Small Radius Corners on Cabinet Doors: A Router Table Guide

Large furniture pieces can use sweeping, generous curves, but cabinet doors call for something tighter and more restrained — a small radius that softens the corner without changing the door's overall proportions. That smaller scale needs its own dedicated template range to stay consistent. If you're rounding a large tabletop or shelf instead, see How to Get Perfectly Rounded Corners on Furniture Projects for the larger-radius version of this technique.

Why Cabinet Doors Need Smaller Radii

A large radius on a modestly sized cabinet door looks disproportionate, eating into the visible face and throwing off the door's clean lines. Cabinet-scale corner rounding typically calls for a noticeably tighter curve than furniture tabletops or wide shelving.

Use a Template Built for Small Radii

Rather than trying to stretch a large-radius template down to a smaller curve (which distorts the shape), a template purpose-built for the tighter range gives an accurate, proportional result.

The R10-R50 Round Corner Radius Template Set covers exactly this tighter range, giving repeatable small-radius corners sized appropriately for cabinet door work.

Set Up at the Router Table for Consistency

A router table gives more stable, consistent control than a handheld router for small, precise corner work, since the bit stays fixed and the workpiece moves against it rather than the reverse. This matters more on small radii, where handheld wobble is proportionally more noticeable.

Test on a Scrap Door First

Before routing an actual cabinet door, run the same setup on a scrap piece of matching thickness to confirm the radius looks proportional and the bit depth is correct. This single test run catches sizing issues before they show up on a finished door.

Route All Doors With the Same Template Setting

If a kitchen has a dozen matching doors, keeping the template and bit setup unchanged between doors is what guarantees they all match — resetting or eyeballing between doors introduces the exact inconsistency a template is meant to prevent.

Light, Even Passes

As with larger radius work, take the corner down in a couple of light passes rather than one aggressive cut, which reduces tear-out risk and gives a cleaner, more controlled curve on the smaller, more delicate cabinet door scale.

Conclusion

Cabinet door corners need a tighter, purpose-matched radius template rather than a scaled-down version of a furniture-sized jig. A router table setup, a scrap test run, and a consistent template setting across every door in a kitchen produce the uniform, professional look a mismatched, freehand approach can't match.

Recommended Tools & Accessories

R10-R50 Round Corner Radius Template Set – Router Table Jig

Why it is relevant: Purpose-built for the tighter radius range cabinet doors call for, avoiding the disproportionate look of a scaled-down large template.

Who it is best for: Anyone rounding corners on cabinet doors, drawer fronts, or similarly scaled pieces.

Main benefits: Five preset small-radius options, removable clip for secure positioning, repeatable across many matching doors.

Practical use case: Rounding the corners of a full kitchen's worth of cabinet doors to an identical, proportional curve.

Related Guides

• How to Get Perfectly Rounded Corners on Furniture Projects — the larger-radius version for tabletops and shelving
• Types of Router Bits Explained — the full bit-type reference

FAQ

What radius is typical for cabinet door corners?

Generally in the R10-R50 range — noticeably tighter than the radii used for tabletops or wide shelving.

Can I use a large-radius template on a small cabinet door?

It's not recommended — the proportions will look off on a smaller piece. Use a template purpose-built for the tighter range instead.

Should I use a router table or handheld router for cabinet door corners?

A router table generally gives more stable, consistent control for this smaller-scale, precise work.

How do I make sure all my cabinet doors match?

Keep the template and bit depth setting unchanged across every door — resetting between doors introduces the inconsistency a template is meant to avoid.

Should I test on scrap before routing an actual door?

Yes — a quick test on scrap of matching thickness confirms proportions and bit depth before committing to a finished door.