Welcome Tiny, what type of router tools do you have ? How thick will the tops be ?

 

There are three ways to make a bull nose edge:
1. Use a round over bit that is 1/2 the thickness and flip the piece over for each surface.
2. Use a bull nose bit that is the 1/2 the radius of the material thickness.
3. You can use a circle guide like this:

Your table looks to be more than 1" thick? What is the thickness?

Roman Carbide DC1032 1-Inch Bull Nose, 1/2-Inch Shank - Edge Treatment And Grooving Router Bits - Amazon.com

Roman Carbide DC1032 1-Inch Bull Nose, 1/2-Inch Shank - Edge Treatment And Grooving Router Bits - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

When using the router table with a bearing bit and the fence? the video explains how.

When using a non-bearing bit, you would need to make a setup like this:

https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/threads/making-a-circular-dado-on-the-router-table.236915/?post_id=2297431#post-2297431

 

Thanks all for the responses. Have a 1 1/2 horsepower router. Have to go back to the store and measure the thickness but looked like 3-4 inches. Which is bigger than any bit I have.

 

The biggest roundover bit I can find listed for a router is the Amana 28-560. That's got a 1-1/2" radius, so it will make a true round edge on a 3" thick top, working from the top and the bottom. That bit has a 1/2" shank, and a good thing, too, but not all 1-1/2 hp routers will accept a half-inch shank. It's not cheap, either, about $180. As Steve said, you're not going to be able to take all that wood off with a 1-1/2-hp router in one pass, and you'd have major tear-out if you tried.
If the table is thicker than that, you'll need a shaper, not a router, to make that edge. The good news is that you can probably find a commercial cabinet shop that will run your tabletop through their shaper for a lot less than the $180 you'd spend on that router bit.

 

Two passes with the bottom bearing round-over in a hand-held router will work just as well.

 

you’ll have to roll your sander over the edge to make it perfectly smooth..

 

Don't try to route that in one pass, there will be spots where you are running against the grain and can tear the wood. It would be safer to make multiple passes.

 

The picture shows a solid bullnose edging wrapped around a veneered center, 5 pieces as you say. This is much more difficult than putting a bullnose edge on a simple glued up slab.

 

I agree. The picture you provide appears to show a solid edge that is precisely cut to fit around the table top which is veneered. This adds a lot of complexity to your construction. I recommend that, for ease and simplicity, you make your table of solid wood and route the bullnose without the added edging. This will, of course, change the look of the finished table and multiple shallow passes with the router will definitely be best because of the changes of direction of the grain.
If you decide that you want the look of the solid wood edging, then you will need to build your table top of a stable substrate like mdf or plywood and apply a veneer in order to avoid seasonal movement issues. Then, application and shaping of the edging will be complicated by the thin veneer. All doable, but much more complicated.

 

New to the forum and would appreciate some help. Looking to make a new coffee table that my wife picked out. Based on the attached image it looks like for the edging they have five bullnose pieces, does anyone know how I can recreate this?

The picture shows a solid bullnose edging wrapped around a veneered center, 5 pieces as you say. This is much more difficult than putting a bullnose edge on a simple glued up slab.

The procedure would depend on how you build the slab as JohhGi suggests.
The image is not necessarily the way you would make your slab.
Steve talked about tear out when working the end grain, and that's why I think the edge is a multiple piece glue up which eliminates the end grain.
Once you determine how to build the slab, then that may determine how you bullnose the edge?

 

That would have been done on a shaper. I doubt you will find a roundover bit large enough to do half the height if it exceeds 3 inches

Physics imposes limits on the size of the cutting surface that you can spin at the end of a shaft of 1/2 inch steel. That's why we have shapers with 1 inch or larger shafts and cutters that are 6 inches or so in diameter. You spin lots of metal at 30,000 rpm and lots of bad things can happen. You don't want to be around when a bit sheds its carbide; it can really hurt.

The largest roundover I could find cuts a 1 1/2 inch radius and is $180 at Woodline. It's not the best bit you can buy, but it might do the job if you can limit the height to 3 inches.

There are other ways to do this, but they are work. Hand planes, a monster lathe, sanding... the router is probably easiest, but if you have to buy the bit, it might cost less to take it to a cabinet shop.

 

I'd agree to ask a cabinet shop to make the cut. Even with my experience, I'd be a little hesitant to use a 1-1/2" bit in a hand held router. A router table or shaper is most recommended.

Another option is to use a disc sander/buffer with a flexible rubber disk backing. I've had my sander for 40 yrs. I've learned to carve with it and its convenient for many other similar tasks. You would rarely use that large of router bit again. For that price, invest in another tool that will be used more/most often. For a one-off project, buffing a round over, then hand sanding smooth is not that hard. Your pic caught my eye. I'm not crazy about straight lines and sharp edges. Most of my projects have a rustic/folksy/country flavor to them with lots of curves.
Like a good fetching woman, the mo curves the mo betta.
Sonny

 

That's impressive work, done freehand with a disc sander.

 

If you decide to make this as an applied edge, here are some photos of the tools I’ve used and a bit of what I learned.

I use a shaper and a jig like this to fully machine the curved edge pieces before they are attached to the round center. This avoids the problem with grain direction changing at the joints. This is a 9,000rpm spindle with about 1 ½ hp behind it. Power isn’t a bit deal as the delicate workpieces can’t handle much cutting force. Small diameter tools, very sharp, work best. The workpiece is sandwiched between the plywood base and an equally thick caul that stabilizes the whole length rather than a few hold downs which would allow vibration between clamping points. The low profile lets the spindle guard be set down close to the cutterhead.

The shaper spindle direction can be reversed to make cuts from both ends. With a router table, an alternative is a true clamshell jig with two guide edges that can be flipped over.

The outer edge is done first. To work down grain the cutting is done from the center toward the ends. A starter pin guides the plunge cut and prevents kickback. I remove the starter pin when the spindle is reversed. The crossgrain cutting at the end of the cut can blow out the end of the piece. I cut this edge first while the piece is stronger and has more flat surface to clamp against.

I like a tongue and groove joint on the inner edge. Back up blocks at the two ends locate the piece for concentric edges. This edge is worked from the ends toward the center. The initial cut ends just shy of center as the upcut where the grain direction changes will crack the piece. Press against the bearing just a bit more on the initial cut and the second cut will be slightly shallower and just glide over the first cut.

Here's the finished piece. There are 3 lines of curved mouldings at the top, shelf, and lower stretcher made off this jig.

 

Unless I am seeing something incorrectly, that appears to be a large radius and around a 3" piece of molding. I would not think that can be done on a router, a spindle shaper would be the correct tool. Cutter mounted on a bearing and stock mounted on a template.

 

A 3" thick top may be a bad place to start.

Also, that is not a bull-nose edge, it is a round over. A round over smoothly transitions from one surface to another. A bull nose leaves a slight edge in the top and bottom of the wood. This gives a project "shadow lines" between surfaces, and I prefer that look. I also like the visual reference for where my glass will sit level, and where it will tip over.