Craftsman Molding Set for Table Saw

[Matt Hardy]

I came across one of these today and I am bit interested. Anyone have any experience with them and if so was it positive? Any advantage this would have over a traditional router set up? I can't quite get my brain wrapped around it. Does it attach to any table saw like a typical dado set? The one I came across was similar to the one on ebay and not on youtube.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMVIaB7y_sQ

[Ray Vivian]

I have the set like in the video. Had it about 25 or so years. Did everything I wanted it to do. Haven't used it in about 8 years.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I have one. Works great. Went to some effort to fill out my set even though I have a shaper.

[Curt Harms]

They're loud. I have one, haven't used it much. One thing it does better than a router table is tapered flutes at least in my experience. Corob cutters makes knives for the Craftsman style head as well as the Delta style.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I own several, all of which I picked up for about ten bucks each. I use mine to make replacement siding for my repair business. What would take DAYS to do with router, I can do in a couple hours on saw.

[Ed Aumiller]

Bought a set about 35 years ago... used it to make moldings, etc .. originally used it on a Sears 10"RAS but have since used it on a 10" table saw...
a nice feature of it is that you can tilt the arbor on both a RAS or TS and vary the results...
It comes in two sizes of the main holder, one is about 6" in diameter, the other is about 3" diameter...
The big one always made me nervous to use, so I bought the smaller one and feel much more confident using it..
Have a shaper, router w/table, etc ... but still use this on occasion...
Just be sure knives are sharp and definitely limit amount of cut and use guards..

[Kevin McCluney]

I've had the same set as i the video for 25+ years. I've used it for fluting and beading and it works well. It makes a distinctive sound when running on the saw.

[keith micinski]

Love mine to make fluted pieces. Wish I had more cutters and someday will look into those corob cutters.

[Mike Ontko]

I got one of those Craftsman molding heads along with my first tablesaw, an old Craftsman model 113.040 that was gifted from a friend when her dad passed. I've only used the fluting heads to trim out an entry door in cedar. They do a pretty decent job, though you'll want to take small bites and frequent passes to avoid tearing the wood fibers.

And they come with a built-in safety feature as well--the noise these things make when they're up to full speed will keep your eyes so wide open that you won't be likely to make any slip-ups while you're passing the wood over it :)

[Jim Becker]

If you like the idea of these cutters but are dubious about the actual product, there are other similar, but more refined solutions available on the market that make less noise, have more mass and balance from that mass and have a very nice cutter locking setup. Magic Molder (http://magicmolder.com/) is the one that comes to mind...a cabinetmaker friend of mine has this setup and it's great. Not inexpensive, of course... ;)

[John K Jordan]

Bought a set about 35 years ago... used it to make moldings, etc .. originally used it on a Sears 10"RAS but have since used it on a 10" table saw...

My experience almost exactly, I bought mine about the same time! I did have the larger one and you are right, it is one scary spinning thing on the RAS! Even the sound it made with the blades in the air held my attention. I cut a lot of molding with it, always with multiple hold-downs.

JKJ

[Brian W Smith]

The only thing we use one for is reeding .We mold wide boards,then cross cut them to desired length.Under the cap rail as part of the profile.Used at top of dado section of wall.Very popular here in larger,older homes.Also use them on pedimented surrounds on the horizontal breaks.

We use shapers for reeding when 6" and under widths.

[Wes Ramsey]

They're loud. I have one, haven't used it much. One thing it does better than a router table is tapered flutes at least in my experience. Corob cutters makes knives for the Craftsman style head as well as the Delta style.

Thanks for that Curt! I have a couple of the molding bodies that came with my saw, but no cutters, and the mighty Google let me down aside from the over-priced Ebay listings. I will check them out!