# Which Router Cutter For House Door Stile Edge



## Gaia (Feb 20, 2010)

I want to make an exterior house door using Utili hardwood.
See attached photos A and B. Photo A this is not a house door but am using the image as an example. Along the inside edge of the door stile a profile, moulding has been applied. What type of cutter do I need to use to get this effect? Moulding router cutter,bead profile router cutter, roundover cutter or another type of cutter?

Also will be cutting a rebate under the profile to accept a panel lower half of door and glass at top half of door.
This style I understand is called a half glazed door.

I would need the curve of the cut to go down a certain depth to quite close above the rebate I'm cutting. 
The profile cut has to go down to the depth I require but retain the same degree of curvature.

How do I select a coping cutter for the matching profile on the door rail? So the corners of the rail and stile mate correctly.

I'm going to be using a 1/2" Dewalt 625 router. Mounted in a Triton table and stand. I'm looking into getting a coping sled that I can use on the Triton table to do the matching cope cut on the door rail.

For more information on the above and other questions I have see my other post titled - Coping Sled Suitable For Triton RTA 300 Router Table
Thanks.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Rail and stile sets are matched for doing that. I have an ogee shaped reversible bit for it also. The rebate can be cut separately. There is quite a bit of stress on door joints so the most common joint is a saddle joint at the corners which for all practical purposes is a tongue and groove joint. You can do them with a router. Making the tongue would be a simple task with clamps and straight edge. The saddle part could be done with a long bit and mortising jig. It could also be cut with a fine handsaw and then chisel out the waste or use a coping saw.


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## Gaia (Feb 20, 2010)

Hello Charles,
Can the slotting part of the cutter be removed to just do the cope and sticking?
" The saddle part could be done with a long bit and mortising jig." Could you eludicate on that?
Peter.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It depends on whether there is enough threaded portion to screw the nut down tight against the profile cutter without the slotter being on it but some sets don't come with a slotter anyway. Here is a link to pics of router mortising jigs but the simple definition of what they are is a slot in one board or a gap between two boards that you center over the end of your piece and that guides a bit only allowing it to cut a hole of specific width and length. You can also cut an accurate saddle by clamping a guide board on either face and using them to guide a hand saw down them. I can throw something together in a few minutes on Friday to show you that two if you need.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=rout...droid-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

ere is a video of Norm Abrams making an exterior door, the basic construction is loose tenons at the stile rail joints and separate moldings around the individual panels and window glass. 



 He does make it look so easy.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

listen to Charles...


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

I've read and reread your post but still don't understand what you are trying to do. Here is a link to a rail and stile set.
MLCS Rail and Stile Carbide Tipped Router Bits 2,

As you can see even a cheaper set is pretty expensive. You can accomplish the same design by cutting the profile on the rail and stile with a regular bit such as your picture #2. Then carefully miter the corner of each routed piece. It would be best to use a simple home made 45 degree jig to keep your saw straight. Remember that you have to start the miter down the distance of the width of the wood. In other words if the rail is 5" wide measure down 5" and make your miter. Typically a mortise and tenon joint would be used but to make it simpler you could use two biscuits or dowel it together after the door is assembled by drilling from the outside in. You could also cut a 1/2" slot in both the rail and stile and insert a spline. Once the door has been assembled and is solid rabbet the inside edges using a hand held router. Do not rabbet the door before assembly or you will have a space where you don't want one next to the rail.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Freud makes several sets that may give you what you're looking for Freud Tools The listing for the ogee style one on Amazon has an illustration showing the various steps needed to make the door - Freud doesn't seem to show this on their web site, but I would think that this would be included with the instructions. http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-268-Interior-Hi-Density-Carbide/dp/B000NJECMA


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

I'm convinced Norm is a Keeblers elf...
.
.


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