Homemade fence/guard for pattern work on shaper

[David Scheckman]

Hi, It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I want to do some pattern work on one of my shapers making some molds for guitar building. I’ll be working with mdf and Baltic birch. I can set up either my SCM T-130 shaper or a Delta 3hp. I do most of my work with the SCM. I have an Amana insert head and bearing. I’d love to have an Aigner Bowmould but really can’t justify that at this point. It looks to me like it would not be difficult to build a fence that provides a decent level of safety and dust collection without the bells and whistles of the bowmould. I would not need the fixed guide function since I have a bearing. Has anyone done this? Have photos ? Advice on most important features or construction ideas? I’m thinking Baltic birch maybe with an integral lead-in setup. I’d be using a template jig/hold down. I’ll experiment with single roller power feed but I think the complex 1/2 guitar shape may make that awkward. I’ll need to make both inside and outside patterns. I’ve read as much as I can find about pattern work on a shaper, but never done it. Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.
David

[Mike Kees]

Hi David. I use a byrd type cutterhead and rub bearing with a tenoning hood on my Minimax shaper when I set up to do pattern work. Mine is factory because It came with in the deal when I bought my machine used.Not much to it,just a box shape with a dust collection port on back and an adjustable front for opening height so one can cover the unused exposed part of the cutter while working. There is no lead-in on this just the cover over cutter. Personally I would build lead-in into the jig that holds parts to be machined.

[Steve Jenkins]

I also need to build a new hood for a cutter I just had made. It’s about 11” in diameter and is too big for the hood I normally use.

[Rod Sheridan]

I would suggest making a plywood hood that’s about 3/8 of a circle.

Use the fence mounting holes on your shaper to attach it......Rod

[Jared Sankovich]

I haven't built one like this since i just remove the fence to run off the bearing then shovel up the chips later, but it seems like it works well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVWY1WJjBRN/?igshid=1xl7oz69m904t

[David Scheckman]

Thanks Jared, That’s more or less along the lines I was thinking, great to see it in action. I hadn’t thought of adding a plywood top over the top of the shaper which may have some advantages. I’d probably add an adjustable cover over the front.
David

[brent stanley]

The beauty of the commercial options is their ability to taylor the amount of the opening to the pattern being routed. The more sinuous the pattern, the larger the opening required for a given guard shape. Will be neat to see what you come up with for making an adjustable one.

[David Scheckman]

Looking at my shapers this morning I realized using an added plywood top will make a lot of sense. It’ll be easily transferable to either shaper and can be clamped onto the shaper at any angle to facilitate avoiding running into the power feeder mount when copying complex shapes (acoustic guitar.) I’ll likely make the jig dedicated to the one Amana insert cutter I have. I also have the Amana spindle sander for shaper which uses the same bearing for patterns so that’ll work too.