Raised panels

[Doug DeVore]

I use a inexpensive Hitachi M12VC with a 3" Freud raised panel bit (variable speed, 2hp). I paid $89 for the router on sale at Lowes. I make a few passes and don't get in a rush.

May want to look at a vertical raised panel bit. They are better suited for higher RPM\lesser HP routers.

[Bill Arnold]

While there may be different opinions on this subject, I suggest you do some research and decide for yourself. Take a look at the following:

Link 1

Link 2

[Carol Reed]

Good info, Bill. Thanks for posting the links.

[Rob Keeble]

Great info Bill thanks for the post.

Many years ago i was involved in vibration monitoring while working for a representative of a US company Bently Nevada they now owned by GE. But back then they were pioneers in the vibration monitoring business. Anyhow in that field you quickly come to appreciate that much of our mechanical equipment today functions as an overhang weight operating off a bearing.

While i had this practical experience i still learned something from the article which i had not given much thought to until reading Carols book and that is the issue of long bits or even bit extenders.

This article makes a good point about long bits also being a source of problem when you consider issues such as how parallel they are during rotation and how much they become more of an overhang weight extending from the bearing source a significant way back from the collet itself. One only has to consider deflection resulting from material being pushed into the rotating cutter to think of that shaft turning out of concentricity.

This whole point raises two further issues for me. Never unless very appropriate using 1/4 inch shanks (another lesson from Carols book) and then the issue of what base one uses to mount a router for these purposes.

There appears to me at least to be a great deal of merit and benefit in the heft added and overall sturdyness of the setup if one used something such as the woodpecker lifts that have solid machined aluminum blocks to hold a rounter and a solid table insert to mount the lift up against.

In some ways i guess we are purchasing a shaper in bits and pieces. when we set up a router table.

[Rich Soby]

Excellent advice Carol!

Something else to consider. A vertical raise panel bit may work better than a horizontal one. Less stress on the shaft of the bit. Half inch shank be darned. spinning that up like that and hitting a knot or some squirrelly grain that African Mahogany is famous for you run the risk of snapping it and then that piece of whirling steel becomes shrapnel in the shop. The vertical bit you just need to make a tall fence for it and still take light cuts but it will put less stress on the router. That mahogany burns very easily. Also, try and get your hands on the Kiah mahogany instead of just the generic African. I have found it a better quality of wood to work with.

[keith Boutselis]

Are you doing a cope and stick for the frame also to go along with the panel bit?

my first panel set was from mcls. they cut very nice and for a little while I thought I just didn't understand how to adjust the shims on the cope and stick bits to make a tight fit. then a neighbor pointed out that the area where my gaps were was because the cutters on the two "matching bits" were actually different sizes. I still use the set though for some things.

All my other mcls bits were just fine and it was probably that production run that had the problem.