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I get a lot of mail each week from
readers. Often, there are requests for things to do. I appreciate all the
ideas that come in. One question comes up time and again — it is "do you
ever use the vertical raised panel bits?"
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Not only have I used the vertical
bits, I have several different shapes. Like the horizontal bit, the
shape depends largely on the period and style of the panel that is being
made.
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Beth
pulls several of the home made jigs that we have used. They are all good but
won't help with the vertical raised panel bit.
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Beth holds the last raised panel door we made. In the router is the large
horizontal raised panel cutter that was used.
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Rather than install the raised panel bit in the large router, Beth pulls a
smaller router out of the router garage. It is set up in a plate that has a
small hole drilled in it and it is ideal for this size bit.
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Beth has removed the router from the insert plate and is installing the
vertical bit. This router is the PorterCable 890 series router.
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She fits it into the PC690 base that
is attached to the router plate. The new PC890 router has a speed control
which is needed for lowering the speed of this bit. It is a 1 1/2" diameter
bit, and that means that the speed we use should be less than 18,000 rpm.
The CMT website has speeds that should be used for different widths of bits.
Click here to go
there.
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The PC890 series router had a speed dial
that is very clearly marked. Beth selects the 16,500 speed. It is a bit
slower, but this router has the electronic control which will give her the
smoothness of cut she wants.
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Beth uses an Allen wrench to fine tune the height of the
insert. She wants to have it level so that it is absolutely in line with the
router table top.
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This is the CMT router table and the fence
can hold an insert which can be then cut to fit the bit exactly. In this
case, Beth is simply closing the left and right fence sections to be close
to the bit. She has something else in mind for the fence.
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