a look at that Infinity set. Interesting. They have 12 different radii under 1″ and they are screwed in using 4 registration pins.
I wonder if Rockler will ever come out with an expansion set for the intermediate sizes like 5/16″. And at $50 vs $25 for just a handle I hope this puts some pressure to reduce the price, because $25 for a handle seems excessive.
fred
Another alternative is the 3 piece set at Eagle America (400-1200) but it sells for $40
BikerDad
The advantage to something like this is twofold:
First, the radius is DEAD ON CORRECT. Sure, you can make one, but unless you have a CNC machine, getting it dead on correct is going to be more challenging.
The second is time. Yes, you could make 300 templates for the $50 that this costs. Assuming that it takes 5 minutes to make each template, you’ve just spent 25 hours making templates….
Unless you value your shop time at less than 1/3 minimum wage (which definitely isn’t the case if you’re doing it for profit), the template is going to save you a LOT of time.
Yes, yes, I know, you’ll probably reuse your templates some, so the math may not be so distressing, but the principle holds. Does one value the time this may save more than the $50 it costs? After all, you COULD make ANY of your tools if you wanted to.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Some good points here:
– “Dead-on correct…” I guess that’s true. But in my usual woodworking work (building furniture), I don’t need to make these kind of radius cuts often. When I do, the exact radius isn’t important. So in the past, I have drawn arcs with tin cans, coins or whatever, then cut the curve with a jig saw and tightened it with a rasp or just sandpaper.
– “Time…” Well in truth, my actual templates have been coins or jars. Not much time required. If I ever come up with a design that requires me to make lots of these cuts at a precise radius, I might actually spend some time making a nice template out of masonite. It is hard for me to imagine needing all those different radii.
And yes, I could make any of my tools if I wanted, so all my tools have to meet a basic cost/time calculation. For my work, homemade/improvised templates beat out these store-bought templates easily. Especially, I can’t imagine needing more than a few radii. This product offers more versatility than I need.
fred
Yours is a very rational discussion.
I (a retired old guy) too make the odd piece of furniture and I am constantly reminded that precision is sometimes not so terribly important. We are, after all not producing engines, colt pistols or the like where the interchangeability of parts is paramount. Cutting corner radii or fairing a curved edge by hand until they are pleasing to the eye is often close enough – especially since they do not have to mate with a corresponding part. I am always humbled when I see examples of vintage furniture in a museum knowing that the pieces were made by hand without the aid of routers or for that matter any of the powered tools that we take for granted. While I would not give up many of my power tools and their accompanying accessories/jigs – I have learned over the years, that for personal (not production) woodworking, the enjoyment is more in creating the finished piece than in how fast you can do it. Nonetheless, I do value my time (more and more as it dwindles down) and I am guilty of having purchased more than my fair share of jigs, templates and accessories that promised some advantage. Some of these have actually worked out!
KokoTheTalkingApe
No doubt templates have their place. I am going to drill about 18 kitchen cabinet doors for handles, and you bet I am going to use a template. No sense in measuring 3″ up by 1″ over 18 times, and I’d get at least one hole wrong to boot. 😀
Grady
I was going to mention the woodpecker jigs when ii saw the top of the post. The woodpecker jigs were a one time tool, much smaller, and at $239 way out of my price range. I liked these rockler templates the first time I saw them. They are a little large for some of my work but I can deal with it. The rockler corner radius templates just went o my wish list.
Nathan
The rockler thing makes alot of sense.