Grizzly G1026 Shaper

[Dave Norris]

Hi Everyone,
I have a Grizzly G1026 shaper that is probably 15 years old. Not sure if it is still the case, but it was back when some Grizzly products were made in ISO factories which was a soothing factor when buying a product from them since at the time they were the cheapest around. I'd like to say it has served me well over the years but that is just not the case. Right from the get-go it had a wonky cartridge that spun the spindle in an ellipse shape instead of a circle. It was brand new and Grizzly readily replaced the cartridge. I've had mixed results with it over the years, and while it has gotten steady use it has not seen a lot of use. I typically use it for making various pieces of trim in hard wood, tongue and groove for the backs of furniture and some cabinets, and making tenons for face frames, etc.

A few of the issues have been:

Gear lash in the vertical adjustment-when trying to dial in a setting for say a glue joint I'm always up a little down a little up a little etc. till dialed in. The gear lash makes that challenging. Solved that with a dial indicator I keep just for the shaper to actually measure the up and downs.
Vertical Adjustment-when trying to adjust the height of the spindle, loosening the tightening knob lets the spindle move, but it has some slop, so when using the dial indicator as noted above, the height changes a little bit when the spindle is tightened. I've adjusted the spindle mechanism to the extent possible. Ultimately, I work around this by simply trying to estimate the slop and then readjusting. Still hit and miss which is frustrating and time consuming.
Vertical adjustment itself-on long runs like making quarter round the "tightening knob" will vibrate loose and the spindle will lower itself a smidgeon. If I don't catch it, the quarter round at the start of the run will be slightly bigger than the QR at the end of the run. Solved that by simply checking the knob every two or three pieces. Not a big deal UNLESS I forget to check it. If I forget, I will usually catch it when a piece or two becomes obviously not "quarter rounded" which is usually a flat starts to appear on the QR.
Fence-this is the big one. I find the fence to be terrible on this machine. Lots of slop in the adjustment bolts, so again when I need to move it a smidge it's darn near impossible to get it on the first (or second or third) try. Also, it's a split fence system and the fences do not stay coplanar. It seems to be a dust issue overall, but it is a very little bit of dust that causes the problem it seems. If I take the fences off completely, blow all the dust away, and then reinstall the fences, they are close but not perfectly coplanar, and that just gets worse with each readjustment. By coplanar I mean that if you move one fence to a position and then use a straight edge to bring the other fence up to make it straight, the inboard side of the fence will touch first and the outboard side will be back a 1/16th. Or vice versa. Either way, I always end up fiddling to get both sides of the fence in the same plane.


I can live with 1-3, but 4... the fence is just a pain, and time consuming. I'm not a production shop, but the fence makes the shaper my machine of last resort. I think if it worked well, I would use it almost daily.

Which brings me to my questions about the fence;

Does anyone have a hack/trick/magic spell/skillful workaround for solving the fence problem of misalignment?
Does anyone know of an aftermarket fence either purchased or diy that is a solid performer?


I feel like a shaper upgrade may be in the future if I can't work the fence out, as the G 1026 only spins up to a 1" spindle, and it seems I'm progressively getting into more 4" cutters that are 1 1/4" spindle. Using inserts for now, but they are just another level of fiddly. Not sure I can really justify the cost of another shaper though.

Thanks for any insight anyone may have,

Cheers,

[Jeff Roltgen]

Mixed feelings on this.
First inclination is to point you towards an Aigner fence. I picked one up about a year ago through Scosarg (in the UK). This was best pricing, and only interesting twist was a $60 bill from Fed Ex for VAT tax paid for bringing into the states. But I saved close to $500 over US based retailers. Total was about $1400. Once I received it, I had issues fitting to my Felder shaper, and had to have a back plate fabbed locally, so a little bit of a setback there, but it is hands down the best shaper fence ever. Also important to note about this fence: the one they ship is really a universal fit type of fastening system on the back side, complete with through bolts, (except as mentioned, when it came to my Felder, which would have been set up to fit had I spent the extra half grand and bought through the Felder shop).
My immediate thought was that I should really get one for my Laguna 5hp. Two holes drilled into existing cast fence wings and you're in business. Same should be the case with your Grizzly.

Which brings me to my second thought - I just cannot bring myself to drop that kind of coin on a fence for a machine that in all other ways is not worthy of it. We're talking half the value of the machine for the investment. So I suffer with the OEM fence on that machine, based on what some internal fiscal demon seems to dictate is my only choice in the matter.

