router bits

[Mantis806]

i need router bits to created raised panels. does anyone know where i can get these bits locally? i know sears has the bits to make the rails and stiles. but i can't find the bit to make the raised panel part. i'm tired of using my table saw and getting blade burns on the wood. thanks for any help.

anthony

 

[jhale]

lowes and home depot have some, the quality is okay.
in the city there is manhattan laminates, at 21st between 11th and 10th, they have amana bits.
there is also a hardware store on broadway just above canal,
I think the name is c & s, they have a yellow awning. they carry a full line of freud bits.

 

[bad coffee]

You could also check Dykes lumber on 44th st and 8th ave in manhattan.

Mailorder will be cheaper. try rockler.com

BC

 

[FRY]

try ebay i have bought bits there ,they were very good and price werent bad

frank

 

[jhale]

if you go mail order try leevalley.com , there's no tax and they ship faster then rockler. there's also grizzly.

 

[yessongs]

Is it a table saw or a bench saw?
Did you have the panel on edge when you tried the table saw? (this reduces the blade angle and should eliminate wood burns)

If your going for a straight cove pattern you can come close with a table saw.

IME vertical raised panel bits are the best choice, they will fit in any router table. The panel is on edge using the fence.

 

[Mantis806]

thanks everyone. i didn't want to order online b/c i am impatient. but i'm probably going to end up doing that anyway. i just wanted to see what was available around the city. i had the panel on edge when i did the cut. the thing is that i didn't bother to make a jig to hold the panel in place while i put it through the blade. this made the panel wobble a little, and that's how i got the burns. i'm using a table saw. in the past, i have used the cove bits that came with the router and i did the tongue and grove part on the saw. the problem is that the fit is never right. i might get the verical raised panel bit, but again, i'm worried about the wobbling of the router while it's on the egde of the wood. i guess i could always clamp the wood to something bigger though. thanks for all the advice.

 

[bad coffee]

you can build a router table for about $5. 24" square piece of MDF and some 2x4s. Some 1/4" stove bolts to bolt the router to the 'table.

BC

 

[yessongs]

You can't use a vertical raised panel bit without a router table, the bit doesn't have a bearing.
The panel shouldn't wobble when using a router table, the bit is half way into the fence, so the face of the panel is Against the fence, unlike a table saw.

If you don't have a router table maybe a horizontal raised panel bit is a better choice. FWIW these are large diameter bits, use a 1/2" shank. There not user friendly be careful.

 

[Mantis806]

yup, i'm not sure if i wanna get the horizontal bits b/c it won't fit through the plate on the router. i would have to take the plate off, and that makes the router hard to work with. i have enough spare wood to build a router table, so i'm going to end up doing that. thanks for the insight.

 

[jhale]

I know your building a router table, but...
fyi, those large bits for making raised panels should never be used in a hand held router. the chance for getting hurt is very high, and it's almost a 100% chance your going to screw up the project. the panel raising bits were designed to mimic the job a shaper does, but they have to be used in a table were you can control the wood being fed into them. Also with those large bits you need to slow down the speed of the router.
the vertical bits in a table are a safe choice. it would help if you made a track in the table to mount feather boards in, they will help hold the wood flush to the fence as you feed it past the bit.

[ March 21, 2005, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: jhale ]

 

[yessongs]

[ March 21, 2005, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: yessongs ]

 

[jhale]

?raised panels were first made on machines called shapers, they are like oversized router tables.

?companies made bits for routers that copied the shaper bit's.

?like you noted, the bits are large, they must be used in a router table for safty.

?because the bit is large it is best to slow it down. see here,
router bit speeds

?a feather board is a safty device for any stationary machine, it holds the piece of wood your working on tight to the fence.

?don't forget always wear eye protection

hth,

Jonathan

 

[yessongs]

Thanks Jonathan, I know about routers im a union carpenter for over 25 yrs.
I've built TV sets for the NFL super bowl, NBA, ABC & NBC news, As The World Turns, Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, to name a few.
The part that confused me was "100% chance your going to screw up the project"
I used these bits (hand held) when all the router tables are in use, with no problems. with or without a table it takes a few passes.

We rarely use feather boards with our routers, we use them with table saws to avoid kickback.
These days the shaper is used for copying colonial molding.
just different ways of doing things.

Mantis806, we make custom router plates using a CNC router.
Im glad your not going with that bit.
Routers are vicious, mind your hands. Use Caution!

 

[bad coffee]

Yes,
You an IA carpenter?

BC

 

[jhale]

hey Yes, so you have some experience with routers
I did not mean to preach, I just did not know what you were asking about.
I wanted to avoid having someone without experience use one of those large bits in a hand held router. that could get ugly.
anyway I hope someone else can use the router info.
like Yes said, mind your fingers.

 

[yessongs]

Jon, did you forget that, i told you at your house "nice website i work with wood too"

the main thing is just be careful!
I dont want to say what i seen these things do to flesh & bone

 

[jhale]

Yes, I knew this was going to happen. I met a lot of people that day, I knew there was no way I was going to remember everyones name, plus their screen name. I'm bad enough with names as it is.
and don't jinx me, I'm using my router table right now

that reminds me I have to update that site, someday...

also people wear ear protection, I decided not to today and after about a half hour of routing I had some nice ringing in my ears.
what?

 

[Mantis806]

haha, yea ear and eye protections are a must. i hate when the wood chips get thru the vent holes in my glasses and fly into my eyes. i could only wonder how bad it is without those protective glasses.

 

[StephenEvans]

i thought u needed help with subnet mask for you router or something...