Tilting spindle shaper

[joe milana]

What are some applications for a tilting spindle shaper? I can't think of too many...

[David DeCristoforo]

How about beveling edges at any angle between 0 and 45 degrees with a straight cutter? Or grooving those beveled edges for splines? Just the most basic applications from the many you will discover once you have a tilting spindle.

[joe milana]

How about beveling edges at any angle between 0 and 45 degrees with a straight cutter? Or grooving those beveled edges for splines? Just the most basic applications from the many you will discover once you have a tilting spindle.

OK, but to play devils advocate, that is something I can probably do with a table saw, plate joiner, dowelmax, etc.

[David DeCristoforo]

OK, you can also run a molding head on a table saw. So why bother with a shaper at all? And you can't rip lumber on a shaper or crosscut either. So the shaper is just going to be an expensive space waster regardless of whether or not the spindle tilts. Come to think of it makes no sense at all to have a shaper much less several. I'm putting mine up for sale on CL right now before everyone figures out how useless they are and the bottom drops out of the whole market.

Is that "devil's advocate" enough?

[Nathan Callender]

I would love to get a tilting shaper - I can think of numerous things that I could do. Probably the biggest feature is that it gives you so many more options with a set of cutters so you can be as creative as you want when making custom mouldings.

I've thought about machining a router lift that would have the ability to tilt, but I have too many other things to work on right now. But, I'm a little surprised no one offers one currently (that I know of). I guess you would also need a rather long collet extension to get a full 45 degree tilt from it.

[Joe Calhoon]

Tilt on the shaper is very useful especially if you do any custom millwork or historic work. We run a lot of beam and post wraps tilting the spindle to 45.05 using a straight rebate cutter and outboard fence. We have found the shaper using an outboard fence and feeder more accurate than a sliding table saw for with the grain miter work on solid wood less than 20” wide or so.

Matching short runs of historic millwork without grinding a knife, tilting a saw blade to kerf for Q-lon gaskets on US style door frames, beveling post and rail ends using the sliding table and tapered sills and ledges for door and window work are just a few that come to mind.

Granted, you can do everything mentioned except tilting profile cutters on a table saw but the shaper will be more accurate and safe.

Joe

[Peter Quinn]

OK, you can also run a molding head on a table saw. So why bother with a shaper at all? And you can't rip lumber on a shaper or crosscut either. So the shaper is just going to be an expensive space waster regardless of whether or not the spindle tilts. Come to think of it makes no sense at all to have a shaper much less several. I'm putting mine up for sale on CL right now before everyone figures out how useless they are and the bottom drops out of the whole market.

Is that "devil's advocate" enough?

I'll take the Felder, don't bother with CL!

[Peter Quinn]

I don't have a tilting shaper, though I may after David sells me his for next to nothing, which is more than it is worth given how useless it is!:D

Seriously, being able to turn the handle and very precisely nail an angle to do much of the above mentioned work would be worth its weight in gold. Every shaper I have used has more accurate adjustment of height, and I would imagine tilt, than any TS I have ever used. A shaper is a precision tool, a TS can do precise work, but its jack screws are meant to lift a blade quickly to a coarse height, not really ideal for quick easy precise adjustments at all. I'd rather sneak up on a setting on the shaper any day.

I think you can make a tilting table fixture to raise the work for fixed spindle shapers that would be a less convenient but no less accurate means of accomplishing the same ends should it really be necessary and the tilting spindle is not available. Imagine, $20 worth of BB replacing the functionality of a $2500 tilt option.

Example:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3SEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA228&dq=shaper+jigs+tilting+table&hl=en&ei=c923S-KOA8KblgeJ-bWVCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

And here's a nice example from RJ DeCristoforo! Look at the second page photos.

http://books.google.com/books?id=EpSrYt9lFLMC&pg=PA128&dq=shaper+DeCristoforo&cd=8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[David DeCristoforo]

"I'll take the Felder, don't bother with CL!"

OK but you gotta get here by six... Doh! Too late...

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Hmm, judging from the hp recommendations in the article-- either David's dad was using softer wood or we're suffering hp inflation





I don't have a tilting shaper, though I may after David sells me his for next to nothing, which is more than it is worth given how useless it is!:D

Seriously, being able to turn the handle and very precisely nail an angle to do much of the above mentioned work would be worth its weight in gold. Every shaper I have used has more accurate adjustment of height, and I would imagine tilt, than any TS I have ever used. A shaper is a precision tool, a TS can do precise work, but its jack screws are meant to lift a blade quickly to a coarse height, not really ideal for quick easy precise adjustments at all. I'd rather sneak up on a setting on the shaper any day.

I think you can make a tilting table fixture to raise the work for fixed spindle shapers that would be a less convenient but no less accurate means of accomplishing the same ends should it really be necessary and the tilting spindle is not available. Imagine, $20 worth of BB replacing the functionality of a $2500 tilt option.

Example:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3SEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA228&dq=shaper+jigs+tilting+table&hl=en&ei=c923S-KOA8KblgeJ-bWVCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

And here's a nice example from RJ DeCristoforo! Look at the second page photos.

http://books.google.com/books?id=EpSrYt9lFLMC&pg=PA128&dq=shaper+DeCristoforo&cd=8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[Mike Heidrick]

I think we are spinning a bit larger cutters.

[Peter Quinn]

Hmm, judging from the hp recommendations in the article-- either David's dad was using softer wood or we're suffering hp inflation

I think the main thing we are suffering from is inflated personal disposable income! Back in those days few hobbyists could buy a machine with 7 1/2HP, variable speed, tilting spindle, etc, let alone a basic 5HP machine for home use. A 3HP HD rockwell was one heck of a tool by most standards. Now it seems every other guy has a Felder or a Minimax in the garage, and I am blatantly envious.


But the tilted fixture concept is still solid assuming it is built to handle the work.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...judging from the hp recommendations in the article-- either David's dad was using softer wood or we're suffering hp inflation..."

Good point. My dad had a small Craftsman 1/2" spindle machine with (AFAICR) a 1hp motor. But he also had small diameter, HSS cutters and only ran "short runs". For the majority of small or home shop needs, a machine like that would be fine. The thing is, at that level, there is really little significant difference between a shaper and a router table. In fact the router table might be "better" since router bits are typically carbide, the cutting circle is close to the same as the smaller HSS shaper knives and the router spins the cutter at a much higher RPM. But when you get into a production environment where you are spinning 4-6" diameter (or larger) knives all day and it is not practical to make multiple passes, the larger shapers come into their own. Things like sliding tables and tilting spindles only sweeten the pot. Of course, as Peter so rightly points out, they also hit the bank balance a lot harder too!