router bits in a shaper?

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
ok chuck, brought up a good question, why not use router bits in a shaper?
is the 10,ooo rpm not enough to use smaller bits in a shaper? is there anyone out here that has done it, and if so what is your opinion on the outcome? what tooling is needed to get the shaper to accept the router bits?
 
I never tried the procedure myself - but - if it could be done successfully and well, IMHO everyone would be doing it.

Isn't shaper speed much faster than that of a router and the disintegration of router bits at shaper speeds is a serious safety issue.

I'm sure that other members will jump in and offer more concrete answers.

Walt in CT
 
I have not DONE it, but I plan to DO it when I get a shaper - at least until I can afford to replace the router bits with cutters. :)

Based on what I have researched:

There is an adaptor that is used on the shaper for router bits.
The shaper runs slower than the router, so there should be no issue with exploding router bits on a shaper due to speed.
Router bits won't last as long as cutters.

Hopefully, someone has real experience to report on.
 
...Isn't shaper speed much faster than that of a router and the disintegration of router bits at shaper speeds is a serious safety issue....Walt in CT

Actually, Walt, it's the other way around. Shapers run at around 10,000 rpm, and routers at 25,000 rpm.

Using router bits in a shaper means you'll have to feed the stock much slower and/or take much smaller cuts. One router bit type that does work very well in a shaper, though, is the large diameter panel raising bits. You generally have to slow a router way down to use them anyway, so the slower speed of a shaper isn't a problem with them.

Having said all that, I must qualify the statements by admitting that I've only used smaller shapers - like 1½ hp ones with ¾ or 1" shafts. I have no experience with the bigger, multi-horsepower monsters. I do find them kinda scary, though...:D
 
I see a twinkle in Larrys eyes here. Weighing up the differences eh Larry. Router lift and possibly new router versus nice new shaper ?
:D Go on confess to your thinking.
 
so what do i need to get to make the shaper accept the router bits jim.. i am just looking at raising panels like yu mentioned.. i have a 3/4" spindle now and i think they make a router bit spindle for it.. or o could just do it on the router again???
 
I don't know if that is possible as I think the shapers have an arbor like that on a table saw that the cutter heads slide onto and then tightened down. Rather than the router bits that have a shaft attached to the cutters that slide into a collet to be tightened down.
 
so what do i need to get to make the shaper accept the router bits jim.. i am just looking at raising panels like yu mentioned.. i have a 3/4" spindle now and i think they make a router bit spindle for it.. or o could just do it on the router again???

The shaper I used had replaceable spindles, and it sounds like that's what you have, too.

On Grizzly's web page, they have a router adapter for their 1.5hp shapers for $49.95. You might look into that, too.
 
well jim, i could do that then i was just looking to see if it would make sense to do so.. if the profile is differnt then i will just get a cutter to match it..i am sure the shaper will accept that other spindle. i already have a 3/4" spindle for the smaller cutters out there.
 
I do it all the time. Very small bits, like veining bits or 1/8 inch roundovers, need the faster speed. At 1/4 inch roundover I have both shaper cutters and router bits, and choice depends on what is in the shaper and amount of use. Larger bits are fine in the shaper. I have been warned about bits overheating since the chips, that carry away the heat, aren't thrown as efficiently.

For reference, I have two 5 hp shapers and no router table. See my web page explaining www.solowoodworker.com/tools/shaper.html
 
If you have a shaper and you are looking to raise panels why wast the time with the router bit just get the right panel cutter for the shaper.:thumb:
All the cutters I have are 1" arbor all of them came with bushings to bush them down to 3/4" arbor. The only time I raise a panel with a router is when it to big to get on the shaper. :thumb:
Both the panel router bit and the panel shaper cutter start at the same price.For Grizzly that $69.95:thumb:
 
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If you have a shaper and you are looking to raise panels why wast the time with the router bit just get the right panel cutter for the shaper.:thumb:
...

If your comment was directed at me, the answer is threefold...

For routine use I have bought a top-of-the-line door set for 1 1/4 inch spindle that I use most of the time. (carbide insert) The investment was great, but the results are worth it.

I have a cheaper door set that I used routinely before the upgrade (3/4 inch spindle, braised carbide), and rarely use now

I had a customer who wanted a particular profile, and my "low cost" vendor (since it would be single use) was out of stock in the shaper cutter with that profile, so gave me a deal on the router bits with the required profile, which I used to complete the project.
 
charlie i think he was pointing at me but thanks for the additional info..those insert cutters are the way to go if the cost is not more than the use is going to be..
 
Larry is right Charlie:thumb:
Just telling him what he already knows so he can get off the fence and buy the cutters he needs all ready. :thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
This is all very confusing. I had always thought a shaper was just an all-in-one bigger, more powerful unit than a router turned upside down and screwed to the bottom of a table.
My budget doesn't allow for purchasing a good dedicated unit, nor does shop space right now.
And, I have been putting of acquiring a router table. Something about the built-in 'cheap' in me that resists spending more on an accessory than the main deal costs. e.g. router costing less than a table.
Right now I have several routers and a 'shaper' most, or all, of you would laugh at. It is a mini shaper from Grizzly. Surprisingly, I use it frequently with good results. It takes router bits but has an adapter for shaper bits.
This is a good thread but it is still leaving some basic questions open. :huh:
 
This is all very confusing. I had always thought a shaper was just an all-in-one bigger, more powerful unit than a router turned upside down and screwed to the bottom of a table.
My budget doesn't allow for purchasing a good dedicated unit, nor does shop space right now.
And, I have been putting of acquiring a router table. Something about the built-in 'cheap' in me that resists spending more on an accessory than the main deal costs. e.g. router costing less than a table.
Right now I have several routers and a 'shaper' most, or all, of you would laugh at. It is a mini shaper from Grizzly. Surprisingly, I use it frequently with good results. It takes router bits but has an adapter for shaper bits.
This is a good thread but it is still leaving some basic questions open. :huh:

what questions did i not ask that yu think i should have frank? i didnt know there was criteria of what and how much to ask in the threads one posts?????
 
Frank, the web page I referenced in post 10 of this thread came from a woodworking club discussion on router tables vs. shapers. Although I have gone to heavier shapers, there were several club members who argued that a low end shaper, with a router collet or other router bit adapter, were a more economical and better alternative than a traditional router table. I think that is what you said you had done.

I am not familiar with the Grizzly mini-shaper, but it sounds like the very low end shaper oriented to use with a router bits. For panel raising, I might get a braised carbide panel raiser shaper cutter (the one I have costs about $70, designed for a 3/4 inch shaft, but has adapters to 1/2 inch shaft). That larger cutter gives better results than the smaller panel raiser router bits, at almost the same cost.
 
Charlie, this is the Grizzle mini-shaper:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Shaper/G8693
I'm sure it is really a joke to the serious flat worker. Fact is I use it quite often and find very useful. Admittedly for long items, the tiny bed is a real handicap. The ad specs don't say so, but the arbor is adaptable to 1/2" shaper bits. I haven't used just because I question the wisdom of forcing a pony to do the work of a Mack truck.
 
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