Jet small Shaper vs. Router Table

[Bill Dindner]

I'm looking to upgrade my homemade Router Table setup to a more precise and easier to use setup. I'm just a DIY hobbyist, but in pricing out many premium Router tables with lift, motor etc..., the price seems about the same at a small Shaper, like the Jet JWS-22CS .

Theres a 10% off sale now, so I'm thinking about biting the bullet.

Any pros or cons to the small Shaper?

Can I use 1/4 router bits in it?

I have a small shop, 10x20, so size is very important to me.

[Cary Falk]

The JWS-22CS shows a 1/4 and 1/2 router bit collet. Some will advise against using a router bit in a shaper because the speed is too low. I use router bits all the time without issue. The shaper will be quieter than a router. For me the shaper fence is the key. A food fence is worth it's weight In gold whether it be a router table, shaper, or table saw. The one on Jet looks ok. I went from a home built router table where my fence aggravated me to a 3hp shaper. Cost wise it made sense. I ended up upgrading that shaper for one with a better fence. Some will say the router table is more versatile. Shaper cutter are expensive but there are some from Grizzly that are reasonable. Amana and CMT 40mm insert heads can reduce costs also. A router table is less intimidating in my opinion.

[Stew Hagerty]

I'm a hobbyist and I went with a router table. I opted for a really nice, solid, & super precise Incra Combo #3 which includes the larger 27X43 table, their LS17 System, Wonder Fence, and several accessories.

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Into which I dropped the venerable 3 1/4hp PC7518 router in a Woodpeckers PRL-V2 lift (I actually got the now discontinued Sidewinder option)
Then I proceeded to enclose the table and divide the enclosure for storage and for dust collection.

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I tell you what, I have never had the slightest desire for anything new &/or different. Total satisfaction. I believe at the time (2010) I spent around $1000 for everything, naturally it'd be more than that today.

[Ray Selinger]

When I asked where to find a Euro cutter head for my 3hp shaper Powermatic #26 clone, (Grizzly G1026)I started a 102 post discussion on shapers. One of the things pointed out and agreed upon, was that mine is at the light duty end of the scale for a shapers. So lighter than mine is a waste of money. BTW, I had to remachine my fence.

The little Jet is like the small Delta. These shapers date from a time when routers were rare and very small.

[rudy de haas]

I'm looking to upgrade my homemade Router Table setup to a more precise and easier to use setup.
e.

I opted for the shaper - and kind of over did it. If "easier to use" is a big issue for you and/or if the cost of cutters matters a lot, then I'd suggest an upgraded router and table combination.

Mine is a 3HP grizzly/craftex/delta that has an industrial motor capable of running under heavy load all day - it is a joy to use and pain to set up for use. Like most it came with collets for 1/2" and even 1/4" bits, but I feel very uncomfortable using them because the shanks just don't stand up to that motor - so I buy 3/4 shanks and they are expensive.

A small one like your jet would have been the better choice giving the shaper advantages (rock solid in use, quiet, intended for repetitive ops with one fence setting, easier to move around a small space, uses 220V) without the overkill.

[Bill Dindner]

Thanks everyone, allot to think about, not as clear cut as I suspected.

[Chris Hachet]

I am going to do both, I think. Shapers are common enough that I am probably going to pick one up inexpensively used Owwm style. I also have a Incra Router lift and an Incra positioning system from the table saw I just got rid of. Building a nice Router table is on my list....

[Van Huskey]

Router table and shaper work have overlaps but they don't completely cover each other. If you do "real" shaper work you want at least a 1 1/4" spindle, 5hp and a 1hp feeder. A smaller shaper will do all the router overlap but still has issues with some of the smaller bit work a router table shines at mainly due to low speed spindles. Also keep in mind with a quality lift and a Milwaukee or PC 3.25hp router you are at the top of the router table food chain and for similar money NEW you are at the bottom of the shaper food chain that goes up over 100K for a single spindle fully optioned Martin. My point is at that price point shapers are rather rudimentary and the fences are poor and a shaper lives and dies by the fence. While I know a lot will disagree my opinion is if you are doing router work a quality router setup is better than a bottom end shaper for the same work. If you are doing real shaper work get a "real" shaper and feeder. If you want to do both then get both... Finally fine furniture building requires almost zero real shaper work and if that is your core then I think most people would be happier with a top end router table than a low end shaper.

