Got a good deal on some shaper knives. Woodmaster? Shop Fox? What would you do?

[dirk martin]

I've got a couple local lumber yards, that would like me to cut some mouldings for them to stock and offer/sell to their customers.
They don't really care what the profile is....they'd just like me to provide them with 10 or so different profiles, and a few hundred linear feet of each. Then as they run low, they'll hit me up for more. Once in a while, I can add a different profile to their stock.

I just got a good deal on some corregated shaper knives. All in excellent condition, used once on short runs...about 200 sets of kinves, with templates.

I also have a woodmaster with a shaper head that I've never put in, as well as a Shop Fox 1812 shaper, that's new, never been powered up.

So, I've got the hardware to make and sell some profiled wood.
(can someone confirm for me that standard corregated shaper knives will run in the Woodmaster, but not in the SF1812?)

Would you:

a) keep the corregated knives to run in the Woodmaster, and create a bunch of wood trim that way?
b) sell the corregated knives, and buy just what profiles I want, for the Shop Fox, and make wood trim that way?
c) keep the knives, and buy some for the Shop Fox also, and make more sawdust than any normal person can think of?

[David Kumm]

Generally you want to run molding horizontally not vertically. Tough to get the shaper fence and feeder to work as well as running the molding on its back against a table. I'd keep the 60 degree CB assuming that fits the WM. It's not just the corregations but the depth of the knife from the profile to the back. My WM has a special planing head cut with CB slots and the knives need to have 3/4 to 7/8" relief to the back. You need to find out if they will work. If so that is the way to go. Keep in mind that running trim is not an easy way to make money. The stock needs to be milled exactly alike, and you need to run back knives. Best if you can run the back cutters on on end of the head and the profiles on the other so you don't need to change them out everytime. You also need the variable speed option on the WM and need to learn to examine each board thinking about how to hide the defects considering what gets cut out by the profile. There will be more waste than you ever imagined so price it in. If the lumber guy tries to get cheap it is too much work. Short runs demand premium prices. Dave

[ed vitanovec]

I think you have a good opportunity and should take advantage of it. I asked a vendor about corrugated shaper knives and they won't work on a WoodMaster corrugated head, has something to do with the grind angle.

[Mel Fulks]

Not familiar with that machine but I don't see where the grind angle would make any difference beyond a slight distortion in the moulding ,that might be just as acceptable as the mouldings made when the knives were new. There are some 90 degree corg heads out there. Know anything about that machine?

[David Kumm]

Grind angle should only be relevant if the knives are used on a head much different in diameter than what they were designed for. Dave

[dirk martin]

Keep in mind that running trim is not an easy way to make money.

What am I mssing?
It seems rather easy, to me...but I don't have the experience many of you do.
I'm thinking...
a) grab a board from my stack of clear red oak.
b) straight line rip one edge.
c) run it through my 12" TS with stock feeder, to cut to width.
d) mount the knives in my Woodmaster
e) run the red oak thru the Woodmaster a couple of times
f) empty my drum of wood chips
g) sell for 3x my wood cost

Seems pretty simple.....so, what am I missing?

[David Kumm]

I found that both edges needed to be dressed too. The saw left too rough an edge and the knives don't extend all the way to clean up the edges. There will be some sanding involved depending on species. The secret to large molders is their ability to really hold the board down and eliminate vibration. A WM or WH are very good but the nature of the design limits the hold downs so the stock even when run slowly may leave some chatter - or planer- marks that show up when stained. Not a big deal when doing a room for yourself but sanding trim can get old. Your experience might differ so don't take mine as gospel. I like it to match existing or for small jobs but everytime i do it I realize that a good molder is better if you can get them to slow down the speed a little. Most trim is run fast for production so they get some chatter too. Dave

[Mel Fulks]

Hope it works out for you ,it could. But I agree with David. There are so many places selling moulding,and the way you are describing it ,sounds like the profiles could be almost randomly chosen.And no one calls when they are low on inventory of wood stuff. They call when they have run out and have a customer standing there ready to buy. I think some kind of need is needed. Picture frame, cove in several kinds of wood (for stain grade work) ,maybe something that was widely used in your town years ago and no longer a stock item and often needed for repairs .Good Luck!

[Jeff Duncan]

David has done a good job already, I'll just add that I have a pretty well equipped shop and there's no way I can make and sell molding for what I can buy it for. The large mill shops are selling molding for not much more than I can buy the lumber for! Short custom runs on the other hand can be profitable as you can charge for it. You'll have to study your market and see if you can make it work, but I just don't see how in this day and age where you can ship a truck load of molding anywhere? There are certain things that are just not great items to produce for profit in small quantities. Things like flooring, molding, and cabinet doors. If you can keep it to custom runs where you can charge you may be able to make some money.

good luck,
JeffD