Please recommend a book on using a shaper

[rudy de haas]

I bought a used shaper yesterday :) witha 0.25HP power feeder (busybee 702, same as G1026 circa 2004; feeder looks like a G4176 ) from a guy who bought them new for use in refurbishing his own home - did a great job on it too: he's a retired finish carpenter from the days when that meant something, wonderfully helpful in getting the thing loaded and tied down on my rent-a-junker truck - but, of course, I haven't much of a clue about how to use it.

So, what book or books do you recommend? I have both Spielman and Hylton-Matlack on router methods and something in that general range but more recent might be about right - a combination of how to with what not to. Lang's Shop Drawings for Craftsman Interiors pretty much specifies what I want to learn to make.

[Mike Delyster]

The Spindle Moulder Handbook by Eric Stephenson isn't bad, that said none of the few shaper books I've looked at over the years are that great.

[Mike Cutler]

Rudy

Like Mike, I haven't seen any "good" books on the subject. There are some basic primers though. A place to start if you've never used a shaper before.
A lot of You Tube videos out there. Mostly on making cabinet doors, and drawer parts, but for architectural, freehand, template work, I haven't found any.
Many of the same concepts apply, as with a table mounted router, but you have a lot more mass and power behind the shaper than a router. You have to remember that.
Start slow and teach yourself, but really listen to that inner voice. ;)

Me personally;
I would like to see the method Peter Quinn speaks too, of using only two wheels on the power feeder to do template work. I've always freehanded with a form/template, which can get nerve wracking.

Hint Peter, HINT. ;)

[Mel Fulks]

The Stevenson book is ok, has some pretty obscure stuff I have never heard of and fails to mention some more practical things. I still like the old Delta shaper book ,it's concise ,shows some special but easy to do set ups that might not occur even to those with experience, and it's cheap.

[Kevin Jenness]

Rudy, the Stephenson book, though dated, is the best I have seen.The Delta book is also useful.

The shaper is one of the most versatile machines in the shop, and one of the most hazardous, especially when hand fed. Personal instruction from a competent shaper hand is best if available. Not inexpensive (unlesss compared to a shaper injury), but Joe Calhoon does offer classes at his shop in Ouray,CO, and I am sure there are others available at various woodworking schools. You might be able to find a commercial shop near you that would let you observe their setup, or there may be a Creeker nearby who would do the same.

Checking setups is crucial for safety. Before turning on the machine, check that the knives are secured in the head, the spindle nut is locked down, the fence settings are locked, the spindle rotation is correct, the spindle speed is appropriate for the cut, the powerfeed adjustments are tight and your personal safety equipment is in place. Ask yourself "What could go wrong?"

Mike, Joe posted this recently in a thread about pattern cutting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZTXjJwOhy0. The thread is a useful illustration of what can go wrong with a sketchy shaper setup. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?230321-pattern-cutter-for-shaper

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Rudy, The Spindle Moulder Handbook is the only modern book on shapers I've found.

It's worth buying, and has information on modern guarding, tooling and accessories.

Regards, Rod.

[Peter Quinn]

There are a few to check out. The Lonnie Bird book has some useful basic information, a bit on pattern shaping, safety info. The old delta manual that is published on the web in a few places, IIR its called "getting the most from your wood shaper", while old is still very useful. The cutter is often left a bit more exposed than the modern nanny state allows, and at times a bit more exposed than a guy who cares about his fingers might employ, but the fences and jigs shown still have value. The Stephenson book "spindle moulded handbook" has some important info, but it's also got lots of speed charts, tooling info and other obscure things that only a high level professional industrial user will ever encounter, and it's written in keeping with current EU regulations as they are enforced in the UK, so heavy emphasis on Shaw guards and other safety protocols that may be burdensom to the hobby or small shop user. Basically there can be not even a theoretical danger of flesh meeting cutter by even the stupidest of users in this protocol, worker safety and such. That's my take on it anyway, so read the book but don't be surprised if large portions of it don't seem to apply to your needs, and don't expect much practical "how to do it" task related info.

There are a few other books, one called "Shaper--the missing shop manual" that has a quick synopsis of other readily available information, so the shop manual is. It really "missing" but it makes a cute title, and it's cheap. In fact there is some decent if very basic information in the Powermatic 27 or 2000 manual available on the WMH web site. Sadly though there is no modern comprehensive "how to" manual that covers every aspect and all the potential applications of the wood shaper that encourages modern safety and chip collection protocols that I am aware of. Perhaps there is a literary opportunity here?

