Ovolo router cutters and Rounding over router cutters

The next pages look at Ovolo router cutters, also known as rounding over cutters. They have a flat-bottomed body with curved sides that straighten towards the shank. Ovolo router cutters and rounding over router cutters typically have two flutes and so should produce a reasonably clean finish, provided they are of high quality. There are 9 main types of ovolo cutter / rounding over cutter. They include - standard cutters, cutters with a shank-mounted guide, cutters with a bottom guide, handrail cutters, and veining cutters. 

Standard ovolo router cutters do not have a guide pin or bearing, so, for most applications, you will need to guide them with a side fence, clamp guide, or guide bush. Alternatively, they can also be used freehand for some applications. Some models of ovolo cutter or rounding over cutter have a guide mounted on their shank. They can be used for the same applications as standard ovolo/rounding over cutters, but are designed to follow a template mounted above or below the workpiece. Some ovolo cutter or rounding over cutters have a guide pin or bearing fitted beneath their cutting edges. These cutters cannot be used for plunge cutting applications. Handrail cutters are used to rout the top profiles for handrails. Deep rounding over router cutters are ideal for simultaneously smoothing out the rough or uneven edge of a board and softening the top. Veining cutters are generally a lot smaller and thinner than regular router cutters, which makes them suited to the often intricate task of veining.