Question Aobut Raised Pannel Bits

[Budley]

This is my first attempt at doing raised pannel construction. I'm working on a vanity for the master bathroom.

I was going to order a raised pannel kit from Woodcraft, however, I stopped into Harbor Freight one day and saw a raised pannel bit kit on sale. It was like 39.99. Well thinking I could save a few bucks and start the project sooner, I got it. Now I think I made a mistake.

Here's the situation:

After the styles and rails are routed they look fine. When I go to assembel them that's when the problems start. The curved portion of the style sets tightly against the back of the curved recessed portion of the rail. As a result, there is a gap of 1 mm on the inside/outside faces and the tennon (this is in depth). Height wise we are fine. I have adjusted the fence several times and ways but the results are always the same. My thinking is the carbied bit on the coping portion of the rail bit was made just a little short.

Although not having any experience in this I'm open for comments.

bud

[boorite]

Ouch. My sympathies. I was in HF the other day, too, and passed on their router bits after taking a close look at them. Milling marks you can see from across the room and paint slopped all over the carbide are not good signs. They resemble the cheap bits you find at the Borg (Hickory brand), but I find the finish waaaaaay below even that standard.

Well, thanks for saving me the $40 + wood that this experiment would have cost me.

--Scott

[Lew Hodgett]

That was your first mistake.

You did.

Eat your H/F disaster, then buy more material and a quality set of bits.

Don't get me wrong, I buy things from H/F, especially disposables, sometimes even a small air tool, just never anything that requires a quality product, like router bits.

Consider it an expensive lesson learned, and move on.

Lew

[Leon]

Return the bit.

[RayV]

I got a set from these guys for the same price:

of the box the copes didn't fit right either but the set had some shims to finesse the fit and the doors came out fine cutting them from poplar. How they would work or last cutting real hardwood I can't say yet. They were at my door in less than 7 days.