Finally, my no holds barred response to you and myself is: get another machine like the Felder. NO comparison, other than they both are made of iron and spin shaper heads.
Best I can say is, if you're in business, that machine is costing you money considering all the fiddling, and you'll recoup the investment in a higher end machine over the long haul. Meanwhile, you'll smile with pleasure every time you fire it up. Smooth. Safe. Accurate. Solid. Tight. Clearly, points 1-3 will be eliminated.

If funding is not justified (budget 10-15k, a wallet clincher even if you're getting paid for your work), you obviously can get things done with the one you have. Just depends on how much you can invest, but man, that Aigner is definitely worth the investment if you find you are really stuck with that Grizzly for the duration.

jeff

[Cary Falk]

I had a G1026 and also hated the fence. I looked for fence aftermarket fences and couldn't find a decent one for a reasonable price. I ended up getting a Laguna 5hp Pro Shaper. I love the fence. I have no complaints after about 5 years except the location of the controls(above the table). I am not a business so I can't justify $10-15K on a shaper.

[David Stone (CT)]

I have an 1980s-era PM 26, which I believe is what was cloned to be the G1026, including its very rudimentary fence. When I acquired it used, I looked into whether there was a cost effective aftermarket fence solution and found nothing, though I didn't look that hard. I agree the fence design is lacking and have not found any way around the reality that the two halves need to be realigned when moved. (I bought a Lee Valley straightedge to help with this and use an outboard fence whenever practical.) My machine also has a 1 inch spindle (on which I use 1-1/4 cutters with bushings) and, to my mind, it'd be hard to justify spending much money on a better fence while still being limited by a spindle that is only so robust. ...As a hobbyist, these issues don't bother me too much, but I can well imagine it would get old fast if trying to make money. 487962

[Phillip Mitchell]

Dump the grizzly and replace it with a quality machine with a decent fence, IMO.

It’s one thing to have older equipment that is more rudimentary / crude in making adjustments and that can waste time and energy by itself...whole other kettle of fish to try and deal with a machine with poor quality that does not hold its settings (spindle height, fence, etc)

You will not loathe using the shaper once you have a solid one with reliable fence ready to go.

Do you have 3 phase? Lots of used options for probably less than a new 1026 that are miles better in terms of build quality and reliability.

[Warren Lake]

I have no interest in those machines and never even given a fair look.

Shaper fences are not stellar. My SCM stuff is very heavy and well made but im pretty sure on this stuff there is a design defect and when you tighten the thing to hold the wood in place its starts warping the wood right away. Even when run over the jointer to make them true they wont be a month later. Im going to redesign the fastening system. Otherwise they are very well built and likely heavier than other european shaper fences. Ive never looked at the high end replacement stuff as i can buy a good shaper for less than that stuff sells for and on a good day way less.

The old guy made one out of two pieces of thick pine and used it for many years. Even though he was big and tough he didnt like lifting the original SCM stuff on and off and they do have weight to them, not as much as a power feed but they are on their way there.

[Jared Sankovich]

Grizzly fences are atrocious, even on the larger shapers. On the plus side you can really learn how great an outboard fence (assuming you have a power feeder) if you can use a continuous fence, and outboard fence for everything you won't have many problems.

If you are using larger tooling I'd keep an eye out for a nice used 5.5-11hp machine. Even the import 5xx series of shapers are night and day better then the grizzly (or powermatic/delta hd in the same class)

[Dave Norris]

Thanks everyone. Those replies validate my inability to find a suitable cost effective replacement.

A bit more info, as I'm not a commercial shop. I'm retired with a woodshop, so people generally find me through family or word of mouth to odds and ends that either other shops won't do (too small) or other shops quote too high a price. Things like someone needs a bathroom cabinet to match their other cabinet or a short run of trim or a cabinet for a mud room of a particular size or depth, and so on. A few years ago I built a CNC machine, so I can match about any style of trim for a small run. I work on a basically break even basis on cost of materials, heat, tool wear and tear, gas, and so on. Keeps me busy and out of trouble, and folks get something they can't get somewhere else. So a bigger $10-15k machine is not in the picture.

