Panel Frame Stile & Rail Mismatch Trouble

[dennise9]

I'm having newbie trouble making the frame for a small (18" X 12") panel door. I'm using a matched two piece rail and stile router bit set from Jointech (KC-5030) together with 1" X 2" s for the frame material. No instructions came with the Jointech bit set.

First I use one bit to successfully make the inside mortise groves on all four frame pieces. Then I switch to the matching bit and cope the rail ends for the tenons. I get perfect profile matches on all four corners. So far so good, but here's the problem.

When I make the groves, I get a curved bevel on one inside edge of each frame piece. In itself this is not a problem and is part of the bit set profile. BUT, when I fit the rails to the stiles, the curved bevel comes out on one side of the stiles and the opposite side of the rails! So I get a finished frame with curved inside bevels on the front stiles and curved inside bevels on the back sides of the rails!

Help! I feel like an idiot. What am I doing wrong or is this normal?

Can someone please figure this out?

Dennise

[Andy]

I'm having a hard time picturing your problem - any chance you could post some pictures somewhere? In the meantime, here are some instructions from Infinity, which is a great source for good-quality bits btw. (No, I'm really not affiliated, despite that drive-by 'advertisement'...)

Andy

[Drew Lawson]

I *think* I may be getting the visual. Unfortunately, I'm a newbie and haven't ever touched a door making bit set.

Looks like this is the bit set and profiles:

picture at Jointech wasn't as good).

I think the description is that the top curve in the left-most bit is on the wrong side on either the rails or stiles. What that sounds like to me is that the OP ran the ends through the cope bit upside down.

Is that the sort of problem? Or is my mental camera all screwed?

[Vic Baron]

Some of the bits I've used require you to run the cope ends face down and the sides face up.

[n.degidio]

I'm having some trouble with this visual as well but using the pic from the url you gave....

Bit at right, used to cut the stile's (short) ends only (horizontal member of frame), good face down, cut these first.

Bit at left cuts profile on rails and long edge of stiles, good face down.

This is done on a router table. Practice with scraps of the same dimensions as your project, at least of the same thickness.

You'll get the hang of it.

[Charley]

I agree with Vic.

If your bits are made like those shown in the picture, the bit on the right is used to make the cope cuts on the ends of the rails with the rail face sides down. The first bit (left side of picture) is used for making the inside cuts on the rails and the stiles with their face sides up (the bit that you used first). The bit on the right makes the end (cope) cuts on the rails and this cut must be made with the work piece face side down. Look for the curved cutter in each bit. You will notice that one is above the bit center and the other (mating cutter) is below bit center. This indicates that one is intended to be used upside down from the other. You will need to use a backer board (behind your work piece) when making the cope cuts to minimize tear-out of the board end grain. This backer board will need to have the cope cut made along one edge so that it will mate with the edge cuts on the rail pieces. When cutting the cope on one end of a rail this cut on the backer board will be necessary.

Here is a brief set of instructions:

1. Set up the first bit (left of picture) and make all of the inside cuts with your work pieces facing up. (you seemed to be successful at this part)
2. Switch to the right bit (cope cutter) and adjust it's height so that it's cut will mate with those cuts previously made with the other bit (use a work piece that was cut in step 1 to get the height set correctly - the face side will now be down)
3. Cut one edge (long side) of a scrap piece and check it's fit with those pieces cut in step 1 to make sure the bit height is OK.
4. Now prepare and make the cope cuts in the end grain of the rails. You will need to use a mitre gauge and clamp your piece to it with it's face down. To get a quality cut, clamping the rail to the Mitre gauge will be necessary, as the bit will try to push the rail away from the bearing and fence. Use the scrap piece made in step 3 as a backer when cutting these end grain cope cuts. The cut that you made in the long side of this scrap piece will be needed to minimize tear-out when making the cope cut in one end of the rail and the flat un-cut side of this scrap piece will be needed as a backer to minimize tear-out when making the cope cut on the other end of each rail.

You will probably need to make a few doors before you get comfortable at doing this and understand the process. Don't waste money on expensive wood until you have made a few doors and feel comfortable doing it. Once you have made some good parts for a good fitting door save some of these pieces and use them later for setting your bit heights correctly.

[dennise9]

Thanks to all for their help and suggestions. From them I was able to find my problem solution.

Drew Lawson was right. Somehow, when I coped the rail ends, I did have the rails upside down! I remade them and wah-la, correct fit with all four inside edge bevels on the same side. I wont make that mistake again!

Thanks again to all!

Dennise9