# What size Router for making raised panel doors?



## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

I wanted to ask for some opinions and advise on what size router is best suited for making raised panel doors.

I want to build solid maple doors. The stiles and rails will be 1 3/8" thick for the interior doors and 1 3/4" for the exterior doors. I plan on using quarter-sawn lumber to minimize the wood movement.

I plan on purchasing a router to mount permanently in my router table since I have a hand held plunge router that meets my needs for hand routing.

I am leaning towards the Triton Routers » 3 1/4 HP Router Plunge (TRC001) to this this type of routing but wanted to know if the smaller 2 1/4 Triton router will be able to handle the job.

What are your thoughts?


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

There's a good discussion of raised-panel bits in the bits section, I believe.

Based on that discussion, you'll likely want a 3+ HP router in the table, along with speed adjustment.


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## Rob1 (Mar 6, 2009)

+1 on Ralphs suggestion. 3 1/2 will not bog down while cutting the panels. Look into a verticle mount router table.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Dan

This just my 2 cents 

Go with the 3 1/4 HP Triton,that you can get for about 200.oo bucks but the bits are going to cost you about 400.oo dollars +, and you will want the higher end bits because you are going to use Maple..


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TRN_Diesel said:


> I wanted to ask for some opinions and advise on what size router is best suited for making raised panel doors.
> 
> I want to build solid maple doors. The stiles and rails will be 1 3/8" thick for the interior doors and 1 3/4" for the exterior doors. I plan on using quarter-sawn lumber to minimize the wood movement.
> 
> ...


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## Charles M (Apr 10, 2006)

TRN_Diesel said:


> I wanted to ask for some opinions and advise on what size router is best suited for making raised panel doors.
> 
> I want to build solid maple doors. The stiles and rails will be 1 3/8" thick for the interior doors and 1 3/4" for the exterior doors. I plan on using quarter-sawn lumber to minimize the wood movement.
> 
> ...


I only speak for Freud brand tools and our FT1700 2-1/4HP router will run our Entry and Interior Door making bits as well as the 3-1/2" Raised Panel bits. However, for best results and least number of passes, you should use either the FT2200 or FT3000 3-1/4 HP routers.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

My local supplier quoted me 3 bit Freud sets for about $160.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Mike

Was that set for 3/4" thick stock  but when it comes to 1 3/8" to 1 3/4" thick stock hang on to your hat .. or to say your CC .. 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_h...rds=frued+Entry+and+Interior+Door+set&x=0&y=0

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-267-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1236869368&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-98-300-...5UL0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1236868690&sr=1-2

http://cgi.ebay.com/Entry-Door-Rout...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

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AxlMyk said:


> My local supplier quoted me 3 bit Freud sets for about $160.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Hmm. You would have to ask me that. Probably was the 3/4"


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## p2rocks (Apr 13, 2010)

if you mortice the outside corners how do you match the rails and stiles?


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

TRN_Diesel said:


> I wanted to ask for some opinions and advise on what size router is best suited for making raised panel doors.
> 
> I want to build solid maple doors. The stiles and rails will be 1 3/8" thick for the interior doors and 1 3/4" for the exterior doors. I plan on using quarter-sawn lumber to minimize the wood movement.
> 
> ...


Hi Dan:

Your problem is not going to be the power of the router but the router's ability to accept the large bits. My Hitachi M12V had to be modified. In the photo below, take a look at the router on the left and you'll see two tabs that stick into the centre round of the base. Now take a look at the router on the right and you'll notice that they're missing. Look at the size of the hole that is left. That's what you need for raised panel bits and other honking large bits.

Next the horsepower is important only because the higher horsepower will remove more material with each pass although no router will do it all in one pass. You need the extra horsepower because the >3" bits will not run at higher than the slowest setting of the router. My M12V goes down to 8,000 rpm and for some bits even that is too fast. I have a 1 1/2" radius round over bit for restorations and that is some terrifying bit when it's running.

I went to my local supplier and took a look at his inventory of routers and there was one Freud and one Milwaukee that could accept large bits. Both have their problems in the marketplace. I eventually found one of the new Hitachi M12V2s and I was not impressed. It looked like it could take a large bit but the clerk in the store was not knowledgeable about their products and couldn't show me how all the plastic came off to allow for the larger bits. The Makitas all have too small a "throat" for large bits (correct me if I'm wrong here Harry.)

