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