Thicker guide bearings for router bits

Doing test rail and stile doors for a sharpening center cabinet to show off bookmatched panels of a grain pattern I'm told is called Bear Clawed (looks like claw marks in the faces of the panels).

Stock is a smidge over 3/4 inch with 1/4 inch wide by

5/16 inch deep dado/groove for the panels to sit in, the groove being centered on the stock. Wanted to use the test doors to try out various edge treatments. Have a half inch roundover, eighth inch bead and a 45 degree chamfer bit - all with guide bearings. UNFORUTNATELY - the guide bearing fits in the panel dado/groove and therefore can't do what it's suppose to do - limit the depth of cut.

I could cut and fit some groove inserts but that'd be a PITA since removing them would be a hassle if they fit snug.

DO - are thicker bearings of the standard diameter used on these bits available and if so where? I'm guessing that if they are, the bolt/screw that holds the bearing to the top of the bit will also be needed to accomodate the additional thickness?

Sure am glad I did test doors - hate to waste the maple the real doors are made out of. The test doors are also useful for testing basics of finish options - dewaxed super blonde and garnet shellac, Watco teak oil, Watco Danish Oil -Golden Oak and maybe some good old BLO.

Help - please.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b
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Got a router table? Set the fence opening colinear with the bearing and rout the pieces using fence as a guide.

Reply to
jev

Ditto on this suggestion, Charlie. . .

Kim

Reply to
Kim Whitmyre

Could you use two bearings on same bit, one on top of the other?

d

Reply to
ClemsonDave

Simple fix.. Cut a piece(or pieces) of stock 1/4 x 5/16 by as long as you need. Slip it into the dado. Your router bit will now run just fine. When you are done, slip the spacer out and move on.

charlie b wrote in news:4033C226.3218 @accesscom.com:

Reply to
Secret Squirrel

Cut a filler piece of scrap that will fit in the dado and be flush with the surface should let you do what you want

John

Reply to
John Crea

Good idea, will check that option out. I suspect that the screw tha holds the bearing to the top of the bit is going to be too short. Might be able to find a longer one at the local ACE Hardware.

jev wrote:

Yes, have a router table with fence - the JoinTech Cabinet Maker System. That would work on the outside of the door frame but that's not the problem. If you reread my original post, it's doing the inside of the rails and stiles - the inside face with the groove/dado for the panel in the cabinet door. ASCII diagram explain the problem better. The rails and stiles are dry fit, pinned and routed before putting the panel in and glueing the door up. +------------ | +-----+ +------+ | | | | STILE OR RAIL +------+ | \+---* \ ----------+------------

Groove is 1/4 inch wide by 5/16th deep. Ripping strips this size for two cabinet doors, one with dual panels comes to about 14 lineal feet. Tried that idea and found that the "fillers" had to be exactly flush with the inside face of the door frame. When the fit is right the fillers are a royal PITA to get out after routing. Any gaps in the filler strips result in a less than adequate shaped edge.

This is a Catch 22 situation. If you cut the mortises and tenons first you need a groove for the haunhc part of the rails' tenons so you have to route the groove BEFORE you can put the frame together so you can route the INSIDE edges. But if you've alreay done the groove the guide bearing slips into it and ...

I could use the Micro-Fence but that won't do the inside corners.

Anyone know where to get thcker router bit guide bearings? 3/8 or 7/16th would be great.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

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