Shaper versus Router Table

[Boomer_01]

I would like to start a discussion/debate about the relative strengths and weaknesses of using a shaper versus a router table. It seems to me that the shaper has lost favor over the past few years with the growth in popularity of the router table.

I would be very interested in hearing everyone’s views on this issue. I have never used a Shaper but I do use my BT3 integrated router table on almost every project I build. I am curious if those of you more familiar with the Shaper can make a case for it over the router table (not just the BT3 table but any table).

So pull up a chair and wade in with your opinions, insights and experiences. I hope to get some interesting feedback.

Take care…and thanks



Boomer

[drumpriest]

I've met quite a few people with shapers. Basically it comes down to the types of bits that you are going to use. The smaller bits, the router gives cleaner cuts with higher cuts per minute. Once you get into panel raising, a router can do it, but nowhere near as efficiently as a shaper. Shaper bits can be large profile, and a shaper can take large amounts of materail away in a pass.

Basically shapers have more torque. For most small shop uses, I think the router is just fine.

[Thom2]

I think probably the biggest thing to remember about a shaper is that it is ONLY good for edge work, while it is capable of doing edge work a lot faster and easier than a router, shaper cutters are very expensive in comparison to router bits. While the added cost can be justified for long runs because shaper cutters dull more slowly than router bits (and are resharpenable), they're generally cost prohibitive for a home shop environment.

Add in the fact that a router table is capable of doing nearly any type of interior work such as dado's, beading etc. The router becomes much more useful for a small operation.

There's many more reasons than what I've just mentioned, but IMO these are probably the 2 main reasons that you don't see shapers jumping into the home workshop environment.

[pirinst]

I think good shapers are fairly expensive....

The recently discontinued Craftsman $199 1/2inch spindle shaper has always been called a toy by serious shaper users. Same with the Delta version.

They ran at 10,000 and 12,000rpm, I believe and were reversible. The most common complaint was the speed was incorrect and not enough power. I recall people saying the units were too slow for routing and too fast for large shaping. Plus they had a very limited cutter size (thinking 2+inch maximum).
Can't find any 1/2 inch cutters, either. When Lowes came out with the tradesman shaper (Craftsman clone), they couldn't tell me where to buy cutters either...

The better units have at least 3/4inch or 1 inch spindles and higher power ratings to use the large cutters (up to 4+inch).

The expensive shapers have 1 to 2 inch spindles and weigh a ton, plus cost a lot of money. They are the serious woodworkers choice for big time shaping.

The routers can do a lot of things, but are not designed to put out the low speed torque needed to cut large amounts of edge work like a shaper can.
Plus the router bits are tiny compared to the bigger shaper cutters. Plus they are not reversible.

Not sure but I'd guess at least 95% of your work can be done with routers.
I'm thinking the old radial arm saw that was overtaken by the compound sliding miter saw. There are a few things the ras can still do but for the most part, average Joe chooses the sliding miter saw for the job...

[vaking]

I do not have a shaper but what I know from books is:
With specialized shaper bits good shaper will outclass any router.
However, specialized bits are very expensive, one bit can easily cost as much as the router. Shapers can be used with regular router bits but then shaper runs at the speed that is too low for those bits, quality of cut suffers. That means that for mass production/professional use shaper is probably a good thing, for enthusiast like us our limited use will not justify the cost.

[LJR]

I have a small Shop Fox shaper and use it instead of a router table. The shaper came with a 1/2" spindle and will take both 1/4" and 1/2" shank router bits. cast iron table top, decent split fence, and decent height adjustment. I got it because I didn't want to "tie up" one of my good hand held routers in a table. It cost me just a little over $300 new. I do have a couple of shaper cutters that run on the 1/2" spindle but I almost always have router bits in it.

If I had it to do over I'd do the same thing only a lot sooner. I think I have a very good "router table" in what the shaper will do and I don't have as much money in it as if I would have put a good router into a similar quality table.

Yes, the little shaper runs at 10,000 rpm but I've never had a problem with that being too slow, I just slow the feed rate down. If I ever did need the higher rpm of a router I'd just do that work with a handheld anyway.

There's not a large selection of half inch bore shaper cutters out there but the ones I did pick up came from Grizzly and they do just what I wanted.