A simple fixture can be built using scrap wood that will hold a dowel to enable you to cut a perfectly rounded over end for a peg on a coat rack or any other reason that you might need round end dowels. I made this fixture using a scrap of ¼” MDF and four small pieces of pine wood.
Start by cutting a piece of ¼” plywood about 12” X 8”. Mark the center across of the 12” length and cut out an area on one end at the line about 1 ½” X 1 ½”.
Cut two pieces of wood 12” X 3”x ¾” and mark the center of the 12”length. Drill a ¾” hole as close to the edge as possible on the center line of each piece. Sand the holes so a ¾ dowel will slide through them easily.
Align the two pieces with a piece of dowel through the holes and fasten them to the ¼” plywood. Set the first board ¾” in from the edge of the plywood and with the hole over the center line. Set the second piece about 3” back and make sure that the holes are aligned with each other by leaving the dowel inserted in both holes while fastening.
Cut two pieces of wood ¾” x 1 ½” x 6”. Fasten them vertically to the fixture front where the ¾” set back is. Fasten them at each end so they end up flush with edge of the fixture. These will be used to clamp the fixture to the router fence.
Install a 3/8” round over bit in the router and set the height so the lower edge of the curved part of the cutter is flush with the top of the ¼” plywood bottom of the fixture.
Insert a dowel in the fixture and align the center of the dowel with center of the bearing. Clamp the fixture in place using two small “C” clamps.
Pull the dowel away from the cutter and turn on the router. Gradually slide the dowel into the cutter and rotate it counter clockwise until the end is rounded over.
A fixture like this can be made for different size dowels but you need to select the correct size cutter. For instance, for a 1” dowel you would need to use a ½” round over cutter.
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