Making raised panel cabinet doors ?
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As with every woodworking task, there are many ways and even more opinions on how to do it. I prefer to start with stock that is all the same thickness. Cope the rail ends first. Use the coped rail to set the bit height for the stiles. Make your panel 3/16" smaller than the grooves dictate. Use space balls to center the panel and keep it from rattling.
In addition to rhett's suggestions panel thickness can be of concern if your cutter set doesn't have a back cutter. I believe 5/8 inch is standard to keep the panel flust to the rail and stile height.
Use a backer block to keep from having blow out when making the cope joints as well.
Use a backer block to keep from having blow out when making the cope joints as well.
Sounds like there is a stealth gloat buried in that post...what 6 piece set did you order?
I made my first RP doors on my most recent project. At first I got caught up in the fact that the fit was not as good as my flat panel M&T joints. I made a coping sled for the cope cuts and the problem went away.
Monty gave me a good link on my earlier post on this topic and I can't find it. I'll see if I can when I get home from work.
Basic things I learned:
1. Make SEVERAL extra scrap/setup pieces. These should be dimensioned exactly the same as your final project pieces. Screwup on the scrap pieces. When you get the fit just right, mark them as SETUP pieces. You only have to do this the first time. Make one for the stile/stick cut, one for the cope cut, and one for the RP. You will be able to use the setup pieces to adjust the bit height from then on.
2. I had trouble with the fit of the cope cuts until I made a simple coping sled with a toggle clamp. Took me 5 minutes to make. I initially tried to cope using a miter gauge on the RT. Using the coping sled against the fence made the problem go away. The sled also provides a zero clearance rear surface to prevent tearout. You WILL see tearout making the cope cuts without a backer. You will see some fiber feathering with a backer.
3. Make the raised panel in multiple passes. I used 4 passes on my 7/8 thick panels. The final cut was probably 1/32nd inch or so and I kept the panel moving along briskly. This final pass cleans up and provides a finished surface. Make sure to run low rpms on the RP bit. I ran at around 10000 rpm IIRC. Take your time. This is very tedious work.
4. I should have put this as NUmber 1...Use feather boards and push sticks on the stick and RP cuts. I used them at the infeed and discharge, one set to hold the stock down and another set to hold it to the fence. They will give you a more consistent cut than trying to guide by hand and will keep hands away from sharp bits.
5. Use a guard on the cope cuts (if you use a sled). The sled makes these cuts very safe. The guard is just another reminder.
Others here have mucho experience and can guide along the way.
Chuck
I made my first RP doors on my most recent project. At first I got caught up in the fact that the fit was not as good as my flat panel M&T joints. I made a coping sled for the cope cuts and the problem went away.
Monty gave me a good link on my earlier post on this topic and I can't find it. I'll see if I can when I get home from work.
Basic things I learned:
1. Make SEVERAL extra scrap/setup pieces. These should be dimensioned exactly the same as your final project pieces. Screwup on the scrap pieces. When you get the fit just right, mark them as SETUP pieces. You only have to do this the first time. Make one for the stile/stick cut, one for the cope cut, and one for the RP. You will be able to use the setup pieces to adjust the bit height from then on.
2. I had trouble with the fit of the cope cuts until I made a simple coping sled with a toggle clamp. Took me 5 minutes to make. I initially tried to cope using a miter gauge on the RT. Using the coping sled against the fence made the problem go away. The sled also provides a zero clearance rear surface to prevent tearout. You WILL see tearout making the cope cuts without a backer. You will see some fiber feathering with a backer.
3. Make the raised panel in multiple passes. I used 4 passes on my 7/8 thick panels. The final cut was probably 1/32nd inch or so and I kept the panel moving along briskly. This final pass cleans up and provides a finished surface. Make sure to run low rpms on the RP bit. I ran at around 10000 rpm IIRC. Take your time. This is very tedious work.
4. I should have put this as NUmber 1...Use feather boards and push sticks on the stick and RP cuts. I used them at the infeed and discharge, one set to hold the stock down and another set to hold it to the fence. They will give you a more consistent cut than trying to guide by hand and will keep hands away from sharp bits.
5. Use a guard on the cope cuts (if you use a sled). The sled makes these cuts very safe. The guard is just another reminder.
Others here have mucho experience and can guide along the way.
Chuck
M
McRabbet
I'm in the midst of making 10 raised panel doors from White Oak and indeed, there are some key things you need to be aware of to do a good job. First, I recommend you download this Raised Panel Door Calculator spreadsheet from our Downloads Library to help calculate the component sizes (I use 3/8" groove depth for my set of bits). You can also download a manual from MLCSwoodworking.com that gives a basic description on making the necessary door cuts. Other sources include Binky's Woodworking, Joseph Fusco, or our own Tom Hintz.
Next, be sure to mill good quality lumber for the rails, stiles and panel pieces (I usually select straight grain pieces for the rails and stiles and glue up 4-5 inch wide more plain sawn stock for panels and just edge glue them. If you want, you can set up the glue joint bit with your set, but I don't bother). Make extra short pieces of rail and stile stock for setting up your router bits. Remember that the face of the door stock is always face down on the table (rails stiles and panel). Be sure to use finger boards and if you have one, a coping sled for the rail end cuts (I clamp a 3/4 piece of stock onto my RT fence to hold the coping sled away from the bit).
