# Rail and stile / mitered door frame bits advice



## tdale (Feb 18, 2012)

I have a table mounted Triton router, and I use it mainly for building guitars. 

But I have decided to get some bits for cabinet making, and I'm looking at rail and stile bits, and mitered door/drawer frame bits. 

The rail and stile bits come in different varieties. The two piece kit, the stacked bit, the reverse combination bit. I lean towards the stacked bit. I like the idea of having just one bit. 

But are there other Things to consider? Is two separate bits better in any way? Is the reverse bit better? Any advice would be appreciated. 


Also, what is the difference between a mitered door frame and drawer fram bit? They are used for different Things obviously, but what's the difference between them?

Tommy


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I have two tables and when doing doors I zero both bits It seems easier to me cause if I mess with it I will screw it up


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

a matched set saves abit of time..taking apart and reversing them and spacer setup etc...on the reversable,, once rails done put style bit in set to match the tongue and do the styles...basicly time savers for sure in my opinion...


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

The difference between a miter door frame and a miter drawer frame bit is size, drawer frame bits are smaller but identical to the Door frame bit, this is so your door and your drawer match in profile


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

I agree with Tdale if possible use 2 table set ups. It depends on how many times you plan on using the bits. The stacked bits are fine but they take longer to set up. If you make a mistake and have to cut another profile then it can take a while to get things set up just right. Whichever bit you choose it needs to be shimmed properly and your wood should all be put through a planer first to make sure that it is the same thickness. You don't have to spend a fortune on bits. I have always used MLC bits and have had great success. I once used a Harbor Freight set and that worked fine too. Just remember to set the shims correctly.


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## twallace (Jan 15, 2012)

Tommy, to me the ideal would be to have two tables set up especially if you have a few doors to make. and that is what I would like to achieve one day. At present for cabinet doors I have reverse bits and for entry doors I have the two bit set. Reversing and switching bits and re aligning is time consuming and should you make an error, for example I do cope ends first and if after doing that and I change to the stick and then I come across a rail that was not coped or coped on the wrong side I would then have to change bits around again and again. That my friend is frustrating.


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Hi Tommy. I don't think you really need 2 tables to do rail and stile doors up right. I suggest that anyone attempting this for the first time buy a matched set from Sommerfeld Tools. This matched set is well worth the money, and even comes with a grommet for your router. This grommet allows you to just drop the router bits in and tighten without having to change any adjustments. Watch this video for a better understanding of this process. Although this video is for a Shaker stile door, the process is the same for any profile door. There are 3 videos in this series, I think.

Sommerfeld's Tools for Wood - Shaker Raised Panels Made Easy with Marc Sommerfeld - Part 1 - YouTube


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

That Sommerfield setup jig looks very interesting. Anyone useing it?


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Tom, I do have one and it gets you real close for a lot of different bits. Its a good investment and will save you a lot of time. When I get a perfect setup, I make my own setup blocks out of poplar, then I mark them, and drill a hole in them then hang them up. I called Mark Sommerfeld about a setup problem I was having. When swapping from the cope cut bit to the pattern cut bit we were getting a slight shift in the height. He called me back from California, where he was at a tool show, and told me what was wrong. It seems some routers need 2 of the grommets instead of one. I added the second grommet and that fixed the problem. The very next day I received 2 grommets in he mail. I already had several on hand, but that just shows you what kind of service you can expect from Sommerfeld Tool.

Dick


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