SCMI Shaper value?

[J.R. Rutter]

For you Italian tool lovers: What would you pay for this shaper (delivered to your door) if it came guaranteed to be in workling order with surface rust on table? Comes with Powermatic feeder and tooling shown in pic. This isn't an ad, I'm considering buying it.

Thanks

[Paul B. Cresti]

JR,
Is this a second shaper already :) ?? I would only venture a guess at maybe 1-200 for the feeder, maybe 50 for the tooling and maybe 3k range for shaper???? So my uninformed guess would be 3-4k delivered. I believe a new T130 is around 8-9k range.

[J.R. Rutter]

Hi Paul, thanks for the info. Work is increasing, and I was thinking about getting an old Powermatic #26 to run my misc profiles on, when this T130 popped up. I'm planning a shaper to hold 3 sets of cope cutters, another for 3 sets of sticking cutters, a raised panel shaper (the T120), and a fourth to run some moulding cutters...

[Paul B. Cresti]

JR,
Glad to hear things are going well for you. As far as the "coping" shaper you may want to consider one with a sliding table, either a aluminum (format style) or a cast iron linear bearing type. The other option would be to get a air clamp type hold down jig. I think it is made by Ritter?? I have a T50n with sliding table & outrigger/suuport arm and it has worked well for me. Maybe Tod could also chime in here as he has the T1 with the linear bearing table and has much more experience than I with his shaper.

[lou sansone]

I agree with paul on the sliding table for a dedicated coping shaper.

Price : that is a hard one. no more than 50% of new and with poor condition it probably should be 25% of new

lou

[tod evans]

jr, if you can get it for around 3-4 like paul says you should be in good shape.. if you can`t look in person ask for photos of the spindle without tooling to see if someone has spun a cutter, also look at the electrics to see if they`ve been altered.. otherwise it should last untill you`re sick of doors:) .02 tod

[J.R. Rutter]

Regarding the slider for shaper coping - is it a big upgrade over a tight, smooth riding sled with toggles for backer and rail?

[tod evans]

jr, if you go with a true tennoning table you`ll wonder how/why you ever did without...02 tod

32973

32974

[tod evans]

let`s back-up for a second.... if you`re cutting cope on frame-n-panel cabinet doors you have no need for a 9hp shaper. two small units rotating in opposite directions with left and right heads and home made linear bearing carriages, uhmw backers and air clamps will speed production lots! setting up like this will allow you to present the patern to the cutter first on both ends of the rail, hence no patern side blowout. .02 tod

[J.R. Rutter]

I understand what you're talking about. The big slider would be great for entry doors and such, but seems like a lot of bulk for cutting cab door rails? I just watched the Unique videos recently, and they are intriguing but the Weaver approach of dedicated shapers is also very fast and versatile. And I'm not planning to do arched rails.

Here's what I'm doing now:
To get flat stock, I'm getting H&M lumber and rough cutting all parts. Once everything is s4s slightly over width, I cope the rails. Since there is no sticking profile yet, no blowout. Cut, flip end for end, cut. Fast. Then I run everything through for a sticking cut at height to match the stub tenons.

The reason for the second big shaper is that for the same or less than a new #27, I can get larger bearings, and taller spindle with more travel, plus a better fence. And it has a feeder already.

[tod evans]

jr, far be it from me to talk you out of another big shaper:)...., the fastest, most efficient door system i`ve used is as i described earlier. all sticking is run full length through a 5 head (or big shaper), cut to length then coped from both sides..schmidt has insert tooling in stock for this.. makes for no short pieces run through the shaper and for straight doors is just really efficient..if you like the idea?? little ol` 1hp units will cut cope all day and building the linear tables is kinda fun:) .02 tod

[Paul B. Cresti]

JR,
I do not do any production runs so take what I have to say with a piece of salt the size of Gibraltor. I opted for a sliding table shaper for its versatility and one of the main reasons was for tenoning to do M&T joints. I now do loose M&T's on mortiser attachment on my J/P so now the shaper is only used for very large tenon construction, cope & stick and all other kinds of regular shaper activity. I have used the outrigger table for the end forming (rounding over or shaping) of larger items from selves to very large mantle tops. Some of these items, like a 6'-0" long x 18" deep by 3" thick top require a big bit to round over.

That said when coping very small parts on a sliding shaper the hole trick is to make sure you clamp it down well. Sometimes the very short pieces require a special jig to hold it and I always tend to use at least two clamps anyway. I have never used one of those air clamping jigs so I can not comment on them being easier. Once you do set up the slider.... yhou just stand there and load, clamp, slide, unclamp, reload, clamp........