I set up the cope cut first (this is across the end grain of the rails) and set the bit so the decorative cutter leaves about 1/8" of straight edge -- the stock rides against the fence and the bearing of the bit. If you bought a gauge block with your set, use it to set the bit height. Cut a test piece and set it aside (it is now your reference for the cope cut in your rails). Now change over to the long profile cutting bit for the inside face of the rails and the full length of the stiles. Use a second test piece and make a test cut. Mate this piece with your first coped rail piece, being sure the two pieces mate snugly and that the back faces of the rail and stile are even. If the piece you just cut is too tight, add a shim between the profile and groove sections of the bit and cut another. If this piece mates too high against the rail end, you need to raise the bit. Once you have the bits tuned to produce good joints, cut the stiles and rails with their long profiles. Feed the stock continuously and fairly quickly (burning occurs with too slow a feed speed or pausing the stock movement).
Put the coping bit back in and use your test piece to set it to the correct height. Using a coping sled or a push block of sacrificial MDF to avoid tearout, cut both ends of the rails, being sure the face side is down.
For raising the panels, first set the router speed down to about 10,000-11,000 RPM. Mine has a backcutter and I run a 3-1/2 HP Milwaukee, so I can raise a panel in two passes. If you have a smaller router, take 1/4" or smaller passes. Set the bit to provide the desired profile and move the fence out to take a small cut on a test piece of panel. Repeat small cuts until you get the edge of the panel against the bearing. Test it against your test rail and stile for fit. When raising the final panels, always cut the end grain first and then rotate the piece around until you take the last cut. Repeat each cut setting with all of your raised panels until all of the panels are fully raised.
Sand all of the components. I use Space Balls in the rail and stile grooves to keep the panels floating and I put finish on the panels first before I glue the rail and stile joints. The panel gets no glue; it floats.
Hope this helps. Rob
Next, be sure to mill good quality lumber for the rails, stiles and panel pieces (I usually select straight grain pieces for the rails and stiles and glue up 4-5 inch wide more plain sawn stock for panels and just edge glue them. If you want, you can set up the glue joint bit with your set, but I don't bother). Make extra short pieces of rail and stile stock for setting up your router bits. Remember that the face of the door stock is always face down on the table (rails stiles and panel). Be sure to use finger boards and if you have one, a coping sled for the rail end cuts (I clamp a 3/4 piece of stock onto my RT fence to hold the coping sled away from the bit).
I set up the cope cut first (this is across the end grain of the rails) and set the bit so the decorative cutter leaves about 1/8" of straight edge -- the stock rides against the fence and the bearing of the bit. If you bought a gauge block with your set, use it to set the bit height. Cut a test piece and set it aside (it is now your reference for the cope cut in your rails). Now change over to the long profile cutting bit for the inside face of the rails and the full length of the stiles. Use a second test piece and make a test cut. Mate this piece with your first coped rail piece, being sure the two pieces mate snugly and that the back faces of the rail and stile are even. If the piece you just cut is too tight, add a shim between the profile and groove sections of the bit and cut another. If this piece mates too high against the rail end, you need to raise the bit. Once you have the bits tuned to produce good joints, cut the stiles and rails with their long profiles. Feed the stock continuously and fairly quickly (burning occurs with too slow a feed speed or pausing the stock movement).
Put the coping bit back in and use your test piece to set it to the correct height. Using a coping sled or a push block of sacrificial MDF to avoid tearout, cut both ends of the rails, being sure the face side is down.
For raising the panels, first set the router speed down to about 10,000-11,000 RPM. Mine has a backcutter and I run a 3-1/2 HP Milwaukee, so I can raise a panel in two passes. If you have a smaller router, take 1/4" or smaller passes. Set the bit to provide the desired profile and move the fence out to take a small cut on a test piece of panel. Repeat small cuts until you get the edge of the panel against the bearing. Test it against your test rail and stile for fit. When raising the final panels, always cut the end grain first and then rotate the piece around until you take the last cut. Repeat each cut setting with all of your raised panels until all of the panels are fully raised.
Sand all of the components. I use Space Balls in the rail and stile grooves to keep the panels floating and I put finish on the panels first before I glue the rail and stile joints. The panel gets no glue; it floats.
Hope this helps. Rob
M
McRabbet
Space Balls can be purchased at Woodcraft, Custom Service Hardware or Klingspor's Woodworking Shop
Rob
Rob
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set6cab.htm
I ordered the 8389 set because of the undercutter. I am sure I will have to play with some scrap first but I appreciate all the help.
I ordered the 8389 set because of the undercutter. I am sure I will have to play with some scrap first but I appreciate all the help.
M
McRabbet
That should do just fine -- but I'd recommend you buy the #9741 setup block too -- it will save you trial and error time.... Rob
cool I will do that
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