29- Raising Arizona
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After months of being harassed by my mother, its finally time to finish her laundry room cabinets. With the cases already installed, all that’s left to do is make the frame and panel doors. The wood of choice here is hickory. The weapon of choice? Router bits. Big ones! So come with me on this little adventure as we learn some basic techniques for making a very important component of modern-day cabinetry, the raised-panel door.
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Rockler Rail Coping Jig For rail and stile doors. Allows you to easily make clean cope cuts without blowouts. Perfect for narrow cross-grain rail cuts. .. |
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you so good at teachin, I bet you could hep me wit my gramma. Another great episode! Personally, I like flat panels. Which bit set is that? Whitside? Amana?
Weird that your Mom’s utility room smells just like ours.
And this here’s the TV. Two hours a day, either educational or football, so you don’t ruin your appreciation of the finer things.
Marc, great episode, and I love the creative titles you come up with. The whole process certainly looks less intimidating now. One question – what kind of router horsepower do you need to make rails/ stiles out of, say, 3/4″ white oak?
Are you like some sort of mind reading wood worker guy? I just bought a rail and stile door set this past weekend. I haven’t even had a chance to play with it yet and you are already on the interweb showing me how. This website is starting to scare me a little. ha!! Norm says hi and where’s my t-shirt!! woof woof
Marc and Nicole
I agree – another excellent episode! Ironically, I just purchased the Rockler Rail Coping Jig today. I have read where there is a little bit of “sacrificial” edge to the jig the first time through when making a cut. It looked like that was the case on your jig, can you confirm that?
Also, what are your thoughts about using spaceballs or foam spacers to keep the panel from rattling?
Keep up the great work!!!
Once again great video Marc!
One question though, when running the panel through the bit, it looked like you might have been doing it in one pass. Is that the case? It might just be the cheap door set I bought at a WW show, but usually find it gives a better cut if I do the entire panel raising in 2-3 passes, sneaking up on the final cut.
If you get good results on a single pass, what bits do you use? Might be the enticement that I need to pick up a new toy.
Nice job.
One thing you did not mention, even though kind of obvious, but very important, need to make sure that all your rails and stiles are plained to the exact same thickness prior to routing them. Not as big of deal since they are all face down, but still…..
Keep up the great work.
Good video again. Like the title. You guys across the pond really should get metric. All this eights & sixteenths and a quarter plus threequarters is just so old fashioned. Go on, try millimetres. You’ll love them. They’re all the same size and so easy to use. Funny how you still use the “Imperial” system. Just can make the break after all these years!! Just teasing. Keep up the good work Marc.
Great Show once again… I have had great results with the space balls. In fact, I place one in the collet of the router to keep the bit from seating all the way down. Normally this is easy to control on a handheld router, but on my router table, it seems that it takes both hands just to tighten the bit.
Nice video Marc. Have you ever used Spaceballs? Little rubber BB’s that are great to keep the panels from moving when they are at their smallest and they compress to allow for expansion. Is your router vari speed or do you have some sort of speed adjusting device? And Scottish Iain, the metric system is the tool of the devil! We tried to make that work here back in the ’70’s but it was overwhelmingly ignored. Excuse me while I throw another meter stick on the fire! just kidding…now, 27 57/64 plus 43 18/32…hmmmm
Agreeing with above, talk about timely. Mine are still in the plastic. The project is: laundry room cabinet doors. I am reassured to see you are using the three-bit system (which I just bought) as opposed to the combo rail/stile and raised panel bit method. I echo the above questions and add “Why the 1/16″ (1.588 mm)?” Thanks for all your time and help.
Do tell – Is it true? I hear hickory is rather difficult to machine, have any issues?
Off Topic: Did ya bill Mom for an extra couple of board feet of the hickory? We won’t tell… that wood makes for some pretty nice smoke on the BBQ.
Ace
sorry Scottish lain but there is no romance in the metric system…shaving a 1/32 off my curly maple table top invokes a vision of thin shavings of maple curling off my plane, the enticing aroma of sawdust intertwining with the soft magic of Hayden’s Adagio. while taking the top down 1.588mm tosses a white lab coat, pocket protectors and nerd like black glasses square into my wood shop… give me a 1\32ed or give me death…..
schmeab
–
I am a deeply superficial person.
schmeab – When it comes to cabinetry the metric system is as commonly used as standard system. Actually when you get used to using it metric system is easier and more accurate than standard.
