Vertical or horizontal raised panel bit?
webdesigner
| Posted in General Discussion on
OK, who’s in favor of the vertical raised panel bits?!
Why? Heard they run cooler, but they produce a rougher cut. True, or just marketing talk.
I’m interested in making jewelry boxes, so which is ideal?
Thanks, Gary
Replies
I'll give you my take on them, Webdesigner. I have both horizontal and vertical bits. Mine are full cabinet size so the smaller raised panel bits may act differently.
The vertical bit has a knife the is straight up and down. It hits the stock with the entire edge of the carbide. The horizontal bit hits the stock in a shear fashion due to it's nature. Holding small pieces up on edge would be much easier than holding a large door panel the same way. With the vertical bit, you need a tall fence and feather boards to keep the work from rocking. The horizontal bits require holding the work flat to the router table which is pretty normal and requires no extra accessories. I get a much better cut with the horizontal bit and the ease of use is more comfortable for me.
The larger horizontal bits take more power to turn and many advise running them at a low speed due to their size. This requires a variable speed router. The vertical bits are no where near as large and lower speeds may not be needed. I run most of my bits, horizontal and vertical at high speed. My horizontal bits will completely stall my big PC router if I run them slow and take a very small cut. Others have a different opinion. I just know what my personal experience is in raising lots of panels. The vertical bits can be used in a horizontal router table which will not require standing the pieces on edge. The bit will still contact the work surface with the entire edge. I think this is why the cut is less clean. I don't know if all vertical bits are configured with the straight edge. I only have one 1/2" shank from Whiteside. My choice is the horizontal bits.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
The only reason that I would want to use the vertical would be if the panel was bowed along either the X or Y axis. Either will do straight cuts, the horizontal will give a better finish, and is what you would want if you needed a arched top rail, but the panel is flat to the face.
Keith,
If the panel, unless it unusually large, is bowed or warped, you can usually clamp it in a sled to run it through the horizontal cutter.
I have a Horizontal and a Vertical panel set...
As posted some say the Horizontal bit gives a better cut.. Maybe but I do not experience this.. However I DO NOT cut in one pass.
Everything I do on my routers is in multiple passes..
I usually use my Vertical set... Besides that Horizontal cutter is kind of 'scarier!' About as scary as my 3 inch LockMiter bit..
What about verticals in a horizontal router setup???Mark
Visit my woodworking blog Dust Maker
Mark.. I have NO idea.. Never tried it...
Well, the vertical bits were originally designed for folks who wanted to cut raised panels with a regular router (1 1/2 hp or so).
The horizontal bits really need be run witha bigger router (3 hp) with a variable speed -- something like the PC 7518.
I've used both, and I have not noticed any appreciable difference in cut quality -- as long as the bit is sharp and you have a proper set-up.
********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled