# varying depth of Freud tongue & groove bits



## dicktill (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi all,

I have a Freud 99‑036 2‑piece adjustable tongue & groove router bit set. It is adjustable for tongue and groove width, which is neat and very handy. But the depth of the groove is fixed at 7/16" (tongue slightly less). You can go shallower by setting the fence on the router table further forward than the bearing, but I don't have a micro adjuster on my table (yet). I am wondering if there are other bearings available that would allow more accurate adjustments.

Thanks, Dick


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Changing to a larger diameter bearing should do it. You just need to match the ID size to the existing one which shouldn't be a problem.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Dick, this is not a joke. Use your fine adjusting tool to position your fence. Once the fence is snug a few light taps will let you get the fence exactly where you want it.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

MLCS Woodworking Adaptor Bushings and Ball Bearing Guides

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5ja8hwk5uv_b

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11pc-1-2-Sh...835755959?pt=Routers_Bits&hash=item1e766b33b7
==



dicktill said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a Freud 99‑036 2‑piece adjustable tongue & groove router bit set. It is adjustable for tongue and groove width, which is neat and very handy. But the depth of the groove is fixed at 7/16" (tongue slightly less). You can go shallower by setting the fence on the router table further forward than the bearing, but I don't have a micro adjuster on my table (yet). I am wondering if there are other bearings available that would allow more accurate adjustments.
> 
> Thanks, Dick


----------



## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

dicktill said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a Freud 99‑036 2‑piece adjustable tongue & groove router bit set. It is adjustable for tongue and groove width, which is neat and very handy. But the depth of the groove is fixed at 7/16" (tongue slightly less). You can go shallower by setting the fence on the router table further forward than the bearing, but I don't have a micro adjuster on my table (yet). I am wondering if there are other bearings available that would allow more accurate adjustments.
> 
> Thanks, Dick


Hi Dick - I haven't got a microadjust on my fence either. I'll set the fence even with the bearing and put a couple of stop blocks behind it. Then I'll use spacers; shim stock, brass setup bars or even a feeler gauge or drill bits, between the stop blocks and the fence to step the fence forward to where I want it. If you want to go deeper, you will need to swap out the bearing with a smaller one.


----------



## rout66 (Oct 19, 2011)

MLCS.COM is an easy source for bearings. Katana is the pointer.


----------



## dicktill (Mar 27, 2013)

Thank you all for the great tips!

Regards, Dick


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jschaben said:


> Hi Dick - I haven't got a microadjust on my fence either. I'll set the fence even with the bearing and put a couple of stop blocks behind it. Then I'll use spacers; shim stock, brass setup bars or even a feeler gauge or drill bits, between the stop blocks and the fence to step the fence forward to where I want it. If you want to go deeper, you will need to swap out the bearing with a smaller one.


John
Like you I don’t have a micro adjust fence either. I haven’t thought of the stop blocks (great idea). I have been setting up my fence with another board clamped on the face, then put shims in between. Both fences are of 22mm (.866 inch) hardwood. The clamps are about 1/3 the way in from each end.

Thanks form making your comment. I learned something.

Oh, BTW you can forgo the bearing, you just have to be meticulous with the setup and run several test pieces.


----------



## CanWood (9 mo ago)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Changing to a larger diameter bearing should do it. You just need to match the ID size to the existing one which shouldn't be a problem.


While a larger diameter bearing sounds like the obvious fix, there are no wider bearings (OD) available with this internal diameter (ID). Someone did suggest a sleeve to fit a larger ID and OD bearing, but I don't think that's a good idea. Cutting the tongue down seems like the only other option at this point?


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Looking at the set in a picture, it looks like the cutters just miss the bearing by no more than 1mm. So changing the bearing on the tongue cutter won't work.

I suggest you consider something a little more functional on the fence adjustment. Set the fence for a typical bit, then mark the location on the left end. Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the table (not all the way through) and a corresponding hole into the bottom of the fence. Put a pin into the hole and you now have a pivoting fence. You can make very precise adjustments on the fence by swinging the right end in an arc. 

Use precision bars to set the fence where you want it and make a pencil mark on the table where the adjustment is right. Clamp the swinging end down and you can get great precision on fence to bit distance. If you have a table with T track on the right side, you can use a star knob to cinch the fence down. The fence does not have to be parallel to the front of the table. I have a threaded micro adjuster that attaches to my table. I just use a clamp to hold the fence in place.


----------



## CanWood (9 mo ago)

DesertRatTom said:


> Looking at the set in a picture, it looks like the cutters just miss the bearing by no more than 1mm. So changing the bearing on the tongue cutter won't work.
> 
> I suggest you consider something a little more functional on the fence adjustment. Set the fence for a typical bit, then mark the location on the left end. Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the table (not all the way through) and a corresponding hole into the bottom of the fence. Put a pin into the hole and you now have a pivoting fence. You can make very precise adjustments on the fence by swinging the right end in an arc.
> 
> Use precision bars to set the fence where you want it and make a pencil mark on the table where the adjustment is right. Clamp the swinging end down and you can get great precision on fence to bit distance. If you have a table with T track on the right side, you can use a star knob to cinch the fence down. The fence does not have to be parallel to the front of the table. I have a threaded micro adjuster that attaches to my table. I just use a clamp to hold the fence in place.


You are exactly right about the lack of clearance. Even if a larger OD bearing was available, one would have to grind the carbide blade to fit. Adjusting the fence to establish depth of cut is a safer option. Great idea!


----------



## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @CanWood


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

G'day CanWood, welcome to the forum.


----------

