Build a Knick Knack Shelf

To give a finished look to the entire assembly, we'll want to round over the exposed edges of the pieces. You can use pretty much any profile router bit you choose, but I prefer to use a portion of a 3/4" roundover bit with a bearing on the tip. Using this partial profile will give a nice, finished look to the piece.

Begin by rounding over the front edges of the three shelves. Make two passes through the router table, once with the top against the table and again with the bottom of the shelf against the table.

Next, apply the same treatment to the all sides of the shelf standards EXCEPT the back of the standards, as the backs will be against the wall when the knick knack shelf is mounted. Once again, apply the edge treatment to both sides of the standards.

Finally, apply the roundover treatment to the top and bottom back pieces, but front sides only. Once again, the back sides will be against the wall, and should not be rounded over.