Generally used as decorative cutters, cove cutters can be used to rout a decorative edge finish, for fluting, or produce pipe and cable ducts. When producing small section cove beading, initially cut the moulding on both edges of a wide piece of timber prior to separating them by sawing along the centre. This allows the workpiece to be held safely.

These cutters produce the opposite effect to round over and are sometimes used in combination with them to produce the rule joint.

Small diameter corebox cutters are also called fluting bits. The corebox cutter has no bottom bearing, so it can be used for cutting flutes within a panel, whereas the cove cutter usually has a guide on the bottom and is restricted to edge work.

These cutters actually remove considerably more material than the ovolo cutter, so they should be used with care and always in a series of shallow steps to avoid overloading both the cutter and the router. Stopped cuts with a corebox cutter are inclined to burn the timber very easily if you dwell in one place too long, so take care and reduce the speed if necessary.