I’m trying to decide whether to go with a vertical raised panel bit or the horizontal design for some panels I’m doing. I’m going with a ogee pattern, so the TS is out. I have a good router table with a woodpecker PRL fitted with a PC 7518. My fence is the INcra LS120. I’ve got the horses to do the job, but I’ve seen the back and forth over vertical .vs. horizontal and wondered what you use and why. I know for the horizontal thats a big bit and it needs to run slow, but in my thinking (never practically done it) seems like the horizontal is better as I can get better downward control on the panel as it passes. For the verical, I’m going to have to build a tall fence support mechanism to support that verical panel and supply lateral force to make sure its kept snug against the fence. I’m leaning to the horizontal but would like your views on the subject? Thanks in advance.
I was married by a judge – I should have asked for a jury.
George Burns
Replies
Bone <
Good ? I have a dedicated shaper for panel raising and Jessem master fence on the router table with the same motor you mentioned.
As for vertical bits, I have used them for mouldings and the problem I always run into is how do you keep the stock vertical against the fence after it passes the cutter seeing how there is usually a small edge left riding on the table's surface. Making a tall fence is pia IMO.
I would go with horizontal and make multiple passes.
Tom
If you (which you do) have a powerful enough router and can find a profile you like, I would use the horizontal bit. Perhaps you are more well versed in the debate between vertical and horizontal, but to me, the biggest reason to use a vertical bit is because your router is underpowered. By the way, a vertical panel raising bit would work dandy in a horizontal router table.
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- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
That's what I did. I bought 4 vert profiles for the cost of one big horizontal, then built a horiz table to run them. Faster and I think, safer. And a lot less tearout.
"Faster and I think, safer. And a lot less tearout."Those are three big pluses for the vertical bit. The downside being the need for a horizontal router table. Downside being the need to build one, as they are not exactly common in shops. But I suppose a tall fence on a regular, vertical router table would work satisfactorily, though probably not as consistently or comfortably as a horizontal tableChris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Bones, you're quite correct in your assessment. If you've got the HP, horizontal is better. No matter what anyone says, it's easier to hold a panel flat to the table than vertical to a fence. Plus...you may not need it on this job, but working arched panels horizontally is quite feasible, but doing them vertically is almost insane. (Therefore, better to invest in bits that leave the option open). And all other things being equal, the relatively small radius of vertical bits will leave you more sanding work to clean up afterwards.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1
I am going to buck the trend and say vertical. The biggest reason I went this way was was the diameter of the opening in the router base, not the power of the router. I am not talking about the plastic portion of the base, I am talking about the metal part that can't be made bigger. It is probably easier to hold the panel flat but if you attach a tall auxiliary fence, it isn't that difficult to hold it vertically.
Thanks for the reply, you gave me something I had not considered. I did a quick call to Woodpecker and their opening is 3 9/16" without any rings in. I'll have a 1/16" to spare if I go Horizontal. I'm still looking and researching. Thanks for bringing up that valid point. I had not considered the opening in the plate. Thats why I like posting here prior to jumping in, another set of eyes on any situation can bring a different view. I was married by a judge - I should have asked for a jury.George Burns
Glad I could help. If you have 1/16" slack in total diameter, that is only 1/32" on each side. That would make me very nervous. The slightest router run out or bit deflection during use could cause a collision.
...tom
Yep, I hear ya. I checked my router runout when I put the table together and the 7518 was about .003 so that's covered. In the end, I went with the whiteside 3 1/4 ogee panel bit with back cutter. I also looked at the Freud quad cut bit. I liked the idea of the extra cutter (in my head anyway), but when I put those bits side by side two factors woo'd me. One the meat in the whiteside bit was noticable .vs. the freud, and even though it was more expensive, it had made in the USA on it and there is not much of that left. So, I've got room to spare and now lets see if I can use it without butchering my cherry. I have some test poplar to try it out on first. Thanks to all for the help. I was married by a judge - I should have asked for a jury.George Burns
You can also make a temporary table out of 3/4" MDF, make the bit hole whatever you need and throw it away when done.
Layer some 1/4" pieces of HDPE along the fence and work your way into the bit 1/4" at a time rather than adjusting the fence or bit height for each pass.Don
I have only used the horizontal router bit for raising panels. What I do is start out scoring each edge on the table saw. I then switch to dado blades and hog out the majority of the ogee. You must be careful you do not get any closer than 1/16" to the finished ogee. Then the final two passes on the router table.
This much quicker than 6 or 7 passes over the router table. I'm sorry that I didn't buy a shaper years ago. The PC 7518 is what I use, does fine for a router setup.
mike
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