All Replies on Recommend a Shaker Raised Panel Set?

Hey Bertha try this site www.woodworkersworld.net , this site sell whiteside bits and I believe you should get free shipping with what you purchasing…good luck…Blkcherry

Thanks, Cherry! I hadn’t considered Whiteside, although I own many of them. My fiance’s got some kind of free shipping scam through Amazon and I always get reprimanded when I go somewhere else. I’ve been happy with my Freud Quadras, but they’re a bit proud of them ($). Thanks for the idea!

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Amazon Prime? Its a wonderful thing

-- Dan, Rochester, NY

I don’t use router bits to make my shaker raised panels. Just a couple set-ups on the tablesaw works for me. Two passes per edge. One does the “flat” part, the second pass does the beveled part. How much bevel is up to the operator of the saw (me? about 15 degrees)and one needs to set the height so that the bevel cut just nicks the flat cut. In my Project gallery, you’ll find a Cedar Chest with raised panels done this way.

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use

I believe so, Stretch. I found an MLCS 3-piece for $90 and 6-piece for $115. 1/2 inch with undercutters. Works up to 3/4 inch. The CMT’s look pretty nice, as well.

Bandit, most of the raised panels I’ve done have been on the shaper but I’ve used the TS will good results. I’ve just got a fancy new router table and my TS and RAS are dialed in for rip and cross-cut, respectively. I’d like to be able to blast out simple panels with a minimum of machine fussing. I’m figuring with above the table bit changes and setup blocks, I can rip on the TS, cross on the RAS, and shape the panels without a lot of fuss. I’m also using a current project as an excuse to get more tools;)

I’ve got a vintage TS and once I cant the blade, there’s always a bit of tweaking to get it back square. Putting a massive panel raiser in a horizontal router table always makes me a bit nervous, so your advice is very well taken.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I have had a lot of success using MLCS sets. I love mine! Plus the $165 price tag (no tax and no shipping charge) was a huge plus as well….. I normally go to them for all my router bits…. Cool company…

-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.

^Thanks, Dan. I have several and they’re of good quality. I’m really happy with my Sommerfield stuff, too. The price is right on the MLCS, given that they’re a solid $50 below the competitors. I’m not in need of a perfect finish; I’d just like the rails and stiles to get along with each other. I can always swap out the panel raiser for an ogee, etc. I just want to transition from the shaper to the table without breaking the bank.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

As much as I tend to favor Infinity and Whiteside bits for my critical more expensive bits, the Freud 2+2 panel raisers do have a design advantage. I wouldn’t opt for an Asian import for this application….my logic is that it’s too much money to not get a premium bit….especially if you’ll be doing any quantity of them.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

Knott, I looked hard at the infinity. The Whitesides were about the same price as the Freuds. I opted to save $85 or so and restricted myself to the 3/4” stock (which may end up being a bad mistake). The Freud set I wanted was quite a bit more, although I’ve been very happy with my limited collection of Freud Quadra’s. I only got a Straight panel raiser in my set. When I decide to add profiles, I’ll probably piece out the Freuds. I found a Stone Mountain set for REAL cheap, but I was too timid. Lonnie’s got some pretty nice ones, as does Amana. I’ve spent so much on shaper knives in the past that my wallet doesn’t get happy about buying router bits.

I went with this one at Amazon with free shipping:

MLCS 8391 Shaker Raised Panel Door Cabinetmaker Set, 5-Piece
by MLCS
Price: $114.95

Thanks for all the help. I’ll let you know how I like them.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I recommend Eagle America. They have excellent bits plus muxh of what they sell is Made in USA though they do carry pricecutter imports also … make sure you check them out

http://www.eagleamerica.com/prod_detail_list/s?keyword=shaker

-- Don

Thanks, Don! That’s a solid looking bit and for $179, not a bad price at all. For those who haven’t seen them:

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Bertha, I chose the stacked Shaker Style bit from MLCS because I thought having one bit do two jobs was a novel idea. Turns out it is not only novel but practical as well. Let me say I am not a seasoned woodsmith and found the set up pretty simple. I did a mock up with some scrap and made some adjustments (two) and had perfect alignment. I think the use of a sled of some sort for the cope cut is essential. I also learned to run everything through a thicknesser of some ilk. Consistent pressure on the cuts is critical. Some light sanding on the profile was needed (I used poplar) as there was just a little fuzz. Overall I found the bit to do the job and since it is probably a one time use I found the cost to be on par with the task.
Dont hesitate to shoot me a message with any ? or comments.

Jack

-- Made in America, with American made tools....Shopsmith

Thanks Jack! I’ll probably make a setup block out of UHMW plastic once I get the bit dialed in. I’m just using it for shop cabinetry, so absolute perfection is not really required. I’ve always prefered the straight panel style, so I’ll probably end up using it more than I think. I had a similar 3” set for my shaper when I redid my New Orleans kitchen (killed by Katrina). If I run into any hiccups, I’ll shoot you a message. Thanks for the offer!

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Hey! My MLCS bitset came in yesterday from Amazon. Took a week or less. They came in a nice box with sketches of the bit profile. There’s 1) two-wing raised panel with undercutter, 2) rail, 3) stile, 4) gluejoint, and 5) drawer lock. It also came with a little bag of shims, washers, and nuts. I ran some pine over the first 3 bits last night. The panel and stile match up easily but the rail needs some work. I made a few test cuts, each progressively worse. I think I might shim the panel receiver a bit wider and make up the play with spaceballs. All in all, for a 2-wing cutter, for $120, I’m pretty happy. I’ll let you know about the gluejoint after tonight but I doubt I’ll ever even use the drawerlock.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Does HF carry something like that ?

^lol, probably, but I’m not sure you’d want it:)

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I’ll second what Bertha said…lol

-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.