I'm not sure about the Triton's. Just be sure that the mass of the bit is below the surface of the table. Are you using the OakPark baseplates? Make sure you use a fence. A fellow that I got one of my used routers from couldn't mount the 3" bit inside the router so he put it on top of the baseplate with about 1/2" of the shaft pinched in the collet and he was hoping to run raised panels with it. I damned near croaked when I saw that.


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

allthunbs said:


> Hi Dan:
> 
> Your problem is not going to be the power of the router but the router's ability to accept the large bits. My Hitachi M12V had to be modified. In the photo below, take a look at the router on the left and you'll see two tabs that stick into the centre round of the base. Now take a look at the router on the right and you'll notice that they're missing. Look at the size of the hole that is left. That's what you need for raised panel bits and other honking large bits.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply Allthumbs. I was thinking of using a router lift with a PC 7518 or the 3.5 HP Milawalkee using Jesseme Pro Lift . This would not be an issue would it with the larger bit if the system is used in a router table.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Guys

Just my 2 cents 

It's not the hole size in the router base it's the router mounting plate, that's the key..many, many of the BIG bits are 3 5/8" in diam. and many of the lift kits are 3 5/8" max diam. you want a plate that will let the bit to spin free (the HF is 3 7/8" hole diam.max) 90% of the bit is above the router plate when you chuck it up and set it up, The HF plate is 3/8" thick and most other plates are 1/4" thick the norm , yes you can buy a 300.oo+ lift kit but why when a 20.oo dollar plate will do the job just fine..plus if you don't take off the router base plate (black one the norm.) you have 1/4" plus 3/8" ,a good 1/2" in the pocket hole for the bit to spin free..It's almost a must to have a way to slow down the big bits but now days almost all of the big router have that build in and now days they also have the lift build into it,, like the 3 1/4 Triton for one of many..

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I will say I use the sommmerfeld mounting plate that is a 4" max.( bit diam) and that is 3/8" thick also, and I use the dust pickup tube on the router table and I have about 1/2" free to spin the bit in..like I said most of the bit above the table top..

Just my 2 cents 

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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

This *can* be an advantage to using some lifts. With my Mast-R-Lift the router's out of the base, so there's no impact there so the bit diameter is only limited by the plate hole size. I haven't measured that but it's got to be between 4" or so since I used the second-to-largest inset ring with my 3-1/2" diameter Sommerfeld raised panel bit and it was 3-5/8" diameter.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

TRN_Diesel said:


> Thanks for the reply Allthumbs. I was thinking of using a router lift with a PC 7518 or the 3.5 HP Milawalkee using Jesseme Pro Lift . This would not be an issue would it with the larger bit if the system is used in a router table.


hi Dan:

Go to the store with your bit. Put the bit in the router and make sure the edges retract inside the base of the router. If the clerk can't show you don't buy it. I don't recall seeing any Porter Cable able to take a large bit, even with the baseplate removed. As I said, there was only one Milwaukee and one Freud that would accept the bit. I don't know about lifts though. I don't use them.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

allthunbs said:


> hi Dan:
> 
> Go to the store with your bit. Put the bit in the router and make sure the edges retract inside the base of the router. If the clerk can't show you don't buy it. I don't recall seeing any Porter Cable able to take a large bit, even with the baseplate removed. As I said, there was only one Milwaukee and one Freud that would accept the bit. I don't know about lifts though. I don't use them.


Which Porter Cable did you look at? Even the PC690 1-3/4hp with the base plate removed has 3-3/4" dia on the base.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Guys

Simple rule to go by if your router takes on the funky steel guides guides it's a good bet it can't take on the big bits without some rework like cutting the ears off that hold the guide(s) in place/screws to..

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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

jlord said:


> Which Porter Cable did you look at? Even the PC690 1-3/4hp with the base plate removed has 3-3/4" dia on the base.


Hi James:

I don't know. There were four or five PorterCables and all had the same problems. I looked in two tool stores, a Rona and a HomeDepot. What bugs me is that noone carried the Makita. However, the King is a good copy of the Makita.


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