Shaper or router table for tongue and groove cabinet construction?

[Bert McMahan]

I'm planning on taking my first crack at building some cabinets and I'd like to use the Sommerfeld tongue and groove method. However, I recently bought a combo machine with a shaper in it, and I'm wondering about doing it on the shaper instead. I haven't used a shaper before so this would be a learning project to get my feet wet.

A Sommerfeld set is about $100-$110. I already have a 40mm Amana insert cutter that I bought at the same time as my combo machine (I bought it all used and he threw in a bit of tooling) so I could get a 6mm tongue and 6mm groove cutter for about $40 total.

Pluses to the Sommerfeld are that the two bits are matched, so no messing with height, and they have bearings built in. Pluses to the shaper are that I have a sliding table and a much bigger work surface than on the router table, plus it's cheaper.

I don't plan on making a million cabinets. I just need to make a few built-in bookshelves and a few shop cabinets.

So, which should I go with? Overall the cost won't be a significant factor over the years, but I've never used a shaper before so I can't really compare it to the router table. Think I'd be OK with either one? Will I be OK lining up the shaper cutter without a bearing, or should I get some kind of bearing guide to stack on the shaper spindle?

[Mike Wilkins]

You have the best of both worlds with a router table and a shaper. No comparison when it comes to power. Tongue and groove shaper cutters are not real expensive due to their simple construction; you can save some samples to assist set-up of the shaper for future use. Test cuts are well worth the time and effort.
I have used both for T & G joints in the past, but the shaper, with its superior power will power through hardwoods like a hot knife in butter. I just sold my older model Rockwell shaper and awaiting a new Hammer F3 shaper with sliding table. The slider is going to be a big assist for these type of cuts

[Mitch schiffer]

I prefer the shaper but if your only doing a few cabinets to build and you already have the router bits i would maybe save the money and just use the router table. If you use the shaper make sure you have a nice coping sled or some secure way to hold the rails without getting your hand near the cutters. The shaper is less forgiving that a router table if your not used to using one. A power feeder also helps.

[Greg Quenneville]

I have both machines too, and would not buy any new bits for my router table. One factor to consider is that an inexpensive set of insert knives won’t be the best steel, and if you are going to be machining a lot of plywood you will soon wish you had carbide inserts.

The slider on the combo can be used with the x-cut fence as coping sled, obviously. I use a sacrificial back up board when coping.

You should consider getting a power feeder. I am waiting for a tilt-away bracket for my newly acquired 1999 combo and currently using my big 1970’s shaper with a feeder. It would be too daunting without it, and the results wouldn’t have been worth the effort and risk.

[Bert McMahan]

I see the "get a power feeder" advice pretty frequently when discussing shapers. For my situation I can't justify such a purchase, as I don't do enough with it to warrant a power feeder. And I get that a better set of knives will be the best option, but really I'm not doing this as a particularly frequent hobby. Most of what I enjoy making is small stuff like boxes, pens, etc. The cabinets are going to be for my shop and for one wall of bookshelves, so I'm not planning on spending a lot for the setup. Perhaps this will make me fall in love with the shaper... I've never used it before so I don't know what I'm missing yet

So, to those without a power feeder but with a slider- is it still worth it? It somewhat sounds like yes the shaper is the way to go, even without power feed (as long as I'm careful with feeding).

[Greg Quenneville]

Bert, I think you will find the shaper pretty nice, and the finish you will get will be better than what you get with a router. When I started using my second hand shaper (cheap, included the P.F.) I was very apprehensive. I bought a spindle moulder safety book, watched some videos etc (the book was expensive and not particularly useful).

Since I have been doing architectural sized work exclusively building our house I had to have that power feeder. As they say about mileage…

Any work hold downs, feather boards etc and special fences (shop made) all enhance your safety. So do cutter heads with limiters (which your Amana may have).

I have been building this house for a long time. My only trip to the E.R. was after a router table mishap. It's amazing what they can reattach these days. Sometimes the bigger machine with the appropriate guards etc is a much safer way.

Greg

[Rod Sheridan]

No contest at all, use the shaper, you’ll be pleasantly surprised……Regards, Rob

[brent stanley]

The shaper is the superior machine and I expect once you get over the initial intimidation factor, you'll find it a more enjoyable machine to use. Since I got my first shaper 15 years ago, I've probably used my router table 10 times at most. Still wouldn't be without it, but the shaper is just so much more enjoyable to use.

The best safety accessory you can buy for your shaper is Eric Stephenson's book: Spindle Moulder Handbook. In it you will be advised to use chip limiter tooling, which I will suggest might be extra important for a newbie.

B

[Jared Sankovich]

I see the "get a power feeder" advice pretty frequently when discussing shapers. For my situation I can't justify such a purchase, as I don't do enough with it to warrant a power feeder. And I get that a better set of knives will be the best option, but really I'm not doing this as a particularly frequent hobby. Most of what I enjoy making is small stuff like boxes, pens, etc. The cabinets are going to be for my shop and for one wall of bookshelves, so I'm not planning on spending a lot for the setup. Perhaps this will make me fall in love with the shaper... I've never used it before so I don't know what I'm missing yet

So, to those without a power feeder but with a slider- is it still worth it? It somewhat sounds like yes the shaper is the way to go, even without power feed (as long as I'm careful with feeding).

Keep an eye out for used power feeders. They used to pop up occasionally for little money if you were patient.

I personally think the tongue and groove method needlessly overcomplicates the cabinet building process, but I'd suggest the shaper over a RT.

[Paul Haus]

Keep an eye out for used power feeders. They used to pop up occasionally for little money if you were patient.
I personally think the tongue and groove method needlessly overcomplicates the cabinet building process, but I'd suggest the shaper over a RT.

I've used and built a couple of router tables in the past, quite frankly it got the job done. I've also had a shaper for over 30 years (actually 2 of them) and the versatility of a shaper far exceeds a router table IMO unless you happen to have a router cutter unobtainable as a shaper cutter.
I will admit a feeder on a shaper would be nice, in fact my current shaper was set up for one before I bought it but it did not come with the shaper. As an alternative to a feeder, check out Board Buddies with the green rollers. which will roll in either direction. I have them plus I've replaced the fence faces with aluminum faces that have T-track on the front and top, which allows mounting jigs to the face or top (like the Board Buddies). You'll not feed as evenly as a feeder can but they are able to hold your work piece against the fence and if used with good push sticks you'll be safe IMO.
Another nice thing with a shaper is if it's reversible (including things like tab washers etc.) you can filp a cutter over and cut different profiles far safer and easier than you can on a router table.
My 2 cents.

[Mel Fulks]

Years ago most shapers did not have feeders. They had what some called “fingers”, board with angle cut and band sawed along grain
direction to make narrow “springs”. They can be used on fence, or on the table, or both.

[Michael Schuch]

I'm planning on taking my first crack at building some cabinets and I'd like to use the Sommerfeld tongue and groove method.

I have never heard of the Sommerfeld tongue and groove method before. I had to look it up and watch some incredibly long winded U-tube videos to see what was so revolutionary about the "Sommerfeld" method. The gist I got from the videos is all glued joints in the carcass and between the carcass and frame are tongue and grove joints. I wasn't sold on the construction technique. What do you think is going to be better about building cabinets with that technique? I could see them maybe being a bit stronger but it certainly didn't look any faster to me. It looked like it would be considerably slower and the main reason for its existence is for the originator to sell his own line of router bits. But that is just my impression. Maybe it would be better for someone that hasn't built cabinets before and didn't already have pretty ingrained habits of how they build cabinets?

[Bert McMahan]

I have never heard of the Sommerfeld tongue and groove method before. I had to look it up and watch some incredibly long winded U-tube videos to see what was so revolutionary about the "Sommerfeld" method. The gist I got from the videos is all glued joints in the carcass and between the carcass and frame are tongue and grove joints. I wasn't sold on the construction technique. What do you think is going to be better about building cabinets with that technique? I could see them maybe being a bit stronger but it certainly didn't look any faster to me. It looked like it would be considerably slower and the main reason for its existence is for the originator to sell his own line of router bits. But that is just my impression.

You basically have it right. Pocket holes for the face frame, then tongue and groove for everything else. The Youtube videos are actually the training stuff that he used to sell as an instructional DVD for how to use the bits, not as an ad. They're long winded because he's showing you how to use the bits you just bought. And yes, it's purportedly quicker to align and stronger than other methods (can't comment on whether or not that's true, be he claims it and at least a dozen people here have claimed similar things). There have been several threads on here with people that are very happy with that system. Recently I saw this one (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....ght=sommerfeld) which is what made me look up that style, and it seemed easy enough. Searching around it's been a popular choice for at least 10-15 years- here's one old thread https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....joinery-method.

Maybe it would be better for someone that hasn't built cabinets before and didn't already have pretty ingrained habits of how they build cabinets?

Which is exactly me It looked to my very untrained eye that, once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take much time at all to cut the tongue and groove into the various pieces.

[Mike Wilkins]

Another good book read on shapers is the Shaper Book by Lonnie Bird. Amazon can help you secure one. Lots of really good info on shaper use, safety and using the machine without a feeder.