source for 1 1/4 bore shaper cutters

[Nino Maini]

Last fall I got a great deal on a powermatic 27 shaper w/ feeder for 1700 (gloat) I'm just getting around to try it out and wanted to get some cutters. I'm having trouble finding a good source for 1 1/4 bore cutters, it seems 3/4 are more standard. Does any one have any places I can get them from?

Also, I think I noticed on the manual that I can get a 3/4 spindle, should I switch over?

I read from some old posts that some people that 1 1/4 was a little too large for a powermatic 27?

I do this as a hobby, so should I even worry? NOTE: This is my first shaper

[Larry Edgerton]

The spindle is not too large, but it will allow heavier cutters to be used. I can not commit to what is or is not safe on a 27, but your biggest ring in the top will give you an idea. You can't have any cutters any bigger than that.

You may as a hobbiest want to look into a 3/4" spindle as cutters for 3/4" are indeed redily available. 1 1/4" are available, just in less places. I use Ballew Saw & Tool and Nordic for most of my cutters. I have both sizes so for some such as a roundover for example I will buy 3/4" and for a door set I will buy 1 1/4".

Have fun......

Larry

[Peter Quinn]

Its great to have the 3/4" spindle to save some money as a hobbiest, because the smaller 3/4" bore cutters are generally cheaper, and there are sources at a much lower price point whose quality is still very good. On that shaper it should be a "spindle and cartridge assembly, not just a spindle swap, so its close to $300! Most of the 1 1/4" stuff is more industrial and costs accordingly. I use the PM27's at work all the time with an 1 1/4" spindle, no problems there. Its not my favorite shaper for a few reasons, but its a very capable tool if used within its range. As Larry said, that hole in the table will tell you how big of a cutter you can spin. You can get away with a bit bigger cutter using a 'bed board', but if you are new to this I'm not going to describe that set to you now, its better IMO you build up to that sort of thing. Sometimes I need to spin a corrugated back head with HSS inserts whose projection is just a bit beyond what the PM 27 can accommodate, and if all the larger shapers in the shop are tied up I'll go with the bed board set up. You may never need that anyway.

Sources for 1 1/4" cutters? Tools today.com sells Amana and is very close to me, so shipping is cheap and quick, service is good, and the tooling is good quality at a very competitive price. I like Garniga insert tooling, and have bought that from both Laguna and Rangate. Its pricey so I have just a few basic rabbit cutters, they work wonders. Oella saw and tool sells both direct from there own site and has regular ebay auctions on used or refurbed cutters. I have gotten some fantastic deals from them, service has always been great, there open box shipping deal is the best thing going if you are buying lots of tooling and can wait to receive it latter. Connecticut Saw and tool is my local freeborn dealer, they have an online store. Its as much about tooling brand as source in my mind. It helps to have a good source with humans that can answer questions and solve problems, especially when you are just getting familiar with a machine. Shapers are probably the most "tooling" oriented machine in any small shop and it can be confusing, don't hesitate to ask here or any dealer, and if the dealer can't or wont answer your questions move on!

Work safe, shapers have a nasty reputation for a reason.

[James sarver]

HI we use byrd insert heads and leiser insert heads with 1 1/4 bore. Both are great heads they are around 275 for the raised panel and the same for the style and rail cutters to well worth the money we use them just about every day in our cabinet shop hope this helps.

[Nino Maini]

Peter: Looks like we are close neigbors, I live in Woodbury. I never heard of Connecticut Saw and Tool, went to the website pretty cool, they are local and near my brother house.

I did not realize I had to change the cartridge assembly. If you had to guess how long does that take to change? It seems like it is worth the investment.

Thanks for the other sources, I will look at them tomorrow.

I know that a shaper can be the most dangerous tool, so that is why I'm going slow with it

[David Kumm]

Keep your eyes open for a used power feeder. It is your best friend when using a shaper. Dave

[Rod Sheridan]

Nino, two of my most used cutters are a 125mm X 50mm carbide insert rebate head, and a 40mm Euro block that takes HSS knives.

The rebate head is used for rebating and bevelling and the Euro insert head is used for profiles.

The 40 mm head use knives that cost about $20 to $30 per pair and there are over 100 different profiles. CMT, Felder, etc. etc sell those heads, price is low on them.

All of my cutters are 1 1/4" or 30mm bore, I found that the 3/4" bore cutters I tried didn't work as well as the larger cutters, probably due to geometry and surface speed.

regards, Rod.

[Paul Johnstone]

Well, I will just add this.. Changing back and forth from the 3/4" spindle to the 1 1/4" spindle is kind of a pain.. As mentioned on the thread,
it's an entire "cartridge" system. So I suggest picking one bore and staying with it. I am using 1 1/4".. but I am just a hobbyist, light work -- so far, so good.

I really like the heads that CMT, Amana, etc make. It has HSS knives which you can insert to change profiles. They can also be resharpened on the Tormek. Profiles are very inexpensive.. roughly $20 at full price, and there's deals for less. CMT recently had theirs on sale for about $10 a profile.. Anyhow, the point is that you can add new profiles at a "router bit" price. Since we can't post links, google on "CMT 692.013.14"

[jim goddard]

http://www.cggschmidt.com

[Jeff Duncan]

I just sold my 27 not long ago and had both spindles for it. If your handy it should take maybe 10-15 minutes to swap the spindle. You take off the back cover, loosen 2 bolts to relieve the belt tension. Loosen another 2 bolts, (I think), on the carriage that holds the quill and it will slide down. It's a pain b/c your down low inside a cabinet where there's not a lot of extra room. So I second picking one size and sticking with it.

I used the 1-1/4" spindle for everything. The benefits are a slightly better quality of cut, (IMHO anyway), and if you choose to move from the 3/4" to 1-1/4" down the road you won't have to start from scratch. That machine is capable of a good amount of work, cabinet door profiles and smaller moldings are no problem at all. I ran into trouble when I started using it for a lot of passage door profiles and jambs in hardwoods. This is where the profiles I was using proved more than the machine could handle on a consistent basis. I bought my machine new and within about 2 years was replacing the bearings. As someone new to the shaper and using it for hobby work I don't believe you'll have any problems with either spindle you decide to use.

good luck,
JeffD

[Peter Quinn]

As mentioned switching cartridge assemblies is not the most fun I have ever had, but it's maybe a 10 minute affair the second time you do it. One word of caution, the spindle that is on the machine may need a gentle tap with a dead blow to release once the bolts are loosened that hold it, and if you turn to grab the just out of reach dead blow and let go of the stuck spindle, it will drop to the floor and smash the pulley on it's base, so never let go of that damn spindle or support it fully from below once loosened. DAMHIK !!!Yup, CT Saw is a good operation, they sharpen saw blades, make insert knives, sell most major tooling brands including freeborn and Amana. There are real people there to talk to as well as the web presence.Both my shapers in my home shop have 3/4" bore spindles I can install. My Minimax takes maybe 2 minutes and zero pain to install, they have all the domestic brands beat in that regard. As to whether it's worth it to get a 3/4" assembly for your shaper, that depends. As Rod noted, the bigger cutters cut better, possibly due to the gentle exit angle due to larger diameter and faster tip speed? The only case for 3/4" tooling is price. And you will have to buy a number of cutters before the price differential equals the cost of a new PM cartridge assembly. It's the sort of equation you have to sort out for your own situation. I use the bigger spindles whenever possible, and only use the smaller cutters when cost requires I do so. For instance, I won several eBay auctions for passage door stacks in 3/4" for just over $100 each, 1 1/4" sets of same maker would have been close to $800 each, so those I use!