Problem-Solvig Products Super-solid door frame cutter Freud Premier Adjustable Rail-ad-Stile Set Freud s ewest rail-ad-stile bit sets ot oly cut stadard copead-stick profiles, but also create full-legth (or less) teos. The key is the two-part rail bit. After cuttig the eds of the rails, you remove the top sectio of the bit ad cotiue usig the cutter to icrease the legth of the teo. But is it as simple as it souds? I requested a set to fid out. The Setup ad Trial Ru Freud s basic set cosists of the rail-ad-stile bits, plus wreches ad a set of shim washers. The bits will hadle stock from 5/8" to 1" thick. The shim washers eable you to adjust the groove width to match the thickess of your pael or mortisig bit from about 7/32" to 3/8". I tried the stadard copead-stick joit first i my table-mouted router, ad the made test cuts i cherry to produce stub teos. Next, I set up the stile bit to match the rail cofiguratio. The cuts were clea ad mated icely. To create a log teo, I istalled shim washers i both bits to match my drill-press mortiser. After copig the eds of my rail stock, makig stub teos, I removed the top half of the rail bit ad, i ½" icremets, routed the stub ito a 11/4"-log teo. To rout the opposite face, I replaced the upper cutter, flipped the rail stock, ad the lowered the bit util it was flush with the stub teo. Usig a backup block, I repeated the ½" cuts util the ed of the rail s teo touched the fece. After cuttig the teo s hauch with a hadsaw ad the correspodig mortise o a stile, I tested the rail/stile fit. It proved airtight. Best Applicatios If you re cotet with ¾"-thick doors ad glued-i plywood paels, you ca get by with regular rail-ad-stile bits, but if your woodworkig icludes solid 7/8"-thick doors with floatig raised paels, you eed a loger teo. The Freud set does both. 70 woodcraftmagazie.com Feb/Mar 2010 Featured products are available from Woodcraft Supply.
Tester s Take Cuttig the teos ad mortises doubles the time it takes to make a stadard frame door, but i some cases the stregth makes the ivestmet worthwhile. Weeked woodworkers iterested i makig such doors might start with the two- or three-bit set, ad, if the eed arises, buy additioal matchig cutters for istallig paels or makig thicker iterior doors (up to 11/4"). Optioal sets also ca cut stub ad log teos. Roud Profile #150675 $119.99 Ogee Profile #150676 $119.99 Bead Profile #150677 $119.99 Bevel Profile #845352 $119.99 Double-sided Profile Cutters #150678-#150681 $95.99 Glass Pael Door Cutter #150682 $37.99 Tester: Craig Betzley Do t Miss Out o our iformatio-packed issues! Subscribe, reew or give a gift today! woodcraftmagazie.com (800) 542-9125 Photos: Craig Betzley Feb/Mar 2010 woodcraftmagazie.com 71
Problem-Solvig Products Rout perfect mortises ad teos Leigh Idustry s Super Frame Mortise ad Teo Guide The mortise ad teo raks as the strogest of all joits, but may woodworkers shu it because it s challegig to cut by had or requires timecosumig setups whe doe o a mortisig machie ad table saw. Eter the ew Leigh Super FMT (Frame Mortise ad Teo) Guide, which calls o your router to get the job doe with high precisio ad i short order. The Setup Out of the box the Super FMT s heavy-gauge steel jig frame ad router sub-base come almost ready to go. Assembly cosists of cuttig ad moutig a 5 24" baseboard to the jig frame for clampig to a bech ad attachig the sub-base to your router. The istructio maual provides detail for attachig over 45 differet routers, but guidace for additioal routers ca be obtaied by cotactig Leigh. Actual router moutig may take 30 miutes, but this is a oe-time ivestmet. Ceterig the router o the sub-base is absolutely critical for producig precisio joiery, but usig the supplied ceterig madrel makes this process pailess. You simply positio the slidig stops tightly agaist the router base to lock i the router ad prevet ay lateral movemet. The slidig stops also locate the router o the sub-base for speedy removal/ reattachmet without impactig accuracy. The jig uses oe bit, oe guide, ad oe setup for each stadard joit. Optioal bits ad guides are available for cuttig mortises ad teos from 1/16" wide 1/8" log to ½" wide 5" log. Trial Ru After setup, I cut perfectly fittig 5/16" ½" mortisead-teo joits i miutes, all at oe locatio. I ext challeged the system by makig eight 3/8 1½" mortises ad teos. Here I determied the secrets for routig perfectio. Whe makig mortises, iitially overlap the pluge holes, workig from oe mortise ed to the other. The pull the pluged bit through the holes to create clea, straight mortise walls. To make mortises deeper tha ½", plugerout i icremets, usig your router s stops. Doig this prevets burig. To shape clea, crisp teos, agai work i icremets for log teos ad iitially make very shallow climb cuts (movig the router clockwise) to establish the shoulders. Always make test cuts ad test-fit parts to esure a flush, sug joit. Ulike other jigs, the Super FMT s precisio adjustmets are easy to make ad dead-o accurate. By turig the left guide pi 1/8 of a tur for a 0.001" adjustmet you ca literally dial i the perfect fit. Tester s Take For the quality, versatility, ad ease of use, the Super FMT represets a great value. If you ve shied away from mortise-adteo joits, especially those with more tha oe teo, or mitered mortise-ad-teo joits, you might rethik your positio. For the woodworker who plas for a lot of mortisead-teo joits i his or her upcomig projects, this may be the time-savig ticket. For chip collectio, cosider the Vacuum Box as a must-have accessory. Super FMT #150724 $399 Super FMT Vacuum Box #150725 $49 Tester: Jody Garrett 72 woodcraftmagazie.com Feb/Mar 2010 Featured products are available from Woodcraft Supply.
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