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In the beginning (sounds like a Bible story) working in a tiny shop, it was a period of isolation. Go to work every day with no exposure to tools or procedures. At the time there wasn't much of a selection in any of the stores that catered to woodworkers, as they were basically lumberyards, like microscopic versions of HD.
Seeing a router in one of my visits there prompted me to get one to try it out. After using it and seeing the bits that were available at the time, figured out it could be mounted in a table like I did with my circular saw before I had a table saw.
Taking the router out of my hands allowed much larger stock to be profiled, and increased the router's versatility. During projects there would be brainstorms on how to improve the table with fence modifications and grooves like what was on the table saw.
The industry was not well advertised especially when you spent all day in a shop with no source of information. Being a flea market and garage sale junkie, ran across an ad in the newspaper from a guy closing his shop and selling everything. Those sales you have to go early. I was one of the first there and saw a machine called a shaper. I asked him about it and he said if you know what a router can do, this is the big brother.
I bought it and had to get a friend to help me move it to the shop. Only had one 220V receptacle for a plug in, but that was OK, didn't have anything else that was 220V. At the time the Rockwell/Delta machinery was pretty much the same. A 5HP, single phase, with interchangeable spindles up to 1 1/4". With the room under the nut and a wide variety of cutters broadened the scope of what profiles could be done. Eventually I talked myself into buying a variable speed power feeder. Money well spent. I bought two mounting bases and put the second one on the table saw.
A big brother to a router, that and a lot more. It really gets your respect and attention looking down at a massive wing cutter.
Seeing a router in one of my visits there prompted me to get one to try it out. After using it and seeing the bits that were available at the time, figured out it could be mounted in a table like I did with my circular saw before I had a table saw.
Taking the router out of my hands allowed much larger stock to be profiled, and increased the router's versatility. During projects there would be brainstorms on how to improve the table with fence modifications and grooves like what was on the table saw.
The industry was not well advertised especially when you spent all day in a shop with no source of information. Being a flea market and garage sale junkie, ran across an ad in the newspaper from a guy closing his shop and selling everything. Those sales you have to go early. I was one of the first there and saw a machine called a shaper. I asked him about it and he said if you know what a router can do, this is the big brother.
I bought it and had to get a friend to help me move it to the shop. Only had one 220V receptacle for a plug in, but that was OK, didn't have anything else that was 220V. At the time the Rockwell/Delta machinery was pretty much the same. A 5HP, single phase, with interchangeable spindles up to 1 1/4". With the room under the nut and a wide variety of cutters broadened the scope of what profiles could be done. Eventually I talked myself into buying a variable speed power feeder. Money well spent. I bought two mounting bases and put the second one on the table saw.
A big brother to a router, that and a lot more. It really gets your respect and attention looking down at a massive wing cutter.
**one and only purchaser of a BT3C official thong** 
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