Making a beaded circular casing

27 Jan Making a beaded circular casing

My foray into the world of circular trim began with the round window over my front door. The window looked nicer than the hole it replaced, but it had no trim. At first glance, matching the other windows seemed like it would be easy; the trim is just 1×4 flat stock with a simple bead on the inside edge. But I knew the process wouldn’t be as simple as it seemed.

I considered buying the casing from a local mill shop. I checked around and got quotes ranging from $150 to $600 for custom circular casings, none of which matched the existing trim profile on my house. So I Cut the bead sideways decided to make it myself. I engineered the horizontal router setup first, checked it on scrap material, then started on the actual trim. As the rest of the house’s trim was cellular PVC, I cut the stock from a full 4×8 sheet of 3⁄4-in. material I purchased for about $165.

There are several benefits to making your own circular moldings. You’re not limited to standard sizes, you avoid premium one-off
production fees, and the molding is delivered on your schedule. Making your own moldings also broadens your skills and gives you a couple of useful router setups when you are finished.