Routing Stile Ends

[Glen Duff]

I have always had a problem routing style ends to produce the tongue that fits the grooved rail so I purchased a cross-cut sled from MLCS but am still not totally satisfied.

My problem is that you have to raise the bit substantially and you still end up routing the edge of the sled that rides on the fence at least up to the backing block. Wouldn't it be better to have a sled where the edge that rides against the fence from the backing block to the back of the jig is extended out something like this _______/------- Or even have it ride the fence both before the cut as well as after, something like this ------\________/---------

Also, should I be taking 2 or 3 cuts rather than one, especially in hardwood such as maple.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Kim Whitmyre]

That might depend on the power of your router. . .I do one-pass cuts with my Porter Cable 3.5hp, using nice sharp bits, of course.

One tip is to do the (I think you meant "stile ends") rail ends before you rip to width. Then you can cut off any blowout.

Kim

[Leon]

I gotta say that I am clueless about that you are asking or complaining about. I have no problem at all using rail and stile bits on the router table. I cut my rail ends first and push them through using a piece of 3/4" thick plywood about 10" square. I use this piece behind and not below the rail. This keeps the rail square to the fence and provides a backer board to help prevent tear out on the back side of the cut. I then cut all the side edges for the rails and stiles with the outer bit.

[Bridger]

if you are going to have to bury the bit into the fence use a sacrificial fence.

[Leon]

I think he meant rail ends.... he did indicate routing stile ends.. ;~)

[charlie b]

Since you're using a router rather than a shaper, and you're probably doing 3/4" thick stock and not 1 1/2 - 2" thick stuff like for entry doors, slap together a mini-jig as shown here (all one line so watch the line wrap. Hold the stock down on the table, the sand paper as well as the long part against the fence helps keep the part from twisting as the bit begins cutting and it acts as a backer board to minimie tearout at the end of the cut. Having a zero clearance insert in the fence will also help, especially at the beginning of the cut.

make sure the bottom of the thing IS THE SAME THICKNESS as the stock you're routing. You can skip the dowel handles if you want.

Hope this helps.

charlie b

[Routerman P. Warner]

Can't comment on the sled without pix, but, to be sure, if you're eating sled/jig, some countermeasure is necessary. Can comment on depth of cut: Defititely take 2 or 3 passes.

(Routers)

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[BIG JOE]

Routed my first stile ends last weekend, and finally produced a half decent result this weekend. So far, the most difficult thing I've done in woodworking. We probably spent half a day just shimming the rail and stile sets to match properly. I bought the set used (guy used it once, still looked brand new) and I'm guessing the original owner didn't realize you could move the shims around and that's probably why he sold it. Cuts great now, but the next set of doors I'm going to plan on making twice as many stiles as I need since I know I will eff up a bunch of them.

I ended up using a 1x4x12 sled and clamping the stile to the front (4 inch side) of the sled. With this method, the stile is still flat to the table, and the sled acts as a backer board to reduce tearout. I made a zero (or close to zero) fence out of a 2x4 I jointed flat. Pressing down with a rubberized pad on the stile, and using the clamp handle to slide the whole unit past the spinning bit. It is VERY important to keep the sled tight to the fence. Any wiggle and you can "cup" out the cut and you will have a little gap when you piece the door together. Also, the clamp I used had enough depth to be able to fit the push pad underneath it, which was important.

All this was done by clamping the router, baseplate and fence to a set of saw horses. Once my table is done it should go a lot easier.

Joe

[Preston Andreas]

Actually I believe you are talking about the rail ends which is the coping cut. I also can't get the bit high enough to use a sled. The rail is too high off the table. Instead, I have a foot square piece of plywood with a handle on the top. The right side goes against the fence and the rail goes on the table with the edge against the plywood and the end against the fence. With hand pressure, I hold the rail against the plywood and push it past the cutter to cut the cope in one pass. I also have a replaceable wood strip (1/2" thick by 3/4" wide by 1 foot long) that attaches to the front of the piece of plywood. When I get the router bit height adjusted, I put on a new strip. That provides a zero clearance cut to eliminate blowout. You can also put sandpaper on the strip to keep the rail from slipping.

I cut the cope in one pass. This would require a 2-3 hp router. If you run it more than once, there is a good chance the rail will move slightly and the stub tenon will be to thin. Always cut the cope cut first. I make my door material a 1/16" wider than final dimension. That way, if there is blowout from the cope cut, it is taken out with the stick cut or cutting the rail to the final width.

This is assuming you are using a router table and not a shaper.

[Kim Whitmyre]

I think you're right. . . ;~)

Kim