Material allowance - stile and rail

[dwcurry]

When making a rail, say 12" wide, and using a stile and rail router bit set, how wide do you cut the rail such that it will be 12" wide when finished?

I used 12" as an example, but I'm curious :scratchhead: as to how much one allows for the material that is removed, from the rail and the stile, during the routing process.

DWC

[Sawatzky]

Whatever the depth of cut is on the bit, add that to each end. If your bit cuts 3/8 inches deep then you need to add 3/4 inch to your stock.

[Faboo]

It varies depending on how wide you want to make your stiles. Check out the link for some good info

http://www.oldham-usa.com/Products/BitsMain/Tip%20and%20tricks/Sect05/Sizing_Materials.htm

[dwcurry]

Thank you for the response. I think that I got it for the rail. Regarding the stile, which is smooth on one side, if I want my finished stile to be 3 inches, and my bit cuts the 3/8", then I should cut my stock to 3 and 3/8 inches before the routing - right.

DWC

[The Wood Meister]

Here is a simple formula.

Door width MINUS the combined width of the two stiles, PLUS the depth of cut TWICE.

My cutter has a depth of cut of 3/8", so for easy math, I rip my stiles and rails to 2 3/8" wide. So my formula for a 12" wide door would be:

12", MINUS 4 3/4" PLUS 3/4" equals 8".

So, my formula is door width minus 4" and i'm done. ( I just did 53 raised panel doors and raised panel drawer fronts, simple math is nice! LOL)

Plus I like the wider material on the doors too. I used to use 2" material but by the time I ran them and then did an outside detail, they looked kinda skimpy. At 2 3/8", they look nice, at least to me.

I have a Shaker door set that has a depth of cut of 7/16", so to keep it simple, I rip my stock to 2 7/16" so my "width minus 4" is the same.

On some big entertainment centers with big doors, i'll use 3" stock for doors.

Mark

[The Wood Meister]

Thank you for the response. I think that I got it for the rail. Regarding the stile, which is smooth on one side, if I want my finished stile to be 3 inches, and my bit cuts the 3/8", then I should cut my stock to 3 and 3/8 inches before the routing - right.

DWC


The stiles will remain the same width due to how they are cut. The rails are the ones that "bury" 3/8" inside the stiles on each side.

If you want 3" material, rip it to 3".

For a 12" X 12" door, using 3" material, it will work out like this.

Door width MINUS 6", PLUS 3/4". OR........Door width MINUS 5 1/4".

Your center panel will be figured the same way. Height MINUS 6", PLUS 3/4", or........Height MINUS 5 1/4".
If it's a ply panel, just make them a tad smaller.
It it's a solid wood raised panel, I make them 1/8" narrower and shorter than the math above shows. This allows for a little "float" and I then use 1/2" pins at the top and bottom center from the back side, shot in at an angle so they don't show, so they keep the panel in place while letting it expand across the grain should it need to. Humidity and heat will cause the raised panel to expand or contract ACROSS the grain, but not with the grain.

Mark

[dwcurry]

Thank you.

DWC