Shaper w/Router Bits: Good Idea or Recipe for Regret?

[Steve H Graham]

I'm looking to upgrade my Harbor Freight welding table, and I am cheap. Guy near me is advertising a Powermatic shaper with the spindle and motor removed. Cost: $100. This thing has a 30" by 40" cast iron table with a T-slot, and weld spatter does not stick to cast iron, so I am tempted.

Question: is a shaper with a router bit adaptor an acceptable substitute for a router, or is it a headache? I could see myself getting a real welding table in the future and converting the shaper back to woodworking use, but if it's a bad tool for router-type jobs, I would not want to bother.

I don't think I'll ever have much interest in big shaper-type jobs.

[Steve Mathews]

My experience has been that weld splatter still sticks to cast iron but not as much compared to steel. After using the shaper table for welding I doubt you will want to use it for a shaper again unless it is surface ground. For an improved and almost ideal welding table I'm considering the cast iron fixture plates made by Fireball. They can be assembled to whatever size table needed.

https://fireballtool.com/universal-c...fixture-plate/

[Steve H Graham]

The Fireball Tools plates look great, but a set for a small table would cost $1680 plus shipping. That's with no legs or casters. I would end up spending over $2000.

For that kind of money, I could have a Fabblock table plus legs and casters, plus a lot of clamps and stuff.

Either table makes the $100 option look good.

I wonder why anyone would remove all the moving parts from a shaper. I think they'll have a hard time selling the empty cabinet.

[Steve Mathews]

I wonder why anyone would remove all the moving parts from a shaper. I think they'll have a hard time selling the empty cabinet.

There's (empty cabinet) the lower half of your table.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Steve, I have used router bits in a shaper and they work OK, especially if you get a shaper with a high speed spindle in the 15 to 17,000 RPM range.

That said, the router bits don't work anywhere near as well as shaper cutters do in the shaper.........I think it would make a nice flat welding bench however.........Rod.

[andy bessette]

...is a shaper with a router bit adaptor an acceptable substitute for a router...

No. The shaper will not spin fast enough.

[Michael Todrin]

If you got a router lift and a router it would be a fantastic router table. A cast iron router table top is a lot more than $100.

[andy bessette]

...A cast iron router table top is a lot more than $100.

I made mine from an old table saw top and some 3/4" aluminum square bar.

[Jeff Duncan]

No. The shaper will not spin fast enough.

Sure it will. In fact it's even better for larger diameter bits that get kinda hairy on the router. For smaller bits, (think anything small enough you could use a laminate trimmer), definitely not ideal, but it will still work with a slower feed.

For the record I have a router table and use one of my shapers with bits as well. The whole 'shapers won't spin fast enough' is a myth perpetuated for reasons I don't understand.

good luck,
JeffD

[Mike Kees]

I have to agree with Jeff. I have a 3 h.p. Steel City shaper that I use with a euro block head ,a rebate head and router bits. It is a problem solver to be able to use all the different tooling and router bits on this machine. Just cut slower,sure don't miss the noise of a router. Steve that old shaper would make a great welding table,I am using an old Unisaw like that right now.

[johnny means]

Router bits need high RPMs for clean cutting. Feeding slower does not negate the effect of slow spindle speeds. Three inch panel raisers may work alright, but regular sized bits will be almost useless.

[Mike Cutler]

Router bits need high RPMs for clean cutting. Feeding slower does not negate the effect of slow spindle speeds. Three inch panel raisers may work alright, but regular sized bits will be almost useless.

Johnny

I personally haven't found this to be true. To be fair and honest about it though, I haven't done it very many times.
I certainly would not want to do it everyday, but as a DIY'r, type, the few times I did do it, seemed to work okay, it was just a little slow. I was actually more worried about breaking the router bit.

[Steve H Graham]

I have used router bits in walnut on a milling machine at under 4000 RPM, and the results were perfect.

[Jeff Duncan]

Router bits need high RPMs for clean cutting. Feeding slower does not negate the effect of slow spindle speeds. Three inch panel raisers may work alright, but regular sized bits will be almost useless.

Yup still not true..... no offense but I don't understand why guys continue to regurgitate bad information? Not only does the slower speed not make them useless, its of less impact than one may think. I don't even change my shaper speed to it's max, 6k rpm's is more than enough to get the job done. If the bits too small a diameter to run well at that speed then I probably don't need to be using it on a shaper anyway and I'll throw it on the router table.

My advice to those who say it won't work is to actually try it out first before condemning it

JeffD

[Brian Holcombe]

Yup still not true..... no offense but I don't understand why guys continue to regurgitate bad information? Not only does the slower speed not make them useless, its of less impact than one may think. I don't even change my shaper speed to it's max, 6k rpm's is more than enough to get the job done. If the bits too small a diameter to run well at that speed then I probably don't need to be using it on a shaper anyway and I'll throw it on the router table.

My advice to those who say it won't work is to actually try it out first before condemning it

JeffD

I run router bits in a Bridgeport at 3200rpms. They cut cleanly. No burning and very little dust, they usually make clean shavings. I’d certainly rather have it run at high speed, but it’s been fine.

Machines have the advantage (in many cases) of tighter runout, less deflection at the spindle, consistent power and it they’re fitted with equipment to do so they’re often able to feed at a consistent rate.