I bought a shaper---now what?

[Papa Jim]

Bought at auction. Hope I didn't make a mistake but it looked like a good buy for $400.  Only came with what you see.

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All I know about it is-- it runs. Couldn't find a 43-375 manual on line but found a 43-372. Close enough?

I was thinking of using it to replace my old table mounted Dewalt which has been struggling with hardwoods so I guess that would require a 1/2" spindle and cutters. Or should I think bigger? How about a base? It's heavy as hell and I have a small shop.

Any advice or information you can give me will be appreciated. I'm a competent woodworker but a newbie shaper operator.

[TDKPE]

Piece of junk.  You've wasted your money.

But I'll be happy to trade you my diminutive antique Craftsman with original 1/2 hp motor and a handful of high-speed steel cutters for that pile of scrap.  Fully restored.  No charge.  


I'll be right over, with a trailer.  Where do you live?  
 

Ok, seriously - I don't know much about that series of Delta shapers other than they changed internals one time, so there's a 'before' and an 'after' line of spindles and some other bits.  Other than that, they're pretty much all the same, AFAIK. Later ones were 2-speed, too, but I don't know if the two-groove sheaves showed up at the same time the internals changed.

Single-phase, late model, at an auction.  That's pretty unusual.  And pretty good.  Good price, too.  I'd have paid that, FWIW. 

Cutters are the expensive part, though.  That's what's going to cost as much or more as the shaper itself.

[TDKPE]

My 1985 Delta catalog lists the 43-375 as 3 hp, 230V, single-phase, with 1/2" and 3/4" interchangeable spindles.  The 43-372 version is the same, but with 3 hp, 230/460V three-phase motor.

All six model numbers are the same machine, with differences being 3 or 5 hp motor, single- or three-phase, and 1/2" plus 3/4" interchangeable spindles vs 1" solid spindle.  They all have a 2-speed belt/sheave system.

Yours is also the heaviest by 10-15 pounds depending on motor option, probably because it's the only single-phase version.

[Cooler]

What do you do now?  You spend money on shaper bits.  

A shaper always made more sense to me than spending $400.00 to $600.00 for a lift kit for a router.  

So far the thought of carrying one down to my basement has put the kabosh on a shaper.  But I still have not spent $400.00 for a lift kit either.

It looks like a prize to me.

[Tony Z]

Get thee a power feeder now and cutters as needed.

[Lumber Yard®]

I sold off my shaper awhile back to get back some shop space but there are times I miss having it.

FYI If you're not in a hurry and interested I have a ton of cutters that I need to get listed in S&S. I'm getting organized and should have them listed with pics in the next or week or so.

[Papa Jim]

I sold off my shaper awhile back to get back some shop space but there are times I miss having it.

FYI If you're not in a hurry and interested I have a ton of cutters that I need to get listed in S&S. I'm getting organized and should have them listed with pics in the next or week or so.

I'll keep an eye out on S&S. I cleaned it up a little bit and it has a 1/2" shaft with one cove bit attached. At this point I don't know if that's the only size cutter it takes or if larger shafts fit over the 1/2" shaft. I'm not sure it really matters to me. The bigger the cutter the bigger the $$$ and this is just a hobby for me, not a business.

[Firebee]

I'll keep an eye out on S&S. I cleaned it up a little bit and it has a 1/2" shaft with one cove bit attached. At this point I don't know if that's the only size cutter it takes or if larger shafts fit over the 1/2" shaft. I'm not sure it really matters to me. The bigger the cutter the bigger the $$$ and this is just a hobby for me, not a business.

Try corobcutters.com

[Firebee]

http://corobcutters.com/shapercutters.aspx even better link

[Stwood_]

Well shaper newbe, better get a book and read up on it.

Shaper Handbook...by Eric Stephenson.