On shapers and router tables:
#11
hi yall. been gone for a bit...

i have been planning to build an awesome router table, featuring a router lift (woodpeckers V2), the cast iron benchdog top, and a PC 7518 router.

I just seem to have bought a shopfox 2hp w1674 shaper for a good price.

I'm wondering if i should/could just use the shaper, and sell off the PC router, and the cast iron top. The router bit adapter is $55. I believe shapers spin at a lower spin, so it would mean the router bits would be spinning a lot slower than intended correct?

Has anyone done this? downsides? pros?
My Day Job
well, bye.
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#12
Too slow for straight bits, and even smaller two-winged types, if it's the standard shaper at up to ~15K. Appears this one maxes at 10K. Shapers are great, but routers can be hand-held or table mounted at your option for the task at hand.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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#13
A spindle moulder (shaper in US vocabulary) runs at a much lower speed because it uses tooling with larger diametre.

Some (including mine) came with a collet chuck for router tooling but that combination never worked very well according to those who have tried. I have never bothered to test it.

In my oppinion the great advantages of a spindle moulder compared to a router table are it's power and rigidity and the much more versatile tooling that can be bought or custom made for it.
The main disadvantage of a spindle moulder is that the tooling is more expensive than router tooling.
In my world spindle moulders are heavy floor standing cast iron machines with motors ranging from 3 to 10hp. Brands like Jonsered and Waco and Wadkin and Robinson and Bäuerle and l'Invincible and Stenberg.

A tiny 2hp light duty spindle moulder is neither rigid nor powerful nor can it handle most spindle moulder tooling on the market and yet it cannot spin cheap router tooling fast enough.
I think you have bought a compromize machine that has all the downsides of both a spindle moulder and all the downsides of a router table......
Maybe you could remove the quill assembly and turn it into a super solid router table?
Part timer living on the western coast of Finland. Not a native speaker of English
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#14
I think TGW's point of go big or go home as far as shapers are concerned is pretty good advise. I have a small shaper, only 1.5 HP, but it's plenty powerful enough for making cabinet doors and raised panels, at least at the pace a hobbiest needs. But the tooling is expensive, and the tooling available for it is limited due to the 3/4" spindle. You can't shape big handrails or crown molding with it, that's for sure. And without a power feeder you are further and severely limited. With the advent of electronic, variable speed routers, and me finally buying one, I am seriously considering selling my shaper in favor of doing everything at the router table. For my needs it should work fine, even to build a kitchen full of raised panel, cope and stick doors.

I would not give up my router and router table with the intent of running router bits with a shaper.

John
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#15
Have you considered keeping both?I have used a shaper with an adaptor for 1/2" shank router bits, worked well enough for most woods. I only have the router table now as I sold or gave away some tools not needed.
If you have the room I would keep both, otherwise I would keep the shaper.

mike
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#16
I have a 3hp shaper with a router spindle. I haven't used my router table since.
"There is no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid people"
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#17
i sold my aluminum router table, to free up money and make room. i was planning to buy a router lift in the next few weeks, and then the next thing i know, i have a w1674 on the way. It's quite the quandry.
My Day Job
well, bye.
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#18
I am noticing most posts here saying it is too slow are done by people that don't own a shaper or have never tried it.

Router bits have worked perfectly in the 4 shapers I have had: 1.5hp Jet, 3hp Griz, 5hp Delta, and currently 5hp Laguna TSS. Id say try it and go based on experiencing it for yourself.

I am in the keep both camp though.


Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

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#19
It seems to inexperienced me that you could feed slower with smaller bits and you'd have the same cuts/inch. The cutter turns half speed, feed the stock at half speed. Of course if you mostly used small router bits I don't know that it'd make sense. If you used mostly copy & stick, panel raising router bits or other larger diameter router bits it sure seems like a 1.5 h.p. would have about as much grunt as a '3.5' h.p. router and maybe be quieter and longer lasting. You might have to feed something like a veining bit really slow to get a decent cut. Never tried it so don't know.
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#20
kurt18947 said:


It seems to inexperienced me that you could feed slower with smaller bits and you'd have the same cuts/inch. The cutter turns half speed, feed the stock at half speed. Of course if you mostly used small router bits I don't know that it'd make sense. If you used mostly copy & stick, panel raising router bits or other larger diameter router bits it sure seems like a 1.5 h.p. would have about as much grunt as a '3.5' h.p. router and maybe be quieter and longer lasting. You might have to feed something like a veining bit really slow to get a decent cut. Never tried it so don't know.




Guessing you haven't done it. Torque comes with rpm and mechanical advantage. It's force around a point at a defined radius from that point. Lower both rpm and the radius and you don't have as much torque, so you can't do as much work.

Quickie Wiki explains easily. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque

Check the part on angular momentum.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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