need help picking out stile & rail set

[Dennis Goodrich]

hello, I am fairly new to woodworking and own most all of the tools and machines to do any project. I want to make some cabinet doors and want to buy a stile and rail set. I have a P/C 3-1/4 router and table. My question is which set do I buy? Just the standard 3 pc. set or one with the glue joint bit, or with door lip bit, or with drawerlock bit I am not sure how often I would use the latter two. I am thinking of FREUD. Any comments and tips are greatly appriciated. Thanks GOODY

[Ted Shrader]

Goody -

First, Welcome to the Creek. Great bunch of folks here with a lot to share.

Just buy the three piece set with the profile you want - (1) Rail cutter, (2) Stile cutter, (3) Panel raiser. The other bits, as you point out, do not get used enough to justify the extra $$$. You don't necessarily need a back cutter on the panel raiser, either. There are ways to cut the relief on the back side without running it through a bit cutting both the top and bottom of the panel at the same time.

Freud is a good choice as are some of the other name brands; Amana, Whiteside, CMT. Pick a profile and a price you like.

Welcome,
Ted

[Keith Hall]

Dennis, Welcome to the Creek. You will find good info here with enough variations to drive you nuts trying to pick out the best for you. Strong personal opinions drive a lot of the answers. Most are from experience with the product and carry, IMHO, a lot of weight. You must decide. That said............... I have the CMT six piece door panel set and have used it for three years with great results. The bits are still razor sharp having cut mostly oak and cherry. The price was more than I could afford at the time but I went for it anyway. Money well spent. While you can buy the three pc sets from any mfg, my reasoning for the six pc was if I wanted to add the extra bits later, the cost of individual bits then would be MUCH higher than the original set. Good luck deciding. Keith :D

[Jim Becker]

I favor two-piece bit sets for rail and stiles in the profile you like. I'm not really brand sensitive to those cutters, but do like to buy US-made cutters when I can. For the panel raisers, however, Freud's "2+2" design is my preference...very clean cuts with little or no "fuzzies" due to the oposing shear angles used. If Freud has a three-piece set that has the profiles you like, so much the better in my book!

[John Keane]

I recently bought a three piece Katana set from MLCS. I also bought the setup guide block. The block was worth the $9 and change and the rail, style and raised panel worked like a charm. The learning curve was minutes, and the result superb. The Katana has a back cutter, and I am glad that I bought it that way.

[John Keane]

I might add that MLCS has free shipping, and is much less expensive than Freud with comparable quality.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I got my set at Rockler and have been pretty well satisfied with them. Lamar got his from the woodworking show and he loves them. When he gets back I'll see if he can post what brand he got.