Issue with cutting rail ends for raised panel door
#7
Hello,

I'm working on building some built-in cabinets and I'm having issues with some of my rail cuts being at an angle.  I'm using a coping sled but not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I think it might be when i clamp down the rail that the bottom of the sled is bowing slightly.  Thanks for your assistance.
War Eagle!
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#8
I don't use a "sled" per se, it's more of a push stick or more specifically a "push block". Basically it's just a trued up chunk of 2 x 10 with a short piece of closet rail screwed to the middle for a handle.

In case you're interested, I shape all my stile and rail stock first, face down, then cut to finish length. With my set, the cope is exactly 1/2", so my rails are door width - 2x stile width + 1". My cope set is also set face down so even if there are very slight variations in thickness the front is always flat. There's a bearing on my cope set that isn't really used except for a spacer, I set the fence to barley touch it. I cope the rail by squeezing it to the block while pushing both against the fence as I cut. When the set-up is perfect, I cope one side of the block to back up the stick cut. (as in "cope" and "stick").
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#9
(02-12-2018, 12:46 PM)WarEagle Todd Wrote: Hello,

I'm working on building some built-in cabinets and I'm having issues with some of my rail cuts being at an angle.  I'm using a coping sled but not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I think it might be when i clamp down the rail that the bottom of the sled is bowing slightly.  Thanks for your assistance.

Its more than likely technique. Are you bearing down on it when pushing it thru the shaper bit? If you tend to do that, get or build a heavier sled. That might be easier than trying to relearn your methods.
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#10
I too have decided that coping sleds cause more issues than they solve, i I own some very well built commercial units.

As mentioned above, I get my best results using a square chuck of MDF with a handle. This not not keeps the part square to the fence, but provides a backer to prevent blow out. 

Every part is run off the table top, so I do not have to struggle with different heights for end cuts (raised up on the sled base) and the long cuts run on the table. 

This method also means no clamping, so there is no issue with distorting the part as it is cut. The parts are already straight and true, so clamping is not needed unless the parts are unusually short. 

Final tip- I always make the cope cuts first so that my backer block does not need to be profiled and there is no blow out on the cross cuts.
Ralph Bagnall
www.woodcademy.com
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#11
+1 on the coping sled.

90% of router bits have bearings so this is what you use.

I do what hanidi ^ said except I screw a piece of stock to a cheap plastic push block. I make it wide enough to get 2 or 3 uses. The next time you need to use it just rip a little off and you have a new surface to profile.
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#12
I remember having the problem of a coping sled that bowed. I had to upgrade the base from 1/4 in MDF to 3/8 or even 1/2 inch. The sled that I use had a backer screwed on to prevent tearout and one of those red handled toggle clamps to hold the workpiece down. You have to be sure that your backer is square to the base and then you can just run it along the router/shaper fence and not worry about running through the miter slot.
How do you know you're learning anything if you don't screw up once in awhile?

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