Spacerballs – In the cabinet shop I work in we have other companies make all our panel doors for us. Pretty much all the companies we deal with use them. I think they make the overall door seem more solid compared to doors that don’t have them.
Jeff- yes the initial edge of the Rockler jig is sacrificial. The material is the same stuff zero clearance inserts are made of. Foam spacers and spaceballs are great. I usually dont use them but they would be excellent if you had a rattling panel. You can also get a tube of silicone caulk, squeeze out a line, let it dry, and cut your own homemade spaceballs.
Gracious- I definitely didnt cut the panel in one pass. Thats way too much material. I did that particular panel in 4 passes. Thats pretty much what I recommended in the video as well.
Scottish Guy- Dont rub it in. I am not a fan of our measurement system. Viva la Metric!!
Brad Nailer- I do have a Porter Cable VS router. Pretty sure it has 5 pre-sets on it.
Joe- Not sure what you mean by the 1/16th question.
AceHole- Yes, hickory is a **tch. Splintery and none too happy about being routed. Many light passes is the key. And there were plenty of BBQ cutoffs. WooHOO! Time to make some more ribs
And thanks everyone for the kind words. You keep watching, and I’ll keep making them!
Marc,
I have a raised panel set without the back cutter and my panels always seem to come out way proud. How do you recommend making the backcut?… rabbet maybe?
Thanks,
Chad
Marc, I liked the video but did not get the closure I wanted, which was to see those doors installed and hung. No, this is no your mother typing this, it’s me, Tom.
Tom – I was thinking the same thing! I am thinking that will be another podcast as hardware choices and mounting could easily fill the length of an episode by itself.
Two countries separated by a common language etc. Sorry to stir things up with my metre stick! Would be nice to see the doors hung Marc. And I’m sure your other would be happy too. Cheers all.
I hate to add to an already open can of worms here, but I wanted to comment on metric vs. english. One advantage of the englilsh system is you can always divide by two, try going to half a mill next time you’re in the shop! Next in metric is one tenth whatever meas. you’re working with.
Thats great for production runs and premade parts, but honestly, most of the time you take your lengths from your carcass or pieces already milled up.
Bottom line? Each system has its uses, metric is great for moles and volume and avogadro’s number ( right Marc?!) but for most of us, english is just too useful in a shop.
Humbly submitted!
Spencer
OH GAWD!!! 6.02×10^23
I thought I had finally forgotten that number!!
Moles use metric for digging thier tunnels? You learn something every day!
Sorry I started this thread of discussion. Give you guys an inch……………….!
Back to the woodwork everyone.
Spencer – your arguement makes no sense. You can divide any metric number by 2 and it works out just as well. Take this example you have 9 11/16 inch span now divide that in 2 in your head. Now take this example you have 246 mm which is the metric equivilant. Technically it is 246.0625 but in metric the .0625 is so small you don’t need to worry about it in this case. But which number is easier to divide in your head? Now I stage these examples to work in my favor of the arguement with that said I do have to say I use both systems of measurements daily and both do some what have there own place. I personally think knowing both systems and when to use them and for what is just makes you a better woodworker overall.
you got pet sheep in the pen outside the workshop?
lol. Just dogs. No sheep. That was my best sheep impression. Convincing?
Well Mom here…..the doors are hung and operational and my laundry room is finally complete after a FULL YEAR’S WAIT! I love them and they match so perfectly with the ready-made sink base the builder installed. And as far as the kitty litter smell….well that’s what you get Mr. Wood Whisperer for keeping me waiting so long!!! And a big thank you to the fans who requested a video on raised panel doors, otherwise I’d still be waiting. LOL TWW’s Mom
haha 1 year that is naughty….. as i am English mm or cm are defo easier to understand :) what size thickness of wood is recommended for making raised panels. or/and whats the min 18mm basically (3/8″)? nice video. would like to see the clamp rack a bit closer to see how you made yours seen a couple different ways but not so neat and tidy
Another great video Marc, two questions for you:
Can you say a word or 2 about the panel thickness in relation to the rails and stiles. Is it the same thickness ? A brief survey of cabinet doors in my house has some totally flush with each other on the back , some (probably cheap construction) with about 1/4 inch indentation of back panel to rails/ stiles.
