I've had a lot of people ask me about using my 45 degree miter bit and setting it up... so I thought that I would also post it here.
I have made guide blocks, after the set up, but as the thinkness of the wood changes, so does the adjustments...but here is how I handle things.
I set the bit up so that the center line of the bit is 1/2 the thinkness of the stock. Then I take two pieces of the stock and place them against the fence on either side of the bit. I then lay a straight edge across the two peices and slowly move the fence back until the cutting edge of the bit just touches the straight edge. I make a pass with a peice of scrap, cut it in half and then turn one piece over and put them togehter and see if they fit flush on each side. If not, I raise or lower the bit 1/2 the distance they are off. Again... if you move the bit up or down, you must move the fence also using the straight edge tip. I run another test piece, cut in in half and see if the fit is flush.... and if so... I measure the height of the bit, the position of the fence and the thickness of the stock and all this goes into my little book for future setups... and yea... I keep one of the two pieces of scrap as an initial setup block.
I like the 45 degree miter and once its understood... its not a hard bit to work with. As for me... I cut one edge laying flat on the table and then the other side standing on its edge. I do that to all four sides and they fit together very nice and tight....and by using a strap clamp..they come out very very close if not right on square.
Make sure also the thickness that the bit will cut. Freud has a regular and a baby miter bit....the baby bit goes from 3/8 up to 3/4 which is the one I use the most.
Palmer
I have made guide blocks, after the set up, but as the thinkness of the wood changes, so does the adjustments...but here is how I handle things.
I set the bit up so that the center line of the bit is 1/2 the thinkness of the stock. Then I take two pieces of the stock and place them against the fence on either side of the bit. I then lay a straight edge across the two peices and slowly move the fence back until the cutting edge of the bit just touches the straight edge. I make a pass with a peice of scrap, cut it in half and then turn one piece over and put them togehter and see if they fit flush on each side. If not, I raise or lower the bit 1/2 the distance they are off. Again... if you move the bit up or down, you must move the fence also using the straight edge tip. I run another test piece, cut in in half and see if the fit is flush.... and if so... I measure the height of the bit, the position of the fence and the thickness of the stock and all this goes into my little book for future setups... and yea... I keep one of the two pieces of scrap as an initial setup block.
I like the 45 degree miter and once its understood... its not a hard bit to work with. As for me... I cut one edge laying flat on the table and then the other side standing on its edge. I do that to all four sides and they fit together very nice and tight....and by using a strap clamp..they come out very very close if not right on square.
Make sure also the thickness that the bit will cut. Freud has a regular and a baby miter bit....the baby bit goes from 3/8 up to 3/4 which is the one I use the most.
Palmer