[Mike Cutler]

Bill

If you were starting from "ground zero", I would say to go shaper. I would also advise that a 3HP shaper is the minimum you would want, but that's a personal opinion based on some of the stuff I do .
If you're not doing heavier work, and you already have the routers and a basic table to upgrade, I would say to build/buy a quality CI table, i.e. Bench Dog, raising mechanism and a quality fence.
I guess I'm saying to take the ~ $1K that Jet will set you back,and invest it in what you already have.
You'll know when you need a shaper. I promise you that. ;) I can also promise you that frequently on Craigslist, and eBay, there are 3HP shaper for 1/2-2/3 the price of that Jet. And they don't take up much more floor space unless you want to have all of the tables attached.

[pat warner]

Doors, drawers, windows, and architectural profiles for the shaper.
Everything else for the router table.

[Chris Hachet]

Doors, drawers, windows, and architectural profiles for the shaper.
Everything else for the router table.This was pretty much my thought...I want to do a good bit of architectural woodworking.

[lowell holmes]

I'm not sure what a small shaper is, but I have an old Delta shaper I bought new back in the 1970's. It is a solid machine, much stronger than any router table I've come across.

It is 3/4" horsepower. It has a real motor on it, a lot of steel and a solid table. The motor is reversible. I bought it for a bank remodel job I had going.

I've used it to make raised panel walls, 3070 entrance doors, whatever came along. I agree with Pat.

[Ray Selinger]

Shapers or spindle molders are a lot more useful than they are generally given credit for. They are The tool for rebates. Power feeders are universally recommended, as much or more so for safety as finish. If you are hand feeding, that's where the Euro cutters with their limiters come in. A rule of thumb I read somewhere is 1hp for an inch of face profile.


Here's a lot of reading https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/tools/power-tools/1098512-multi-profile-euro-bloc-shaper-cutter-where


I low balled a CL seller, $100, and he accepted. I had to buy $300 in parts, though. And the fence was a classic " They expected that ??? to work ???? "

[Rod Sheridan]

I would suggest a 3HP shaper minimum, and a 1/2 HP stock feeder.

I don't own a router/table, however I would be lost without a shaper, they're the most versatile machine in the shop.

I would recommend a 125mm X 50mm carbide rebate cutter for rebates and pattern copying, a Euroblock HSS insert head for profiles with chip limiters, and an adjustable grooving cutter, those will cover most of the operations you'll be doing.

Get yourself a good shaper, you'll never regret it, accuracy, precision, safety, quality of cut, low noise, good dust collection and versatility that are unmatched by a router...........Regards, Rod.

[Jared Sankovich]

I wouldn't want to be without both. I use my router table as much as my shapers. The router is quick to setup compared to the shaper. Though I agree with the idea that 3hp is as low as you want to go to get the most value out of a shaper.

[Charles Green]

I lost a lot of tools in the flood in August. My router table was trashed and my Triton router also decided to jam and not want to go up and down anymore (even though it didn't get wet or rusty).

I ran across the Grizzly 1 1/2 hp shaper with extension table for $250 and bought the router collets for $60. So far I'm loving it. I want to do something different as far as the fence goes but I haven't been dissapointed when routing with it yet. At this point I have no interest in going back to a router table but time will tell.

[Chris Hachet]

I lost a lot of tools in the flood in August. My router table was trashed and my Triton router also decided to jam and not want to go up and down anymore (even though it didn't get wet or rusty).

I ran across the Grizzly 1 1/2 hp shaper with extension table for $250 and bought the router collets for $60. So far I'm loving it. I want to do something different as far as the fence goes but I haven't been dissapointed when routing with it yet. At this point I have no interest in going back to a router table but time will tell.Interesting....still mulling this one over myself...

[Philip Rodriquez]

Hi All,

I have a 3HP Jet Shaper and have had several different router table setups. The cut quality of a router bit in a shaper is okay but it can be very poor in some woods because the cutter speed is greatly reduced - make sure you understand this point!

