Delta Shaper

[Jack Frederick]

A friend just dropped of a Delta Shaper. He has lived off grid for 40 yrs and can’t or doesn’t run 220 gear. He said it has been sitting in a corner and it needed a home. He knows the history of this machine. I have never run a shaper, zero experience on them and I am absolutely paying attention to the “No Bozo’s” sticker. My new router table is great but cannot do what the shaper can, but I know how to handle the RT.
My question is, for a pretty well equipped hobbyist, is this thing worth keeping? I’m not afraid of it, that sticker is kinda front of mind right now.

[Carroll Courtney]

I would watch as much You tubes and read some of the shaper books that is out there like the one by I think Lonnie Byrd. They are fantastic as long as the cutter is sharp and use in a safe manor which means push blocks and sliding attachments to keep fingers clear of the cutter. Those cutter are the anti kickback type which is the ones I like so you have a good start. But I have couple shapers and I am also still learning.

[Mike Kees]

The best shaper book is the one written by Eric Stephenson, "Spindle Moulder handbook." I have every book I could find and have read and learned from all of them. One that would be very useful to a beginner is the "missing shop manual series-shaper " book. It will give you several jigs and setups that are basic yet get your brain thinking the way you need to approach making safe and useful jigs on the shaper.

[Mike Kees]

Jack ,on Youtube watch the series by Patrick Molhzan.

[Mel Fulks]

I've got the E. Stevenson book and it's good, but I think some things have too much info ,while others don't have enough.
For the shaper you have I suggest the unknown obvious. " Getting The Most Out Of Your Shaper". Short,and cheap.
Written for Delta shapers

[Mike Kees]

Just reread your original post. Yes it is worth keeping the shaper. Way more real power and quieter than a router table.

[Bill Dufour]

Buy the router spindle and use you existing bits. Plenty of rpm for home shop use of router bits. Use a dust collector it will throw chips and lots of them. Watch ebay for deals on basic knives. I can not tell what knives you have. I would get a round over, lock miter, slot cutting and a straight vertical. If desired get a reversible rail and stile. Those panel raising knives are scary wait for more experience to use those. I would take several cut to full depth with those. I bought a 7? degree vertical panel raiser and use it for fit ups.
Bill D.

no idea if this one fits but it gives you the idea. I see some use a eER25 collet which gives you better grip and a big array of sizes.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D3080-Router-Spindle-Shaper/dp/B0000DD510

[Mel Fulks]

"More power and quieter" The two speed machines are ok. But the one speed 8000 rpm model...I consider to be fit only for the steel cutters,
not the carbide. The steel cutters do turn up at yard sales at low prices.

[Cary Falk]

I use router bits in my shaper. You need to be careful on the Deltas because there are 2 different collet shapes depending on the year. I think they are harder to find than a unicorn.

[Jack Frederick]

Thank you all for your advice. Right now I am kinda circling it. Kinda like a horse you approach with trepidation;) The bits are all Freud. Mel, May I ask, why steel rather than carbide?

[Mel Fulks]

Steel is sharper than carbide. Carbide depends on speed. I've seen guys run cabinet door joints on slow speed, cut
LOOKED fine ...but the joints would not close up...left a small opening . That means weak as well as ugly.

[Mel Fulks]

For just running a moulding it should be ok ,most of the time.

[Mike Cutler]

Yes, you should keep it. It is one of the most versatile machines in a shop, but is very underused, by the hobbyist population at large.
You can run router bits well enough on one, contrary to popular opinion. If you don't have the actual router spindle collets, you can purchase one from AE tools. https://www.ae-tool.com/
Start with some basic tooling. Straight cutters,( 1/4" to 1".) a T&G set, and maybe a reversible glue joint cutter. Start out making simple rabbets and edge joints. Keep a book of the dimensions of the cutters you have, and the cutter setups for various cuts. It's really easy to reset up a shaper setting to within thousandth's with a digital height gauge. You can also be within 10-15 thousandths on your initial test cuts, if you know your cutter dimensions and have a height gauge. The shaper is a machine of thousandth's.
I ran a shaper most of my life without a power feeder. But, that's also how I was taught in school to use one as teenager. Get a power feeder. ;)

[Jack Frederick]

Thanks,Mike. This is always it goes. Get something for short money and with the accessories you find out what it will cost. What is an appropriate feeder for this shaper. It is a 43-375. As I look it over, it is a really nice piece of equipment. I have ordered a handful of those “No Bozos” stickers. I’m putting them on the shop doors.

[Mel Fulks]

Power feeders are good. But that machine is too small for a big feeder, IMO. They can turn over. The small feeders I've seen were too fast.
Might be better stuff around now. I would use a spring hold down on that. You might have to make it yourself, don't see
them much any more. Some supply places won't even know what you are talking about. But they are easy to make.

[Mel Fulks]

My spring hold down post just reminded me of another thing I don't like about the E. Stevenson shaper book. Don't think
it mentions spring hold downs. He does mention a combo guard - pressure bar. But I was unable to find a suplier that
knew what I was talking about. That includes Schimdt ,which is pretty good.

[Mike Cutler]

Thanks,Mike. This is always it goes. Get something for short money and with the accessories you find out what it will cost. What is an appropriate feeder for this shaper. It is a 43-375. As I look it over, it is a really nice piece of equipment. I have ordered a handful of those “No Bozos” stickers. I’m putting them on the shop doors.

I have the same exact machine and have a 3 wheeled 1/2 hp, Comatic power feeder on it. Mine is mounted to the left of the spindle, as facing the door. The motor is mounted to the inside right of the machine, from the door, and the electrical contactor box is also on the right side. This way the power feeder and the motor were not on the same side of the machine because Mel is correct, you do need to worry about the weight of the power feeder making the machine unstable when not in use. All of the weight is high, relative to the height of the machine. I take mine off, or position it so that it centers over the machine when not in use.

[Rod Sheridan]

My spring hold down post just reminded me of another thing I don't like about the E. Stevenson shaper book. Don't think
it mentions spring hold downs. He does mention a combo guard - pressure bar. But I was unable to find a suplier that
knew what I was talking about. That includes Schimdt ,which is pretty good.

I believe that Stephenson mentions and illustrates Shaw guards frequently in his book. My shaper came from the factory with a Shaw guard, I use it frequently.

The feeder is important and for that machine a 3 wheel 1/2 HP will be suitable.

Shapers are really versatile, nice to see someone getting started on it.........Rod.

[lowell holmes]

I have a shaper and it does fine. I wear safety glasses and use a push stick.

[Bill Dufour]

My drillpress is a bit top heavy with a cast iron belt guard on the very top. It is bolted to a riser block about 12" tall. That riser is full of old motors and cans of nuts and bolts for ballast.

[Mel Fulks]

Rod, I couldn't think up the name Shaw Guard yesterday. But when I was trying to find one I was asking for it by the
correct name.