I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton of shaper cutters.
To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car parts and built a finger detachment device!
I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?
Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the past!
First...make/build/buy/whatever it takes to get some hold downs and shielding around the cutter.
Second...have them sharpened, if needed. If there is any question as to being sharp enough, sharpen it. That's how I do it, anyway...your mileage may vary
After that, it's a piece of cake...make up some chunks of 2X4 that are about
8-10" long, no knots, straight/square edges, etc. and make a cut with each cutter to see what it does.
If the shaper is like mine...also a DeltaRockwell...it'll have a single speed reversible motor. Be VERY careful that you use a good, thick washer on the spindle at all times, but even moresoe when going "backwards"...and you'll need to because many cutters have 2 patterns, one on either end of the cutter.
As for what to do with it after that, basicly, it's a powerful router table. About the only thing that you can't do with it that you can with a router table is bury the cutter in the middle of a board.
Worst case is send me the cutters...I'll give them a good home and sharpen them as needed.
I have a book from Rockwell on using the shaper table, but it's out on loan right now, so I can't even check the name of it, but it's out there...if I get it back soon, I'll repost with the name of the book.
Luck and have fun with it...and it can be a lot of using a sharper!
You can make jigs to hold the workpiece so that your hands don't get close to the cutter. I know how but it is too hard for this lamer (me) to explain in this forum. Try searching the net maybe...
Maybe get some safety instructions from any shaper manufacturer and heed them; a shaper is no more dangerous than lotsa other tools you might have... In my humble opinion.
The use of a power feeder is great, but expensive ($500-1800). Power feeding is a must for me because it saves time and I don't get burn marks. I mostly use the feeders for sticking and panel raising. Also, they force the workpiece down and keep the cuts more consistent.
As for the cutters you inherited, make sure that you get a price from the sharpener service before you let them do it; sometimes they charge so much for the HSS steel sharpening that it would be more beneficial to buy some carbide cutters from Grizzly or
formatting link
or whoever.
I have a few cutters that were given to me that were too expensive to have sharpened, but I was able to sharpen them with a set of diamond sharpeners from woodcraft and went from coarse to super fine. They worked well, but I seldom use them, as they are mostly detail cuts. I am also not wanting to do very much with them because I know HSS won't stay sharp very long.
The first machine they had me run as fresh meat in a furniture factory was the shaper. Even with the feeder on it it was considered (and was) dangerous. I love those things but I would likely really have my testies retreat if I was pushing stock through it by hand. Get a feeder.
My first week on the job I was shaping the edge of 4' x 6' table top, using a feeder. Something on the underside of the piece I was feeding in caught on the front edge of the shaper table as I was feeding it. I lifted the back edge of the top I was feeding to clear it as I bumped if forward. That was enough for the big 4" tall winged cutter to grab the table, chew off about a square foot of the leading edge of the table, which also swung up and cocked me under the chin. I was told all about it a few minutes later when I woke up. I still have the scar under my chin, 30+ years later.
Wow! I've never had such an experience, but I haven't used such a cutter either. I don't try to do moulding or use any detail cutter that tall. Panel raisers are about as big as I go. I also use a feeder with them.
Good advice. I have had things hang and tear up and throw stuff around but not like that.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.