Dear ALL,
This is my 1st time making matched rail & stile in raised panel cabinet doors. I’ve my frames and panels of the same thickness cut into sizes. I just finished routing the rails and stiles. The next thing is to rout the panels. The problem is, my raised panel router bit does not have “undercutter”. I was stuck there not knowing how to go about. I did try on the scrapped stock and assembled it. The front panel “exposed” about 3/16″ above the frame.
What is the simple and practical solution to this problem? I know, resizing the panels to the desired thickness is one of them, but it definitely involves lot of works.
My I share your experience please.
Replies
Run your raised panel cutter on the face of the panel . Use a rabbetting router bit to make a backcut. Make sure your back cut is at least as deep as the grove in your rails and stiles . You could even make your backcut with a dado blade on your table saw. One way to do it and good luck.
Brian
Rabbiting the back is fast and easy on the TS or router. There are specific back cutting bits out there. Not hard to find, actually very common. They look like a covebit but the top shouldeer is deeper. A regular cove bit can sometimes work if you remove the bearing. Using a backcutting bit looks better than a rabbit IMO.
Mike
Hi
You can lower your rased panel cutter and use it to make your back cut too.
Have a nice day Lee
Great idea. Never thought of that. It would look nice as well.
mike
I do it all the time
Have a nice day Lee
Unless you are going to run your assembled doors through a thickness sander it won't hurt to have the panels 3/16" proud. I think they fook fine.
Hi,
I may be wrong here, but it is my understanding that the panel being proud of the frame is originally what made it "raised." The bevel all around is referred to as "fielded."
Nomenclature aside, there is plenty of historical precedent for panels done that way. The back cutter is convenient for shaper or router table use, but the back cut isn't really necessary.
I have seen an old wardrobe with flat panels on the carcass. The panels are "raised" on the inside!
David C.
You can use a simple straight cutter, or any number of other bits, including the bit you used to cut the front of the raised panel, to also relieve the back of the panel.
It is faster to cut the front and the back in one pass with a raised panel bit that has a back cutter, but it can be done in two separate operations and that is the way many shops have done it for years.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
I had a hard time finding a raised panel router bit without a back cutter. When doing both at once, the panel must be dead flat or the toungue thickness will vary. I realize that flat is good and is always the goal, but I prefer to do those cuts seperatly. I also think that it is always safer to have the cutters buried below the panel when feeding, which is not possible when doing both sides at once.
just my 1 1/2 cents
The tongue thickness cannot vary when using RPw/BC bits, even if the material isn't flat. This is one of its advantages.
Charles M
Freud America, Inc.
You are right, sorry. But........ with a slightly bowed panel and a single raised panel cutter below, I'm able to take multiple passes and vary pressure in an attempt to get a consistent look . Should I do multiple passes with two cutters I then run the risk of altering the toungue thickness. My preference is to do this on a shaper with a power feeder anyway, but I teach H.S. kids to do this and routers are what they learn on (no budget for a feeder.) They try hard but sometimes the panels are not as flat as we would like. The real solution is to keep it flat.
Personally I am not one in favor of using a panel raiser with a back-cutter, Having a panel trapped between those two cutters isn't safe. I allways cut them seperately. But I really prefer to plane the panel 1/8" thinner than the S/R so the surfaces of each are flush. Also, though the weight factor is minimal there is less weight on the hinges. If your panels are not to wide you could run them vertically and use a 3/16 core box bit to do the back-cutting, but I would stack up some featherboards up about 3" to keep the panel tight against the fence.
Bruce,I understand your concern over material binding between the cutters but it is really no different than the cope cuts on the ends of the rails which have the basically the same amount of material "trapped" between the cutters.
Charles M
Freud America, Inc.
I guess that this is really personal preference, but pushing a 2 or 3 inch rail through a cope cutter is certainly different from doing a 10 inch or wider panel. By far , the fastest way to do this is with a raised panel bit w/undercutter, its just one pass. But, in general, those using routers to do this are not in production environments. I just feel that beginners especially should be doing each pass seperatly. Slow is good!!
Ok Question is are you raising the panels in one pass or multipall. I generally do it in three, the third being a kiss.
Also my copes are done on a sled with the rail clamped down.
Bruce
Bruce,When using our 3-1/4 HP router I typically make raised panel cuts in one pass. I don't recommend that anyone perform an operation they don't feel comfortable with, but the resulting cut is excellent quality, the router can easily handle the feed and the cutter life is greatly extended.
Charles M
Freud America, Inc.
Dear All,
Thanks for the tips and idea.
I've tried cutting the back panel using the same cutter. Very nice. I skip the task of changing the bit , the routine that I don't enjoy doing it.
Thank you very, very much !
.....give me a fish, I eat for the day...... teach me to fish, I eat for the rest of my life.
router bit does not have "undercutter"
Another pass with a straight bit?
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