Raised Panel Setup Guide

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In this guide I’m using the CMT Raised Panel Set!

I’m making a single panel door 635mm x 485mm using 45mm x 20mm pine.

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I want to cut the cope cuts on both ends of the rails first, so I installed the cope cutter (the one with the bearing in the middle).

You want to set the height of the bit so the top cutter is about 2mm above the wood.

You must make sure you turn your router speed to a low speed, CMT recommend 16,000 rpm for this bit.

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With the height of the bit set, move the fence so it’s level with the bearing.
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Although these bits are easy to set up, its still best to run a sample piece first.



Note that I have a scrap piece of wood behind the real piece, which helps prevent tearout.


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Perfect… You can now run the real rail pieces through, face down.
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Remove the cope cutter and insert the stile bit. This is the bit which cuts the groove and the ogee pattern on the inside of the rail and stiles.

This is where you have to be careful, when setting the height of this bit. Take the sample, or one of the rail pieces and place it face down on the table & butt the edge up to the router bit. You’re aiming to get the top of the cutter flush with tenon on the sample piece.

There’s no need to reset the fence unless you moved it when changing bits, if so just make it level with the bearing again.

You must make sure you turn your router speed to a low speed, CMT recommend 16,000 rpm for this bit.
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Here you will notice I’ve installed a few feather boards.

The ‘A’ & ‘B’ feather boards will prevent the wood from lifting up and spoiling the groove. while the other feather board (‘C’) will keep the wood against the fence.

I’m also using two push sticks to aid me run the pieces through.

Once all set up run a sample through.

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Looks okay to me! Grab your first sample cope piece and dry-fit them together.
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This is what you’re after; nice and flush which each other.
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With the bit height set up correctly you can run all the rail and stile pieces through. Making sure they’re all face down and their inside edge is against the fence.
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With the rail and stile pieces all done its time to work on the panel.

The panel cutter came which an extra bearing (top right). The idea being that you install the bigger bearing first, set the fence level with it, make a shallow & cut then replace the bearing with the smaller one, re-setting the fence with it & then make another pass, creating the full cut.

Call me lazy but I prefer to keep the smaller bearing installed all the time. I also found it safer to take 3 passes – this also left me with a cleaner cut.

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With the raised panel bit installed, you want to set the height using the sample cope cut piece. Adjust the height so the tenon on the sample is inbetween the two cutters of the router bit.

You must make sure you turn your router speed to a low speed, CMT recommend 12,000 rpm for this bit.

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As mentioned above, when using the raised panel bit it’s best to take 3 shallow cuts to create the profile. Do not attempt to do this in one pass.

Before running the panel through, run a sample and make sure it fits into the rail and stiles. If it does, run the panel through face-down on all four sides, three times.

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And here it is all glued up and finished!! Not bad for my first ever raised panel door.

When gluing up the door, make sure you don’t apply any glue onto the panel, this will allow it to float.

All in all it’s an excellent set and easy to set up…..

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You can buy the CMT Raised Panel Set from Axminster Power Tools!

1/2″ Shank 800517

Axminster:- Tel: 0800 371822 Website: http://www.axminster.co.uk
 
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