Shaper Cutter Head Question

[ChrisA Edwards]

I got this Combo Shaper Cutter Head about 6 months ago and other than a quick inspection, haven't done anything with it.

I've never used my Shaper yet, so this is a very rookie question.

I want to use this head to make a Tenon and will cut the bottom side of the Tenon and then flip the wood and repeat.

When I ordered it, I ordered about 6 other profile blades and the limiters to go in position '2' in the photo below.

As you can see, there are blanks installed in these spots currently. I expected to replace these with a couple of straight blades, but looked through all the blades I had and then discovered I don't have any straight blades. At which point I noticed blades in position '1, which are set at about a 15 degree angle from vertical.

I assume these are my straight/rabbiting blades.

(I would have called Whitehill, but I believe they are closed due to Covid-19)

Thanks

https://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i452/cedwards874/Woodworking/ComboCutterHead2_zpsrsp9lhnp.jpg

[ChrisA Edwards]

Answered my own question, yes those are cutters and they work very well.

I couldn't delete the original post, otherwise I would have.

[Warren Lake]

ah yes remember spending time thinking there must be a delete button here somewhere:)

What type of machine is the stub spindle attached to? , would have helped me a few times having that ability. Feel drawn to coping discs and you could run one with that type of spindle. I guess with enough reach a regular spindle as well.

Didnt see stub spindles at auctions, saw lots of shapers though. Was that an optional part for older SCM and Griggio I have?

that head will cut well, its a man one so you can hand feed. I just put new knives and Spur cutters in a head like that then tested it. It works well, I still feel resistance in them. I thought maybe my speed was too low but it was correct. Its a different than the old steel stuff. The one I have is likely MECh maybe they didnt have that MAN at first. this is likely the safest head ive ever used and yet its not rated for hand feed.

[brent stanley]

Hi Chris, yes that's the combi head so the replaceable carbide knives are what you would use for straight cuts like rebates or square shouldered tenons etc. They are on a shearing angle which gives you a nice cut of course. The blanks you notice in position two must be in behind the wedge blocks as depicted in your picture (and wedge blocks secured) while you use the rebate/straight cut feature of the block. Sorry if you already know that.

I have one of those blocks and use it regularly if you have any questions.

B

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have pieces cut to 1 1/8" thickness and they vary anywhere from 3.5" to 6" in width. I'll be cutting a 1/2" thick tenon on each, making two passes on each end to achieve this.

My Hammer F3 shaper has a sliding table, so this should make it pretty easy and quick.

I did a test piece, after my initial post in this thread, and it cut a 7mm x 50mm rabbit with ease and so quietly, Basswood is pretty soft. Each side of the tenon should be one pass.

I've got 74 of these to do.

[Rod Sheridan]

You’ll really enjoy using the shaper for that.

Do you have the tenon hood and table for your shaper?

[ChrisA Edwards]

Do you have the tenon hood and table for your shaper?

Tenon Hood, no I do not.

Table? Not really sure what you mean by that.

Do you mean the aluminum piece that the work piece sits on as in this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFiL5WoJRyc

My Hammer F3 has a sliding table with a miter fence. I also have the Felder cam clamp to hold the work piece in position against the miter fence. This clamp mounts on the sliding table.

I'll be cutting from below, with each pass, about 7mm in height and 50mm from the shaper fence.

Although I'm using metric measurements for this project, my tenon needs to end up 1/2" as that is my chisel size that I will use on my mortiser.

[Mike Delyster]

I believe this is what Rod is talking about.
428978

[brent stanley]

There's an example of a tenon hood: https://www.scosarg.com/tenon-guard-hood-assembly

They can accomodate larger diameter tenon tooling, but with the design of your cutterblock you can achieve longer tenons with the smaller diameter block. Many more modern/sophisticated tenon milling apparatuses have guarding that traverses with the sliding table to shield the operator from the block at all times.

B

[Jared Sankovich]

There's an example of a tenon hood: https://www.scosarg.com/tenon-guard-hood-assembly

They can accomodate larger diameter tenon tooling, but with the design of your cutterblock you can achieve longer tenons with the smaller diameter block. Many more modern/sophisticated tenon milling apparatuses have guarding that traverses with the sliding table to shield the operator from the block at all times.

B

Ouch.. that is pricey for a sheetmetal cover. Makes the aigner fence seem reasonable.

[brent stanley]

Ouch.. that is pricey for a sheetmetal cover. Makes the aigner fence seem reasonable.

No kidding. I just made mine out of leftover Baltic birch!

[lowell holmes]

You can make a plywood pattern and rout a groove inside of the pattern with with these bits.

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=E211US739G0&p=router+bits+with+bearings

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, this is the table and hood for the Hammer.


429000429001429002

[Joe Calhoon]

Rod, curious why you would use a tenon hood for a small diameter cutter? seems very unhandy. I only use mine for cutters over 250mm diameter as that is the largest that fits inside my stock fences.

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod, curious why you would use a tenon hood for a small diameter cutter? seems very unhandy. I only use mine for cutters over 250mm diameter as that is the largest that fits inside my stock fences.

Hi Joe, I don’t normally, I was illustrating the guarding for a seminar when I took those photographs.

When I use the larger cutters for doing both sides of the tenon at once I have to use it as they won’t go below the table on my small shaper.

Hope all is well with you, I am on week 2 of isolation, probably another 2 to 3 weeks......Regards, Rod

[Joe Calhoon]

Thanks Rod, That makes sense.

Different times for sure, pretty much on lock down here also. I am lucky that my shop is on my my home property so I can continue working. A lot of people here are hurting business wise and we all will at some point.
Joe

[Jared Sankovich]

Hi Joe, I don’t normally, I was illustrating the guarding for a seminar when I took those photographs.

When I use the larger cutters for doing both sides of the tenon at once I have to use it as they won’t go below the table on my small shaper.


Rod/Chris

Out of curiosity what it the maximum tenon disc diameter the F3 rated for?

[ChrisA Edwards]

The manual states this

Dado Tooling 220(275)mm
Max Moulding Diameter 220mm.

As you can see from my photo, in post 1, this is a 125mm cutter block. I still have one of the rings in the table around the cutter. This cutter is allowing me about a 55mm radius cut.

Whitehill sells this cutter block with a flushed in bolt and cap which gives you a bit more cut thickness.

[ChrisA Edwards]

So I used the Shaper for the first time and it worked wonderfully. Could not believe how easily it cut 1/2" x 2" tenon on the end of a 1.125" thick board

Cut a slew of tenons on the rails for my Plantation Shutter build.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ6cJ-qv_DU

[brent stanley]

Looks very clean, and doesn't sound like the machine was working too hard.

[Rod Sheridan]

Looks good, wait until you cut both sides at once....Rod