Kind'a quiet in here (2025 Update)

It is still available to run on desk top. But you now have to subscribe. So the free ride is over if you want it on your desk top and to be able to customize the tool arrangement and plug ins.

So we have the same brother? ;-)

My brothers and I are in our 70's and still talk weekly (we live some distance a part). I have spent hours talking about our projects and stupid mistakes.

I think the phone is thought of as a "distributed computing device" in the sense that most processing is done "somewhere else" and then sent to the phone. It all depends on what you are doing. MS wants you to pay to use their "cloud". Personally, I don't use it.

Probably no more so than a regular computer. Many of my apps on my iPhone will work just fine with cellular, Bluetooth, and WiFi turned off.

Taking pictures, videos, and editing requires quite a bit of on board processing power.

Not to mention audio recordings and IIRC GPS.

When they run it in the web, they can start charging for use. It's harder on your desktop. That's why I still using the original.

And often more expensive than a desktop/laptop computer that will run Sketchup.

s/Amazon/Alphabet

Are the documents in human readable form? That's another favorite, encode the data so you need their database query tools to read it.

And here we come full circle. The only reason I have a desktop computer is that it was cheap enough to put in my shop to read Sketchup drawings as I work. I use only a laptop for home and another for work.

It takes a lot of computing power mostly because of the huge pixel density. Phone displays are amazing.

There isn't a lot of processing power in either of those.

I didn't see the depth setup. That's where I see the difficulty in dovetails. It's one reason I bought the "aircraft carrier" Porter Cable jig. Unfortunately it's been discontinued so parts are like unicorns.

I have some short documents that are in the JPG format.

The above does not include letters and research summaries which are maintain in the standard Word Perfect format.

SO none are in a proprietary format that needs proprietary software to read the contents.

The depth setting is done on the screen. I have not yet done this so I don't know what that setting would be, yet.

I do know this, with any of the bushing jigs the depth setting is finicky from one piece of wood to the next. For some reason the templates on the Leigh jig tend to bow and that can throw the depth setting off from one end of the work piece to the other.

With the Origin, there is no template, just the solid surface of the Workstation and the support bar.

From the stand point of a regular router we have to measure the depth setting as best we can, around the guide bushing. Then test cut and fit and so on. I do not recall of the Delta jig offered a more reliable set up. Once you have established the proper bit depth on the Origin it is repeatable every time you set up to do DT's. Put the bit in, do a "Z" touch so that the Origin knows where the bottom of the bit is and then tell it to cut at what ever depth you cut at before.

That's good to know. I wanted to get the micro-finger jig for my PC but, as I said, they're no longer made and no parts anywhere (a patent dispute, AIUI). I was contemplating one of the small Leigh for small work.

The PC jig is a pain, like any other, to set up but there are sets of pins on the top that can be adjusted to "remember" the depth settings ad a guide for various bits and material thickness.

That's what I was missing. I didn't know the Origin had a "Z' axis. That's way cool.

So to take this a bit farther, Leigh is actually starting to offer "more" DT jigs that you use with a router table. You use the jig/template to hold the wood and that you hold and guide over the router bit in the table. n There must be more accuracy introduced when the template sets flat on a router table. And the indexing of the work seems to be better thought out on the late model jigs. IIRC mine is a DR4, normal style. I recall adding the indexing arm to both sides and then small adjustable indexing pads to fine tune the indexing of the work piece perpendicular to the template. I never ever trusted that and probably because the template bowed down when you removed and inserted a new work piece. With the bowed template you were never sure if the work was indexed properly.

The Shaper WorkStation has dowels that screw out from the surface as the vertical indexing reference and the multi function support bar for the Origin is the horizontal reference. By comparison that method is rock solid vs. the Leigh jig, at least the older models.

Yeah, thinking back I think I recall that.

Yeah!

A funny side note. I purchased 5, 4 flute end mill bits. I have had better luck with longevity using HSS end mill bits than carbide bits when cutting Ipe years ago. And they were $2 each, no big loss if they did not work out.

