Router table vs. shaper

[AlexSwansboro]

I am in the market for something that I can make cabinetry with (mostly) and have been reading about the difference between router table and shaper. I want to set up that is most versatile, however I don't yet trust my cabinet building capabilities. If I got with a RT I would want to build the cabinet/table, because buying a router table would be almost as expensive as buying a shaper (on the low end of the price range).

Also, do you have any good plans for a router table?

 

[tryingtokeepmyfingers]

"I don't yet trust my cabinet building capabilities"

this is a hard question to answer.... I router and router table I would say would be the first step since you do not trust your skills at this point.. The Router and router table is more more flexable then a shaper but someone can speak up if I am giving bad advice. Building your own router table can be as complicated as a piece of plywood on saw horses or more advance then anything premade ones. at routerforums.com you can get all type of advice.

I will tell you what I like and what I ended up with after my search

I built my own table out of 2 layers of 3/4 mdf and then covered in white formica
I have a super fence from Woodpeckers
I have a incra aluminum router plate
and a Triton 3 1/4 hp router mounted in the table

when I add up the money and time it took to get set up

http://www.amazon.com/Woodpeckers-P...wer-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1320965416&sr=1-47

a set up like this is not a bad deal all you do is add your router and get to work

hopefully someone else can help and check out routerforums.com

check out Incra, Sommerfeld tools for wood and Woodpeckers to me they are the best when it comes to router tables, fences and accessories

I really also like Sommerfeld bit guard / feather board

 

[MarkE]

That is a tough question. I just went through the same process and decided to stay with a router table. I know I did not save money by doing so. But I do think I ended up with a set-up that works better for me.

I built the NYW router table (modified). My router is the Porter Cable 7518, 3-1/4 hp. The router is mounted to an Incra SideWinder router lift. My fence is the Incra 25" fence with the Wonder fence upgrade. I also just added the IGaging remote digital readout. This setup gives me a lot of flexibility and accuracy but it was not necessarily cheaper than a shaper.

A couple of things helped me make my decision. First, the router table doubles as an outfeed table for the table saw and as assembly space. Just remove the fence and drop the router below the table surface and all that surface area is available for other uses. Second, a shaper really would need some dedicated floor space for the machine and infeed/outfeed space. And, I already have a bunch of router bits, didn't want to have buy another bunch of shaper cutters.

My plan is to replace my current router table with a larger one, designed to fit better with my sliding table saw. The new table will also have a down draft sanding table built in, so I will get more use out of the same floor space.

 

[sawman101]

I bought a used Delta shaper, but haven't even brought it home yet. Shop is already crowded, and I have 2 router tables and tons of bits. I don't have any cutters for the shaper, and judging by the prices, I'll probably stick with my router tables for the foreseeable future. I love my router tables, even though they're slower cutting than a shaper. If I were doing production work, the shaper will get used.

 

[Sully]

Dcelta shapers share the same hole pattern as unisaw table extensions so the two machines can be bolted together side by side sharing infeed and outfeed support and not compromising floor space.

 

[Phil S]

I have a router with lift setup in the side table of my table saw. It works reasonably well and I thought that was all I needed - until I was lucky enough to find a great deal on a shaper. I bought a 1/2" spindle adapter so I could use my router bits and it is much better. The adjustments are easier and the profile/cut is smoother, probably due to the massive weight.

Hands down I would go with the shaper

 

[AlexSwansboro]

Another use I thought of for my router/shaper was to use it as a jointer. I have seen in some magazine that a router can be used to joint edges. Would that push me in one direction over another?

 

[Sully]

Edge jointing can be done with a router used freehand with a pattern bit and a straight edge. It can also be done on the router table if you have a split fence that can be shimmed on one side. Edge jointing on the shaper table can be done in the same way. You can also edge joint on the shaper table or router table with the straight edge method although it can be a little more unwieldy in jointing long stock.

 

[Skymaster]

In a non-production shop, router table is better,easier setups, works way better with router bits,because designed to run higher speeds for bits. Less power/torquewise.
shaper is production design, bigger,heavier cutters,lower rpm but HUGE difference in cutting power.A router can only take light cuts whereas shaper can do in one cut what a router wood have to take many many.

Sawman; check Grizzly for shaper cutters, unless you are running thousands of bd ft of a profile,Grizzly cutters are fine. I have a several, work fine and usually cost not much more than good router bits.:gar-Bi:gar-Bi

 

[merrill77]

If you are just getting started, you might consider building something simple to start with. I've built three, each better than the previous based on what I learned about how I use a router table.

Here is my second table:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/shop/SimpleRouterTable.html

It was very inexpensive and simple to build - I did it in an afternoon. It also worked very well. I only upgraded because I was able to pick up a nice cabinet for $20.

