Help me find a 7.5" diameter raised panel cutter

[Ken Grant]

Hi,

I have a small woodworking shop and build cabinet doors for a few local builders. I am looking for a raised panel cutter with a large enough diameter to be able to put an applied moulding on the door (see drawing)

7.5" diameter would be ideal as it would allow me to run a 3" bearing and 4.5" backcutter if necessary, but I could go down to 7" diameter if I have to. I know I can get a custom head made, and have gotten quotes from several places.

I am asking if you know of any off the shelf options I have overlooked? Thanks for your help!
352795

[David Kumm]

The clearance for the extra long Tongue is the problem. Talk to Dave at Oella as he sometimes has odd stuff. I'm betting you will need custom though. Dave

[Mel Fulks]

What we used to do is run a groove in the stiles and rails edges. After the door was glued up we'd put a spline in the grooves that would bed the moulding and overlap the panel no more than 1/2 inch, so a standard panel cutter would work. But with a raise on only one side the small open gap would show on the back side.

[Ken Grant]

What we used to do is run a groove in the stiles and rails edges. After the door was glued up we'd put a spline in the grooves that would bed the moulding and overlap the panel no more than 1/2 inch, so a standard panel cutter would work. But with a raise on only one side the small open gap would show on the back side.

This is a good idea and would work great if I was doing an applied moulding on both sides. I will have to file that one away for future reference.

[Ken Grant]

The clearance for the extra long Tongue is the problem. Talk to Dave at Oella as he sometimes has odd stuff. I'm betting you will need custom though. DaveThanks Dave, I will have to check with Oella.

[John P Clark]

Take a look at the amana tool insert raised panel cutter they have a 7.875" diameter cutter for inserts

[Ken Grant]

Take a look at the amana tool insert raised panel cutter they have a 7.875" diameter cutter for inserts
Thanks John, I will check into that one.

[Martin Wasner]

What machine are you putting this monster head into?

I'd look for a four wing. I've got a fairly typical sized panel raiser with four inserts, and it leaves a pretty amazing cut.

[Larry Edgerton]

The Amana you are looking for is #61262, back cutter #61265, rub collar 61599 It will give you about an inch of flat. Nice cutter.

Another option is to raise the panel in the door so that you can take a bigger rabbit out of the molding and shove the molding back farther on the style. My next job is a raised paneled stairway and that is how I was able to use the cutters I have and get the look they wanted.

[Mark Wooden]

I use an off-set cope and pattern set that leaves a 5/16" rabbet on the face side of the frame. Drop in the panel and apply the moulding. This allows me to use any of my panel raising cutters.

[Ken Grant]

What machine are you putting this monster head into?

I'd look for a four wing. I've got a fairly typical sized panel raiser with four inserts, and it leaves a pretty amazing cut.

I currently raise panels in an Invicta Ti-14. It has 7.5hp and weighs about 1350 lbs. It is not huge but I think it should be able to handle it. I agree with you about the 4 wing inserts cutting nice.

What feed rate and spindle rpm can you run with that 4z cutterhead? I can sometimes get away with 26 fpm @ 8k rpm with a 2 knife cutterhead, but most of the time I have to back it off to 13 fpm and 6k on the spindle speed. It would be nice to have one of those variable speed feeders.

[Ken Grant]

I use an off-set cope and pattern set that leaves a 5/16" rabbet on the face side of the frame. Drop in the panel and apply the moulding. This allows me to use any of my panel raising cutters.

This sounds like a good solution, although I would have to get a new cope and pattern set. What set are you using?

[Ken Grant]

The Amana you are looking for is #61262, back cutter #61265, rub collar 61599 It will give you about an inch of flat. Nice cutter.

Another option is to raise the panel in the door so that you can take a bigger rabbit out of the molding and shove the molding back farther on the style. My next job is a raised paneled stairway and that is how I was able to use the cutters I have and get the look they wanted.

Thanks for the part #s. You should put up pictures of that stairway when you are done. I love a good paneled out stairway.

[Martin Wasner]

I currently raise panels in an Invicta Ti-14. It has 7.5hp and weighs about 1350 lbs. It is not huge but I think it should be able to handle it. I agree with you about the 4 wing inserts cutting nice.

What feed rate and spindle rpm can you run with that 4z cutterhead? I can sometimes get away with 26 fpm @ 8k rpm with a 2 knife cutterhead, but most of the time I have to back it off to 13 fpm and 6k on the spindle speed. It would be nice to have one of those variable speed feeders.

I'd have to look to be sure what my setup is. I don't remember the diameter of the cutter.

23 or maybe 26 fpm feed rate.
4000 rpm on the spindle. I tried running it at 3000rpm, but it was just too slow. I do think if I had a way to infinitely adjust rpm, it could've gone a bit slower on the spindle. I think the next pulley up was 6000rpm and it cut fine, but the cut was warm. Better to run the slower speed if there's no difference in cut quality, it's just going to be dulling the carbide faster.

I'm using a SAC TS120 shaper, which is 8½hp I think, and it's a big bed version so it tips the scales at about 1800#. It has handled every specie I've thrown at it for single pass panel raising so far. I don't do a relief cut on the back, and that would sap some power. It's a dedicated setup and I don't use this shaper for anything else.

I'm at lunch, when I get back to the shop I'll confirm the settings. It's bugging me that I don't know, but it's kind of a set and forget deal.

[Martin Wasner]

6" diameter cutter.

17fpm feed rate, on a Steff 8 speed, 4 wheel feeder. (I was way off there on speed)

4500 rpm spindle speed.



I bought two of those Steff, (Comatic) feeders at the same time. The DC brushless one came out a few months beforehand and I knew nothing about them. I kick myself repeatedly for not buying those DC feeders. I think I could've dialed it in a bit better. I think my feed rate is a twinge slower than I could get away with.

This is the formula I used to determine the speeds on everything. Apparently there is a app out there that does the same thing, I haven't gone looking for it yet though.

http://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/r90/13686532_10208519574858107_7987116671438160974_n.j pg?oh=7630e02a54baae257a1f8a35fb3f4831&oe=59100B9B

[Ken Grant]

Thanks for putting that info up, its nice to see what other guys are running.
I usually run the numbers when I first get a cutter, but then after that I basically run it as fast as possible without sacrificing cut quality (aka-adding profile sanding time.) A slower slower feed rate is well worth it to me if it saves time hand sanding out mill marks.

6" diameter cutter.

17fpm feed rate, on a Steff 8 speed, 4 wheel feeder. (I was way off there on speed)

4500 rpm spindle speed.




I bought two of those Steff, (Comatic) feeders at the same time. The DC brushless one came out a few months beforehand and I knew nothing about them. I kick myself repeatedly for not buying those DC feeders. I think I could've dialed it in a bit better. I think my feed rate is a twinge slower than I could get away with.

This is the formula I used to determine the speeds on everything. Apparently there is a app out there that does the same thing, I haven't gone looking for it yet though.

http://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/r90/13686532_10208519574858107_7987116671438160974_n.j pg?oh=7630e02a54baae257a1f8a35fb3f4831&oe=59100B9B

[Martin Wasner]

Thanks for putting that info up, its nice to see what other guys are running.
I usually run the numbers when I first get a cutter, but then after that I basically run it as fast as possible without sacrificing cut quality (aka-adding profile sanding time.) A slower slower feed rate is well worth it to me if it saves time hand sanding out mill marks.

I completely agree. Seven seconds more machining time on a door panel that saves a minute of sanding is time well spent.