Bead (woodworking)

For other uses, see Bead (disambiguation).
The rounded bead here was made with a scratch stock rather than the more common beading plane or router bit.

A bead is a woodworking decorative treatment applied to various elements of wooden furniture, boxes and other items.

A bead is typically a rounded shape cut into a square edge to soften the edge and provide some protection against splitting. Beads can be simple round shapes, or more complex patterns.

A bead may be created with an electric router, a special moulding handplane[1] or a scratch stock.[2] Beads are usually cut directly into the edge of the item to which the bead is being applied. However, beads applied across the grain are usually cut into a separate piece, which is then fixed in position.

A bead is also an important design element in wood turning, a ring-shape or convex curve incised into a piece by the use of a chisel or skew.[3]

  1. ^ Dunbar, Michael (Jan–Feb 1990). Wood moulding planes. American Woodworker. pp. 30–31. ISBN 1-56158-784-2. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  2. ^ "Traditional projects (New best of Fine Woodworking) Archived 2023-08-07 at the Wayback Machine", Taunton Press, 2005, page 128. ISBN 978-1561587841. Retrieved January 20, 2012
  3. ^ Blandford, Percy W., "[ The woodworker's bible: A complete guide to woodworking",2007, Popular Woodworking Books. Originally published by Tab Books, 1976. page 247. ISBN 978-1-55870-826-6. Retrieved January 20, 2012