 

[scsmith42]

In a non-production shop, router table is better,easier setups, works way better with router bits,because designed to run higher speeds for bits. Less power/torquewise.
shaper is production design, bigger,heavier cutters,lower rpm but HUGE difference in cutting power.A router can only take light cuts whereas shaper can do in one cut what a router wood have to take many many.

Sawman; check Grizzly for shaper cutters, unless you are running thousands of bd ft of a profile,Grizzly cutters are fine. I have a several, work fine and usually cost not much more than good router bits.:gar-Bi:gar-Bi

Very well stated and right on target! I concur 100% on all points.

 

[JimD]

I've made several router tables and never seen a big need for a shaper. The only cut I do that a shaper would be nice for is raising panels for raised panel doors. The router table takes more time because I have to make multiple cuts but it gets the job done. I've made one complete kitchen (raised panel doors in oak) and an island for my current kitchen (structure is like flat panel doors) plus several bedroom sets and built-ins. I currently have two router table setups. I have a simple one built into the extension table of my table saw. I do not use it often but it is sometimes handy so I can have two set up and not have to switch the setup back and forth. It is just a spare fixed base for my PC 690 routers (I have two motors and 4 bases) attached to a cut down area of the melamine particle board top and a fence that attached through T-nuts imbedded into the extensioin table top. The fence has slotted holes for adjustment. Simple but it works.

My main router table is shaped like the NYW design but has a built in lift adapted from plans from an old American Woodworker article. The lift cost around $50 in parts to make and works fine. It is 1/4 inch shorter than my table saw and is used for infeed support (with the fence removed) when I cut up large hunks of plywood. I don't know exactly what I've got in this router table but it can't be $200. The structure is 1 sheet of 3/4 birch shop plywood and a lot of small scraps. The top is a sink cutout with a piece of 3/4 plywood under it and wrapped by maple scraps. It seems to me that router tables get expensive when you add a commercial lift (even my lift was a significant portion of what I spent) and a router plate. I know a lot of people love these plates but I think they are a waste of money. Some also spend a lot on the fence. If you make nearly everything yourself, you need to lose nothing in functionality and can easily keep the cost down. But you will probably not have as good a router table for awhile until your woodworking skills are at this level. At least that was the case with me. Fortunately you do not need a fancy router table to make good projects. It makes things easier but if you are careful, simpler designs will work fine.

Jim

 

[Joe Scharle]

I used to have a shaper. 60's Craftsman.
But as I matured and realized that (to me) this was the most dangerous machine in my shop unless I could put a feeder on it. Of course I couldn't; so I sold it in the mid 90s. My replacement was the big Milwaukee, first in a standalone router table, then later in a wing extension on my TS. I'm fairly happy with my current complement of:
RT (3.5hp Milwaukee) on TS extension w/ Daisy pin router kit
Woodrat (3.25 DeWalt 625)
Shop built horizontal table with a spare Milwaukee fixed base permanently mounted

The Milwaukee will cut a raised panel in 2 passes. The 2nd pass a shallow cleanup pass. I'll remind you that shaper bits are NOT cheap.

 

[Guy in Paradise]

Both are good tools

Both are good tools. I would suggest taking a class on each one at a local woodworking store, as a lot can be learned from some experience. I find uses for both. I used a router table for years, and like most tools, after getting a good shaper and using it, wondered why I hadn't gotten one 30 years prior.

The Shaper is not a dangerous tool, unless used in a dangerous way. A big swinging cutter does deserve a lot of respect. I would suggest getting the Shaper Book by Lonnie Byrd, who shows some great techniques for ensuring each operation is safe. I have used his box enclosure, at his class, and found it to superb for covering the cutter and keeping the operation safe.

I used to have a shaper. 60's Craftsman.
But as I matured and realized that (to me) this was the most dangerous machine in my shop unless I could put a feeder on it.

Some of these big HP routers, spinning at high revolutions, can be used or set up incorrectly, deserve as much safety consideration as any shaper. Training, research, and guided practice, are needed by both machines, in my opinion.

 

[mihunt]

I have a router table from mlcs and a porter cable 3 hp router. Worked fine for making a large set of bookcases with lower cabinets and raised panel doors. I could have bought a low end shaper for the price I paid for the router table set up but the router table is a lot easier to move and works perfectly for me since I'm not using it for high production numbers. I've also made about 300 ft^2 of t&g flooring with it without problems. The good thing about the router is its duel purpose. You can in mount it and use it as a router is normally used where a shaper is use specific.

 

[blazeman45]

If you want to practice building cabinets... build yourself a router table cabinet first!! I just finished mine and still have to build the fence!!

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[AmishWarlord]

Wow that's nice Steve!

Nice old vintage plane there Mike!