[Peter Quinn]

Rudy

Like Mike, I haven't seen any "good" books on the subject. There are some basic primers though. A place to start if you've never used a shaper before.
A lot of You Tube videos out there. Mostly on making cabinet doors, and drawer parts, but for architectural, freehand, template work, I haven't found any.
Many of the same concepts apply, as with a table mounted router, but you have a lot more mass and power behind the shaper than a router. You have to remember that.
Start slow and teach yourself, but really listen to that inner voice. ;)

Me personally;
I would like to see the method Peter Quinn speaks too, of using only two wheels on the power feeder to do template work. I've always freehanded with a form/template, which can get nerve wracking.

Hint Peter, HINT. ;)

Looks like Kevin linked Joe's video below, that is exactly how I do it, except I've always removed the front and rear wheels and used only the center. Joes front wheel method probably gives greater visibility on the critical outfeed side, using the center wheel puts some of the feeder body on each side of the cutter which keeps hands away from the cutter, Joe has the proper ring guard on the Martin there, I use a shop made chip hood that offers little protection and marginal bulk chip collection.....I like his method better!

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Peter, the reasons you dislike the book are why I think it so valuable for a new shaper owner.

- the emphasis on overhead (Shaw) guards is important for the new user as they're good at holding the work in place and preventing your fingers from entering the danger area

- The use of MAN rated cutters which while not required yet in North America make the shaper must safer to operate with reduced risk of kickback. Since we can buy MAN rated cutters here, why not start off with the safer approach first?

The shaper is an incredibly versatile machine and can be safely operated if you have the correct training and use the appropriate safety features, something we should be encouraging new users to do.

Regards, Rod.

[ian maybury]

Another here of mixed views. The Stephenson book seems in effect to be mostly about how to achieve UK Health & Safety compliance - which so far as it goes is great and very valuable.

There's basic set up and operating methods information in there, but it's far from being the sort of resource you would refer to if you needed a practically proven method of handling a particular job or other. Especially if you are looking for stuff written by a hands on/user sort of person.

At first look it seems there's a huge hole in the market, but maybe in the end there are not that many DIY/hobby users of shapers about - and hence not enough of a market to make it worth while writing a techniques manual. It'd be great if somebody would though - it's maybe the missing ingredient in the mystery of why these very capable machines are not more widely used by said group...

[rudy de haas]

ok -

1) I've ordered the Stephenson book. I'm an academic at heart, so a few charts won't hurt..

2) I'm reading the delta book as a PDF on screen. Dated, but useful.

3) I've just spent the morning playing with the new toy. So far, the biggest problem is that I have yet to get the power feeder properly positioned. If I get it close enough to the spindle that the workplace doesn't stop moving before the cut is finished, the wheels aren't flat on the wood - If I get them squarely on the wood, the last wheel is too far from the cutting head. I'm getting the feeder's manual sent me, so I imagine this will turn out to be something like having installed it on the upper right corner of the table instead of the left.

4) the machine turns out to be a bit older than I thought (1995, not 2004) but most of it looks brand new. The guy I bought it from said he only used it for his own house - perhaps 20 hours of set-up and 10 of use in twenty years of product aging. These things should be like trucks and tractors and record actual hours of use because that would make the hobbyist user's machines much easier for his kids to sell - :)

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Rudy, the feeder should be mounted on the top left corner of the table.

If you PM me your e-mail address I'll send you a stock feeder manual........Rod.

[Mike Delyster]

Some feeders need to be mounted in a specific place on the machine, my Felder feeder is like that it has to be mounted in the left back corner or the mounting arm will hit the motor. My older Comatic variable speed feeder can be mounted on either side, it's just the way the mounting arms attach to the feeder that determine that.

[rudy de haas]

Thanks - I just got the manual. This will mount on either corner, but I got the head position totally wrong - easily fixed. After some experimentation I've put it on
the left corner because that seemed to offer better wheel positioning - two pulling the workpiece, one pushing.

[Larry Copas]

I have the same shaper and feeder. Sometimes I have problems when the feeder is flopped over on its side. The horizontal arm is just a little short. Other than that one position no trouble at all.

I have the Stephenson book but my copy is called the Shaper Handbook. I suppose it is the same as the one you guys are talking about. Also have The Shaper Book by Lonnie Bird. Sometimes it only takes one little tip to make a book worthwhile.

[lowell holmes]

There is another book that was published by Taunton. It was written by Lonnie Bird. The book was copyrighted in 1996.
It is a good book.

