Shapers - Cross Manufacturer Insert Tooling Compatibility

[Warren Lake]

thanks for showing those Joe. I wasnt taught on the cope and stick sets so do what i was taught. The door maker companies I wont use them as a reference quantity is their focus and that method of building doesnt work as soon as you step up your door thickness on an armoire or even tall door, id rather have that door in thicker material. I want one way of building that I can make a door of any thickness I want to suit what it is. Good that you dowelled or did the tennon and haunch. This is a different subject but I see the cope and stick thing as the gizmo inventors european hinges and pocket holes and cope and stick. It didnt exist and stuff was done a 1000 years the proven ways. People wanted to make money and came up with the new fast for us. The irony is the bar lowered for everyone and if it stayed where it was so there would be no difference just everyone at the same pricing which was higher as more time. I get it, my hinge machine can drill three holes and insert a hinge in what 3 seconds.

Its normal for me to be with a friend and end up one of her friends places and look at a kitchen a few years old. I take my swiss army knife and start adjusting doors, wish it has a Posi drive tip. Some doors dont close others the gaps are off, The gaps when I even them up are usually large but once they are constant and the same gap it improves the look. sometimes they are made so badly the door sizes are a bit off. I think they build boxes order doors finish them then the first time they see it is when it is assembled at the customers home. The other day a friend with a year old kitchen doors made by a door maker one of them was badly warped some others sticking out past the stuck on end gable no idea on that other than they messed up. Illl give him credit he used 3/4 melmine instead of 5/8 so that was nice to see.

thanks Bill that those were just some dimensions you picked wasnt sure i was understanding that as final dimensions just want to follow along, always nice to see Joes photos and set ups and thankful he takes the time to do that and shares it all with us.

[Warren Lake]

joe is the slot cut with one side of the cutter for the tennon just lowered down into the table?

[Joe Calhoon]

joe is the slot cut with one side of the cutter for the tennon just lowered down into the table?

Yes, just dropped the cutter to cut the haunch. This was my 15 to 30mm X 250mm adj groover so had to make 2 passes. The tenon heads I have at home are thicker and can do it in one pass. I Just put a 15mm spacer against the backstop to adjust for the 15mm deep panel groove. This side of the groovers do not have the knickers but it dosent matter if you cut the haunch first.

[Bill Adamsen]

Yes, just dropped the cutter to cut the haunch. This was my 15 to 30mm X 250mm adj groover so had to make 2 passes. The tenon heads I have at home are thicker and can do it in one pass. I Just put a 15mm spacer against the backstop to adjust for the 15mm deep panel groove. This side of the groovers do not have the knickers but it dosent matter if you cut the haunch first.

What groove size (you indicate a 15mm depth which is comparable to what I do) do you cut for your panel? Is there a simple answer for any advantage to using a disc that large in diameter? I'm looking at the Felder catalog and it shows a "T" max of 80mm for their 250mm slotting cutter. That is an impressively long 3.4" tenon. My shaper manual says it can handle 250mm but I have nothing currently of that size and I shudder to think of the fence opening.

[Joe Calhoon]

Bill,
We are 15 mm deep for our groove on square edge work. I came to this dimension because that is what our profiled stile and rail cutters are and keeps everything the same with software and layout. It’s also a better depth for IG. Only down side is TDL can get chunky at that depth. Width of groove is usually 20mm for flat panel interior doors, 32mm for double panel 2 1/4 exterior doors. More for 68 mm thick exterior and usually 10mm for 1” cabinet doors. Raised panels call for different widths yet and that is the beauty of using adjustable groovers for this.

I have 320 diameter disks for tenoning and can get about a 4 1/4” long tenon with those. Those size disks require a tenon hood in place of the shaper fence and a good idea to have a heavy side mount sliding table for those cutters. Although I have used this size cutter with my bolt on sliding table and a shop made hood for certain tasks.

The 250mm diameter head is useful because it fits inside the standard fence on both my shapers and quick to setup on the vintage T23 because the fence swivels and can be used as a backstop. Quicker than removing the fence and installing the tenon hood. I bought this cutter to use as a adjustable groover in the sliding saw but it makes for nice tenoning on the shaper. I used it a while back to cut 5 1/2” long through tenons on the saw. It is painful working one side at a time. On the vintage shaper the 250 diameter does hang out a lot on the fence and I need to get a overhead guard for that.

For cabinet door tenoning my 160 diameter groovers and multiuse cutters are the go to with about a 2” depth capacity.

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[Bill Adamsen]

Joe ... super incredibly helpful advice. Thank you!