The shaper vs. router, IMHO, is not like buying a table saw or a jointer, where bigger is almost always better. Shapers are industrial machines, designed to run all day long, and their max spindle speed is about 1/2 the speed of a router - which can be a big issue with small bits certain woods (burning or chipping). In addition, you should also consider the cost of shaper cutters (I have several that were over $300, each), a power feeder @ an additional $1K, recognize that they are not portable, and will require 220V power. Routers, in contrast, are perfect for furniture making because most router bits can run at their optimal speeds and also do double duty by being used in hand-held operations.

My own personal advice is to buy a router table, first, then add a shaper if your work requires one. Also note that I see 1.5 and 2 HP shapers on Craigslist but almost never see 3 HP or bigger. A good budget setup is a Rockler router table paired with a Triton 2 1/4 HP Router, which served me well for years. Today, I have both versions of the Festool CMS and I have the VL paired with an MFT and the Incra wonder fence. It is a nice setup but only because I got one of the CMS' used and at a price I could not walk away from.

[Tony Zaffuto]

I use my Delta HD shaper, w/power feeder, far, far more than my Kreg router table, w/lift. Entry is higher for cutters over router bits, but the machines themselves are readily available on the used market, for less than a fully outfitted router table, like my Kreg.

[Mike Schuch]

I had a real nice router table, motorized lift and all. I built it with my father and then inherited it when he passed. I used it about equally as much as my ancient Walker turner 3hp 3/4" spindle shaper. Then I found a great deal on a Taiwanese 7.5hp 1.5" spindle sliding table shaper that I couldn't pass up. I hardly used the router table much after that. When I picked up a good deal on a power feeder the router table was just taking up shop space. I gave the router table and 3.5hp PC router to my brother in law. I like shapers better than router tables... once I got a power feeder there was no way I could match the cut quality coming out of my shaper with the stock always being fed at a perfect speed with hand fed stock though a router table. My favorite cutter is a 45 lock miter joint, my Walker Turner is always setup with this cutter and the Taiwanese shaper does everything else. I can setup my shaper faster that I can setup a router table.

[Chris Hachet]

I had a real nice router table, motorized lift and all. I built it with my father and then inherited it when he passed. I used it about equally as much as my ancient Walker turner 3hp 3/4" spindle shaper. Then I found a great deal on a Taiwanese 7.5hp 1.5" spindle sliding table shaper that I couldn't pass up. I hardly used the router table much after that. When I picked up a good deal on a power feeder the router table was just taking up shop space. I gave the router table and 3.5hp PC router to my brother in law. I like shapers better than router tables... once I got a power feeder there was no way I could match the cut quality coming out of my shaper with the stock always being fed at a perfect speed with hand fed stock though a router table. My favorite cutter is a 45 lock miter joint, my Walker Turner is always setup with this cutter and the Taiwanese shaper does everything else. I can setup my shaper faster that I can setup a router table.


This is good feedback, have not quite decided what I want to do.

[Cary Falk]

I haven't used my router table since getting my shaper. My 2nd(current) shaper is so much easier to set up then my router table. The fence is key to shaper enjoyment if you ask me. My router table is homemade. I might think differently if I had a router table with a precision fence and lift

[Chris Hachet]

I haven't used my router table since getting my shaper. My 2nd(current) shaper is so much easier to set up then my router table. The fence is key to shaper enjoyment if you ask me. My router table is homemade. I might think differently if I had a router table with a precision fence and liftAt this point it is a question of floor space more than anything else for me I think...I have a router lift and would be keeping a small router table.

[William M Johnson]

Hmmm I have the small (1.5 hp)shop fox shaper with extension table. I made over 50 doors and drawer fronts for my house with it. I never wished for more power, or a better fence. I used a lot of router bits in it and never had any issues.

For me the key is a power feeder. I figured out it is absolutely necessary for molding,trim etc. you can't put one of those on a router table. Oh I guess you can but would be a PITA.

It is currently in storage and I use a Festool Router table because of space limitations.

Just my $0.02 worth

Bill

[Bob Vaughan]

Here's a few instruction manuals on the small shaper. The last one from Delta is my favorite, but they all will illustrate how versatile the little tool is.

‎vintagemachinery.org/pubs/808/395.pdf (http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/808/395.pdf)

Sears | Craftsman - Publication Reprints - The Jointer, Shaper and Thickness Planer | VintageMachinery.org (http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=7194)

‎vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1141/1060.pdf (http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1141/1060.pdf)