From: bennett@adobe.com(Bennett Leeds)
Subject: Re: router vs shaper
Reply-To: bennett@adobe.com
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 19:38:53 GMT

Dave Larsen <dal@boombox.micro.umn.edu> writes
>...
> >What will the shaper offer that the router/table
> >cannot as far as power, versatility goes?
> 
> A much wider range of cutter shape and size. 

I disagree. There seems to me to be a much larger variety of router bits than 
shaper cutters. I don't even think there are more shaper profiles than edge 
forming router bit profiles, but even if there were, the large number of 
non-edge router profiles (like dadoes, ball-noses, plunge ogees, dish bits, 
etc.) would tilt the balance back. Router bits are also cheaper.

I'll grant you that you can get larger profiles in shaper cutters than you can 
in router bits.


> The reveal of the panel on a router made panel is usually < 1". 

Amana, Bosch, and Freud, among others, make raised panel bits that are 3.5" 
diameter, which create a 1.5" reveal. There are a number of Taiwanese bits this 
large (or larger) as well. On the other hand, I'd be real hesitant to run these 
big bits in a router, even if it is big and table mounted.

There are also panel raisers that don't have bearings. These produce a wide
reveal with a smaller diameter bit, although you need a good fence and your 
panel can only have straight edges (unless you're overhead pin routing, in 
which case you can do curves). A 2" bit can produce about a 1.125" reveal.

The "vertical" panel raisers can also go this far, or further, although they're 
only good for straight panel edges as well. They're safer, though.


> I haven't seen any "handle-less" drawer and doors cutters for a router 
> (tapered drawer edges).

Try Freud or Eagle America. Eagle stocks a variety of different door/drawer lip 
profiles. Trendlines and Woodworkers Supply, and others also sell Taiwanese 
bits that have these profiles. The past few years have seen a number of new
profiles become available in router bits, many of which came from shaper
profiles (door lips, finger joints, lock-miters, etc.).


> Safety too. Porter Cable says not to put cutters > 2 or 3" (sorry I
> forget) in their routers. This was too limiting because I couldn't match
> some cabinet doors I wanted to build.

I agree here. I forget the exact numbers also, but Spielman quotes PC as saying 
you shouldn't go beyond some multiple of the bit shank diameter. It may have 
been 5 times, which yields 2.5" diameter for 1/2" shank bits. Bosch isn't as 
conservative on the diameter, but is conservative on bit length (they make only 
one bit that is longer than 3.5").

As for the original poster's question, there are tilting spindle shapers which 
are more versatile than fixed axis routers. And, big shapers are much more 
powerful than any router, and can cut larger profiles with larger cutters. On 
the other hand, routers can cut more than just edges, like mortises in the 
middle of wide panels, and can be also be used for surfacing, jointing, etc.
For profiles larger than the avilable bits you can often take multiple passes 
at varying router fence distances.


- Bennett Leeds
bennett@adobe.com

PS: If you have a table or radial arm saw, you can get a number of shaper 
    profiles with a molding head cutter (and can vary them by tilting the
    arbor). With a big router and a molding head cutter for your saw, you
    can do the majority of what a shaper can, saving quite a bit of
    money in the process.

    I'd say save the money from a shaper and get a better (perhaps bigger)
    tablesaw. IMHO, shapers make more sense for production shops than for 
    individual craftspeople.