[Peter Quinn]

Here is a link I found for the EU that may offer some additional info. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis18.pdf

Rod, I'm not against safety,all for it actually , my problem with the book is that it spends a lot of time showing lots of safety mechanisms for hand feed that can all pretty much be avoided with a power feed, and my recollection is there is little time given to proper use of a power feed, just a "here it is" discription. For most of my power fed set ups there is no room for a shaw guard and really no need, though a back fence or pressure module is often useful. I find the book very doctrinaire in its approach to safety and less practical. I would.certainly advocate using MAN cutters for hand fed operations, I work often under a guy missing 3 fingers from a shaper accident involving corrugated cutters and a large curved casing. This accident could easily have been avoided with proper guarding and a power feed which he didn't bother to do....accident happened close to close on a Friday! Big rush changed his life. I regularly use a MEC euro block with a feeder which I understand doesn't meet EU standards....but it meets mine. The way it's worded they don't ever want you to use non chip limiting heads, here in cowboy country it's not easy to even find a chip limiting molding head and it doubles the cost of every knife ground. I've had to do the occasional curved piece with a non chip limiting head, I don't like doing it and always use a feeder, I wouldn't advocate doing it, for me it's either do it or quit, and I like my job.

[Rod Sheridan]

Peter, we're about identical in our work patterns and methods.

I use the feeder for any operation I can as it produces higher quality work, is safer and reduces guarding requirements.

I also use MEC cutters with a feeder, I guess I'm lucky, it's easy for me to buy or order MAN cutters as I live in a large city.

I think it's the best shaper book out there, not because it's so great, rather that the others are so poor on the safety aspects, which are hard for a hobby user to learn without a qualified mentor or a good book..........Regards, Rod.

[Erik Christensen]

every other major tool in my shop has good to great references commercially available that show an ignorant novice how to use the tool and do so safely... except the shaper. It must be that this tool is assumed to only be used in a professional setting - "you need to know how to use the shaper go ask the shaper guy over there". It is my favorite tool despite the fact that I am clueless about its true potential.

[Joe Calhoon]

Here is a link I found for the EU that may offer some additional info. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis18.pdf

Rod, I'm not against safety,all for it actually , my problem with the book is that it spends a lot of time showing lots of safety mechanisms for hand feed that can all pretty much be avoided with a power feed, and my recollection is there is little time given to proper use of a power feed, just a "here it is" discription. For most of my power fed set ups there is no room for a shaw guard and really no need, though a back fence or pressure module is often useful. I find the book very doctrinaire in its approach to safety and less practical. I would.certainly advocate using MAN cutters for hand fed operations, I work often under a guy missing 3 fingers from a shaper accident involving corrugated cutters and a large curved casing. This accident could easily have been avoided with proper guarding and a power feed which he didn't bother to do....accident happened close to close on a Friday! Big rush changed his life. I regularly use a MEC euro block with a feeder which I understand doesn't meet EU standards....but it meets mine. The way it's worded they don't ever want you to use non chip limiting heads, here in cowboy country it's not easy to even find a chip limiting molding head and it doubles the cost of every knife ground. I've had to do the occasional curved piece with a non chip limiting head, I don't like doing it and always use a feeder, I wouldn't advocate doing it, for me it's either do it or quit, and I like my job.

Well said Peter
You have pretty well nailed it for the US. I been in enough Euro shops the see the experienced hands are doing the same over there.
As I have said before I keep my templates simple to the point where they might look dangerous to some. I would recommend to anyone starting out to overbuild the templates and put the handles and guards when you can.

As for placement of the feed wheels in the video. I normally use the middle but these were pretty tight radius curves and wheel in front works easier for that. Way back I used to turn the feeder up on its nose but that is hard with the feed arm on the Martin. Easier to remove wheels.

Shaped some full Roman arch window heads today. They were too small to use the feeder but easy by hand.

Joe

[Larry Edgerton]

I think Joe should write an advanced book! I'll buy one.

I am self taught and never worked for anyone else with a shaper so I imagine solutions and pick up ideas here but it would be nice if there was a pro grade reference book I could consult. I know I could learn a lot.

Larry

[rudy de haas]

I don't know if Joe is the right guy, but someone should.

Getting it commercially published might be nearly impossible, but probably unnecessary. If someone did a good piece of work, web publication should work very well for it because the user community is small, focussed, and generally reachable.

[Mel Fulks]

I don't think a good one will be written any time soon. Mfgs. dont mind saying they keep instructions at barest minimum
because lawyers tell them it lessens liability. All the moulder operators I've known who used square heads and hand ground knives were excellent because they learned from older guy as his successor . I call that " the do it exactly like this or get out method". If they had to make a single piece of crown they did it quickly and with the bevels cut. With one exception all the moulder operators who learned in a school apparantly paid no attention to proper indexing and usually
SAW the bevels because " it's too much trouble to set up the bevel knives for small quantity" I have seen them run a pile of pieces and bring them to a bench for someone else to SAW them. A school for shaper work is needed where one would
be awarded certificate stating what they can do ,and that would be quite different from the often heard "anything".