9.99 raised panel bit set, temp router table, is there a secret for heights of bits?

allen levine

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another past impusle buy, 9.99 harbor freight 5 pc raised panel set of bits.
Needed a 1/2 inch collet, so I took an old walmart computer stand, particle board/laminate, that was tossed, cut a hole in a side wall, mounted the dewalt router I have with 1/2 collet.
Raised panel came out easy. Stiles came out easy enough, but making rails to match and fit easily, there was a problem.
Is there a secret to setting heights on bits so they match up each time or is it just eyeballing till it gets right?(my set came out too thin, but its the first one I got to actually fit correctly)
 

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raise your router higher allen, your not hight enough yet.:thumb:
allen be careful with that big hole on the stile and rail cutter.. yu shouldnt have any bigger hole than the cutter if yu can help it. thats why they have the inserts. to tippy on a narrow piece and can grab something yu dont want grabbed.
 
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Ditto to what Larry said.

Check this article for info on aligning raised panel bits.

The next thing is practice. I went through a lot of scrap when first learning to get the bits setup properly. Once I had a perfect fit, I made a two-piece alignment set with 3/4" oak.
:thumb:
 

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Allen: Hopefully you are useing a fence? One dose not show in your pictures. But any way,Larry is right about lowering your bit. About 1/8" on the rail is about a good starting place. Then after you cut thr rail, you can use that piece to set your bit hight for the stile. Once you get that then save your pieces for future alinement. However I normally always set up from the rail piece because of the sometimes inconsistancy of wood thicknes.:thumb: Works for me. but every one is diferent. Use a backer piece when doing the cope cut to minimise tear out.:wave:
 
didnt use a fence on the sample cuts, but Im going to clamp a board with a small round cutout to line up the bit under the fence when I make a door.
Thanx.

With bits like that, it's imperative that you use a fence. Bad and bloody things can happen very, very fast with a router, especially when it's spinning large bits like those. Also, plan on taking several passes to cut the full depth. Your fence/board will need to be adjusted for each pass. Lastly, when you're cutting the profile on the ends of the stiles, you should have something like a miter gauge or other sled to hold the piece 90º to the fence. Otherwise, it's nearly impossible to get a good square cut, and the router is likely to rip the board from your hands and fling it across the shop.
 
Also,Allen, when useing the large bit for making the raised panel, be sure to reduce the speed to the lowest RPM on your router. The larger the bit the slower is better then faster. As the larger diameter bit will already be turning faster at the outer edge just because of its size. This cut for sure you will want to take sveral passes to get to the finished cut. I think you know about useing a steel ruel to aline the bearing with the fence. This will make your cuts all uniform. I don't know about quality of cut from HF bits?:dunno: But some how I can hardly believe that it will be comparable to a bit by any of the more common names in router bits. But nothing wrong with starting out with a inexpensive bit to see if this is your bag or not. You can always up-grade later. You may want to consder building a router table that will also be more steady and with less vibration free.Have fun with it and be safe.:thumb:
 
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