I do have a small power feeder, so will maybe give an outboard fence a try for some things, but the answer probably is a different machine. The Grizzlies got me up and going years ago, with a Grizzly table saw, band saw, jointer, planer, shaper, and a Shop Fox moulder that was a clone of the Williams and Hussey. I used the moulder to make all the moulding for our first house, so it has basically paid for itself, but other than starting it every month to keep the bearing grease worked, it hasn't done anything for a long time. But what started as cost effective and satisfactory machinery is now kind frustrating in some ways, so as time and money permit, I think I will be upgrading most of those machines. The jointer, planer and table saw are fine for what I do, but I'm constantly messing with the bearings on the band saw guide and the dust collection is poor. Also wouldn't mind a Saw Stop for a table saw, and the shaper we're talking about.

Perhaps this should be another thread, but are there particular machines people like? I'd probably be in the $4-5k range, and while I don't have three phase, I have several machines wired with VFDs so three phase is an option, and in fact I prefer it. I have a 3 hp Dewalt RAS from the 40s with a VFD and it's handy because I can work with the rpm's through the VFD.

I've been looking at the Powermatics as I've gotten a lathe and a mortiser from them and they are nicely built. Other options folks are using?

[ray grundhoefer]

I used to have a grizzly 1026. And yes the fence is a piece of crap, however most shapers like that whether they are delta, powermatic or any other clone are about the same.
Sold mine about 3 years ago and replaced it with a delta invicta RS15. Much nicer in every aspect.

[John TenEyck]

You can deal with the lousy fence by making a new one, but you can't deal with the lousy quill lock. I had the 1.5 HP version and it suffered from the same problems you outlined. I got rid of it. A better shaper would be nice, but the tooling is just too expensive to even contemplate it now. I'm getting by just fine without a shaper and the extra free space helped make room for a CNC.

John

[Jared Sankovich]

Perhaps this should be another thread, but are there particular machines people like? I'd probably be in the $4-5k range, and while I don't have three phase, I have several machines wired with VFDs so three phase is an option, and in fact I prefer it. I have a 3 hp Dewalt RAS from the 40s with a VFD and it's handy because I can work with the rpm's through the VFD.

I've been looking at the Powermatics as I've gotten a lathe and a mortiser from them and they are nicely built. Other options folks are using?

If you are considering used machinery 4k will buy you a lot. You could pick up a scmi t130 or equivalent without much looking. Any of the European manufacturers would be a solid candidate.

[Paul Haus]

There are ways to improve on the oem setup. I remachined a couple of spots and replaced the fence faces with provisions for hold downs and it's definitely better than oem setup.

[Dave Norris]

Did a quick search and didn't seem to find anything within reasonable driving distance. I'll keep looking I guess.

Interesting Paul. How did you machine it?

[Paul Haus]

For definition: main body is the main section that bolts down to the top of the shaper. The L bracket is the bracket that mounts to the main body and the actual fence bolts onto. My shaper is one of the early ones with that yellow=green paint job on it (bought used), same basic machine as the new ones just much older. I found that the sides of the main body where the L brackets mount weren't parallel. Additionally one of the L brackets was not a 90 degree angle. I was having issues when adjusting the fence it just didn't seem right. I had a machine shop take a tad off the sides where the L brackets go so they're parallel plus do a little work on the one L bracket so the angle is 90 degrees. Made a big difference to me. Then I replaced the wooden fence with the T=track fence so I can mount holddowns etc to the front and a Board Buddy onto the top. They may be little things but they worked for me. A couple of other little things, I made up some T-bolts to mount the main body to the shaper, easier to remove or adjust. The bolts on the L-brackets are spring loaded so easy to keep them accessible. I also used T-bolts to mount the new fence to the L-brackets, again to make it easier to adjust as needed.
Hope that helps.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Dave,

Where are you located? Lots of options out there for nice used shapers with a $4k budget. I would start with Woodweb classifieds and regional FB marketplace searches. I would look for a nice SCMI T110 or T130 (6-9hp usually) if you aren’t opposed to 3 phase with a VFD. Or something like a Minimax T50 (5 hp / single phase) or Invicta RS-15 (5-7.5hp) and look for 1 1/4” spindle in whatever you get.

The elephant in the room is the new tooling you may need if the new machine doesn’t come with spindles that are whatever sizes you currently run (3/4” ? 1” ?) 1 1/4” bore is the way to go with the above mentioned class of machine, IMO, and is a real cost in this exercise.