Frame and Panel router bit set question

Rob Keeble

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12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Ok Bryan and Allen have tipped my scale and its time i venture forth into the frame and panel world.

Can you guys offer suggestions as to a decent set. I dont intend buying twice and i aint going into the furniture business but i do wish to have a good set that will last. Only 1/2 " shanks.

There are so many i have seen out there i cannot tell what to look for and who is got the "it"

Any recommendations preferably would like to know you either own it or have used it and would choose it therefore if you had need.

Thanks in advance

Also what do you use for spacing when it comes to putting your panel into the frame. I have seen rubber balls and what looks like rubber rod tappered at each end.

I presume the go to approach is also to finish the panel before one inserts it to cater for woodmovement is this neccessary?
 
Rob,

I just bought my first set. I was very much impressed with the MLCS Katana set. They aren't cheap but they cut red oak like a hot knife cutting warm butter.

Here's a link: http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/

No relations with MLCS other than being a happy 1st time customer.
 
I have a Wood river set that Woodcraft sells and a set from MLCS. I like both sets and they have seen alot of use. I did my kitchen, my daughters bedroom set, a couple of cherry built-ins and some other odds and ends with the MLCS set and have yet to sharpen it.

The cope and stick bits from the Woodriver set are very similar to a set of shaper cutters in that you can set the infeed fence deeper than the outfeed fence and cut any defects off the edge.
 
Here's another vote for MLCS. I have a couple different styles of their regular sets (not Katana). I've done a fair amount of red oak and have only lightly honed one set one time.

I've used space balls but find I need to cut them in half to work like I want.

Also, when setting up a set the first time, I make a pair of setup blocks (cope and stick) as soon as I have a correct match. Makes it much easier to set up in future sessions.
 
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I will only buy red or orange bit sets from now on. I find their quality unmatched.(at least for me)
buy a few packs of spaceballs, they make it simple.
when you buy a cope and stick set, as mine did, it will tell you how to determine panel size, as well as stiles and rail size, according to the set you purchase. (mine has a 7/16 tenon)
I dont size the panel after I make the stiles and rails, I figure out all the measurements first, and I havent had a problem with the 6 or 7 doors Ive made so far, so I guess following the manufacturers directions, makes it easy, even for me.
(I laminated the instruction sheet, because I reread it everytime I start to use the bit set)
 
I have been pleased with the Whiteside sets that I purchased from WoodWorkersWorld.net. The cope and stick matches are very good and the have a fairly decent selection of profiles available.

A quick alternative to spaceballs would be to lay down a 1/8-3/16 bead of pure silicone caulk on a piece of wax paper. After ihe caulk dries, cut it into pieces and insert a couple in each groove before inserting the panel. I do prefinish the panel inserts before assembly.
 
Thanks so much guys you all confirmed once again the power of our forum.

I notice there is a small detail that the mcls set has and that is an undercut to make the panel flush at the rear with the rail and style.
Thanks again appreciate you all taking the time to share your views.



Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
 
Ok after taking a look at some of this bits the thought occurred to me, just what size router do we need at a min to swing these. I have a pc variable speed 2 1/4 hp unit in my table.

So i have noticed that some of the sets come with back cut included which on initial appearance looked like a nice all in one feature. But then i got to thinking i am taking off enough material with the raised panel bit and given size of my router maybe doing the back cut on a separate pass would be a better proposition for me. Therefore get a set without the back cut.

Another thing I came across and now cannot find it was a reference to using a different size bearing on the raised panel bit to be able to regulate the depth of cut in each pass. Changing the bearing after the initial pass. Is this correct? I thought this would be achieved with the use of adjusting the fence.
 
Another thing I came across and now cannot find it was a reference to using a different size bearing on the raised panel bit to be able to regulate the depth of cut in each pass. Changing the bearing after the initial pass. Is this correct? I thought this would be achieved with the use of adjusting the fence.
If you are using a table why not just readjust the fence a few times to limit the amount of wood being removed.
I have had no problem with my PC 1.5 hp running those big panel bits. Keeping in mind that my PC is an old school one before Dewalt turned them into well we just say a cheaper line of tools.
If I remember right yours is an old school PC router Rob before the buy out.
 
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