Also when you are making a series of doors, do you rout all pieces at once then assemble, so that no bit changing needed or do you assemble one set, see how it fits , then do next door. What is best approach ?
Hey Runningwood, the thickness of the panel is the same as the rails and stiles. It usually comes out flush. And to be honest, I dont usually sweat the details there. If its a little off, thats ok fine with me. But usually its very close to flush.
I do indeed rout all the parts at once. This limits variability and allows all the parts to be interchangeable from one door to another. And it does take some time to set up each bit. Not something I want to do more than once. :)
(from a little more than mid-way through the session) Could you expand on why, when setting the height of the bit, do you like to keep a +/_ 1/16″ lip at the bottom of the piece? I think I’m missing something. Thanks, Joe
Just the video ive been waiting for..I’ve been playing with raised panels for a few years now and still find it kinda fun but the 3.5” raised panel bit is still pretty intimidating that close to my fingers!! I got a set of bits from WoodCraft for somewhere around $260 and the joints are soo tight I can hardly get them apart after dry fitting..Anyway great video but when are you going to add the part about hindge mortise and placement? also how do I get your videos to go full screen so that i can see some details!
Marc:
Great episode! I gotta admit, though, that I like your router table set up! Is that a home made fence or did you buy that? I noticed you were doing above the table bit changes; is there a lift in there? If so, what kind?
Keep up the good work!
Tony V
Hey Tony! The table is a Jessem and the lift is a Jessem branded Master Lift. Highly recommend it. Will save you loads of time.
Hey Joe. The 1/16″ lip is required by design. The inside edge of the rails and stiles have a decorative roundover. That roundover actually sits 1/16″ below the surface of the rail. It basically gives it extra dimension. Remember that the pieces are milled upside down. So that might be whats confusing you.
Byron- I did cover this type of hinge installation in our Assembly Table series. And for full screen video, you can download the High Def version of the show available right above the video on our site.
Thanks everyone.
I realy enjoy your show! Who does your intro music? does it Take a long time to produce each show?
Keep up the good work!!!
Chaim
Our intro music is actually royalty free music from Apple. So there is a chance you can hear it somewhere else.
And the episodes can take anywhere from 3 days to a few weeks to produce, depending on the project.
Marc, I too just got the panel set and have not used them yet. Question, should you first finsh the panel before glue up? That way if there is some expansion or contraction there won’t be a line where the finish stops.
Great video, thanks
Sarge
Hey sarge. You are absolutely right. Its always a good idea, when feasible to finish the panels first.
Hi Marc.
New to woodworking, but, having watched every one of your shows, Im ready to tackle anything.
I want to make a new pair of windows shutters to match exisitng shutters (dating to about 1820) for a flat in Edinburgh, Scotland. The existing shutters use exactly this technology, rail, stile and raised panel, which must have all then been cut with hand tools.
Question. Can you get rail and stile router bits that work with 1.5″ (38 mm) thick styles and rails?
I can’t find any on line. The specs for any that I have come across say max wood thickness is 7/8″. Is there a different way of setting this up?
thanks
Sandy
Hey sandy. I am glad you are so confident. Thats awesome!
As for the bits, I have never really seen anything for that thickness either. Most likely, its because that would really push the limits of what our standard routers can handle. I think at that point we are getting into shaper territory. I did a little digging about found these:
http://www.freud-tools.com/freudrailsti1.html
These are special shaper cutter heads that can certainly handle anything you throw at them. But you need a shaper to use them.
Is a shaper in the budget??? The other option is to make the rails and stile manually. But the grooves with a straight bit or tablesaw. Make a mortise and tenon joint where the rails and stiles meet. The but whatever profile you want on the outer and inner edges of the door.
Thanks for this Marc
I think that a shaper is called a spindle moulder over here.
Sadly I cant accomodate one either in my budget or workshop. So I am going for your second suggestion.
I had a good look at one of the existing shutters. The stiles and rails have a “classical” profile along one edge on one side only. This is 1/’2″ deep and could be made with a standard router bit. The rails connect to the stiles with a mortice and tenon joint, as you suggest.
I have ordered up the router bits and will let you know how it goes….
All the best
Sandy
Keep those podcast coming !!