So those did not work out so well, compared to the carbide up spiral bit that Shaper sends with the Origin. Anyway I was going to replace that end mill bit with the carbide spiral bit and discovered that the set screw that secures the spindle in its saddle was loose. This allowed the spindle to not plunge consistently.. DUH!

Maybe I'll try the end mill bits again. ~)

I'm really surprised that the Leigh is that bad. Note that I've never used a Leigh but for the money they get it should be bulletproof.

I was thinking about replacing my decking with Ipe but decided that I didn't want to do the work to keep it pristine and if I was going to let it go natural, I might as well use Trex, which is what I did (it's sitting in the driveway.

You're lucky that you didn't bugger something up.

Does the Shaper use standard bits? Does the software take any sized bit into account? IIRC, the Shaper only has a 1/4" collet so no 9mm or 1/2" but will it take any up or down (middle) cut bit or do I have to buy them from Origin?

On 12/5/2020 11:04 AM, snipped-for-privacy@notreal.com wrote: ...

From the spec sheet

For $2500 one would think they could manage to throw in a 1/8" collet gratis.

I find that amazing that it doesn't have 1/2" capability, though, too.

I have no idea re: how it copes with what the actual bit cutting radius is.

Side note: I've the Leigh DT jig (don't recall the exact model otomh) and I've never really had much trouble making it work well. I have to admit I've not used it alot; in general I just cut them anyway.

I got it for a set of drawers using plain ordinary machine-cut-looking kitchen-cabinet-style drawers that didn't need to look like they were man made; for that purpose it was just fine imo.

I've not tried to set it up to do variable-spaced or the like, but I don't recall having had trouble particularly with templates bowing or such. It is touchy to initial depth setup, though, granted, but any that I'm aware of have the same problem because the resulting gap is double any offset error.

Does it understand bit profile or is it straight only?

It's only a "pony" router. It would take a lot of energy to move a larger bit, making the router all that much heavier (and costly). Don't flat bed CNC machines only do 1/4" bits too? They have the same issues. Many/most/all? use the pony routers, as well.

I'm not nearly patient enough to cut them.

Yes, that's always the challenge. Better make sure matching pieces come out of the same board/sheet. Any variation makes for a bad day.

When they first came out they were pretty good compared to what you could get and they were infinitely adjustable for spacing. They have made improvements but I was not toing to but again.

Let me know how that works out! We are thinking about extending our covered patio. I want to go over the concrete patio right from the back door and out into the back yard. I am considering a man made material.. Or Ipe. Both are expensive.

I was playing around with a design, the bit was tight so nothing was going to come loose in that respect.

So yes common 1/4" shank bits up to 1/2" cutting diameter. They also have a 1/8" collet for smaller shank bits. Doing inlays works easier when you are not hogging out a lot of material. The 1/8" shank bits are dirt cheap compared to the 1/4" shank bits.

I will say the quality of the bits that Shaper provided with the tool and the ones they sell are top quality and fairly priced. And FWIW I have done a lot of cutting with that one bit and it is still quite sharp.

I would advise buying the 1/8" collet from Shaper, but so far they do not sell 1/8" shank bits, so buy bits where you like.

And yes, you tell the tool what diameter cutter you are using so that it knows.

I did some inlay this afternoon.

I plan to build boxes, in another post, and these are the top on my practice pieces. walnut in poplar. I have never ever done this before.

You get a break in pricing if you buy the Origin and the Workstation. I highly advise to buy the workstation at the same time.

It may in the future but I believe that weight is a factor. You still have to move the Origin like any other big router. It does weigh more than a trim router although that is basically what the spindle is. In certain situation bigger is not always better.

It is a computer driven machine with built on OS and apps. You tell it, on board what your parameters are.

So do you recall how long it took you to assemble the Leigh Jig? LOL. With the Origin and Workstation there is virtually no assembly so to speak.

And with on board computer it does the "maths" and line drawings to follow, for you.

$50

The package is $2899, IIRC.

The assembly is trivial, at least it was for the PC. Take it out of the box and bolt it to the table. Oh, and attach the dust collector. ...and the Origin's learning curve?

A DT jig does the line drawings too. ;-)