raised panel bit set.....

[Patrick Melchior]

so I bought this Kreg router table and raised panel bit set from a friend (pics 1&2). I watched the video that came with the set and printed out the instructions for the panel. My goal was to make a dry run of a door for my master-bath linen closet/cabinet.
The 3rd pic is when I made the door on a router sled. The instructions called for the lip on the top of the stile to be 3/32 of and inch. I kept raising the bit until i got 3/32 of an inch but the tongue got skinny on me. The rails and stiles are flush, but the tongue was way too thin. \So I decided to retry the whole process again this time not using a router sled (pic 4). in pic 8 you can see the rail is proud of the stile by a 1/32nd or so. My question is... have these bits been sharpened too many times to get a tight fit on a raised panel door?

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[joe milana]

Each time you adjust the bit, you have to start with a new rail piece. Looks like you kept cutting the same piece. Make your cope cut first. That 3/32" called for is just an approximation. Once your cope cuts are made, align the groover on the sticking bit with the tongue of your cope cut. Make trial cuts untill the parts align. You should be able to get it on the first or second try. Hope this helps.

[Larry Frank]

One other thing is make certain that all of your rail and stiles are the same thickness. You should be able to sneak up on a good fit until it is almost perfect.

I cut the edge on all of the pieces for rail and tiles first and then do all of the stile ends with a sled. I think a sled is absolutely necessary both for safety and to be able to make repeatable cuts.

[Patrick Melchior]

@JOE... I did you the same piece over and over. I never thought I should / would have started with a fresh cut piece....BUT I did say this was a dry run before I cut the good woood!!! lesson learned.

[Clint Olver]

Patrick, that's a Freud Quadra-Cut panel bit! Nice score, they're the nicest panel bits I've come across. Very nice profiles too.

C

[Patrick Melchior]

I plan on putting it to good use!!!!

[Jeff Duncan]

So here's how to set up somewhat quickly....set your router bit as you did before a little at a time until you get where you need to be. Cut the profiled end off and re-run it for a clean cut. Now run all your stiles in a batch at the same time. Once you've done them all setup for your cope cuts. Again creep up on the right height until you nail it, then cut off the end and cope it again on clean stock to make sure. Now run all your copes at the same time. This ensures all your parts come out the same.

Other things that help would be using feather boards, (in lieu of a feeder), to keep the stock tight to the table. It doesn't take much to get sloppy joints when hand feeding. Also if you can, remove the entire edge when cutting the profiles. It's been a long time since I used router bits so I can't remember if they allow it, but cutting the entire face ensures a clean profile! I do the same for copes usually removing about 1/32" in addition to the profile.....obviously you would account for this when cutting the rails to length;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Matt Meiser]

BTW, once you get a perfect joint, mark and save a piece to use as a setup jig.

Also my experience has been that perfection over many, many feet of stock is near impossible. Minor imperfections sand right out and no one will ever know.

[Patrick Melchior]

thanks jeff and matt. i have come to realize that I'm the perfect wood worker in my mind but reality is......"imperfections sand right out"....

[Jeff Duncan]

Ancient Woodguy Secret....making things perfect does not make you the perfect woodworker.....knowing how to fix the things that don't come out perfect does:D

good luck,
jeffD