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shapers?

Started by ely, February 03, 2011, 03:43:24 PM

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ely

guys , i have been searching out info and pricing on shapers today.
powermatic,jet,steel city,delta.... in no particular order.
i found all these at whitton supply in okla.city.
i have an email to them as for enquiring prices.
all models are 3hp 230 volt machines.
the steel city looks like a plain no frills machine but actually comes with 3/4 and 1 inch spindles and also 1/4 and 1/2 inch router collet.
PM comes with a large to me table of 30"x 40".

do any of you guys know anything good or bad to tell me about these models.?

can you tell me about any other models like the grizzely tool line.?

about shapers in general? is the 3hp motor adeq. for working raised panels on cabinets or even T&G  material. thanks in advance.

Burlkraft

I have a 3 hp Delta

It works great for what I use it for. It has 3/4 & 1" spindles and both collets for router bits.

I went a long time...(Years) without a power feed on it.

What the heck was I thinkin'?

Power feeders make life easier and they also give you a better end product.

I have made a lot of flooring on it and a bunch of T & G paneling.

It's the only one I've ever had so I can't say anything about any of the others.  ;D
Why not just 1 pain free day?

ahlkey

I have a 3HP industrial Extrema Shaper with power feed and works well for all my T & G hardwood flooring.  Have mostly Grizzly equipment but felt when related to the shaper I needed something better to handle my hickory stock.  I also agree can't imagine doing any volume without the powerfeed.   

Larry

I have a 3 hp Delta with a Grizzly 1/4 hp feeder.  It works great for what I do.  Made raised panels, rails & styles, all kinds of molding, tongue & groove paneling, and hand rails off the top of my head.  A few pictures in my gallery.  If I was doing it for a living I would want more hp both on the shaper and feeder.

For spindles all you really need is 3/4".  The 1" is an odd ball size.  1-1/4" spindles are commercial and lots of tooling is available.  If I ever find a shaper with one in my price range its coming home.  The router collets are good if you don't have a router table.

I just walked in the door from a going out of business cabinet shop auction.  Almost new 3 hp Grizzly sold for $375 which is a bit less than the going price.  Bunch of re-sharpened Freeborn cabinet tooling went cheap.  My gloat for tonight is well over a hundred pair drawer glides for $45.  There's another cabinet shop auction with a bunch of near new machines up in Springfield coming up in the next few days.

I use a lot of custom made HSS tooling in different insert heads.  Fax a drawing off to www.wdr-sales.com up in KC and get cutters a couple of days later.  Both price/quality are great.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Just Me

 Look at used. Shapers are pretty hard to mess up. Look for gauling on the spindle that happens when cutters are not tight enough, and check the spindle for straight.

One of the considerations on a shaper is the distance apart that the bearings are from each other. For example on your average Delta they are about three inches apart. On my minimax they are a foot apart. This translates to less spindle movement from any small slop in the bearings.

I bought a SCMI 110 commercial with a Steff feeder for $1500 used. The feeder costs more than that.

Don't be afraid of three phase. Small converters are not very expensive new and can be bought cheap used. Then you will have the ability to take advantage of other three phase equipment that comes up for sale. I recently bought a perfect 20" Delta bandsaw that was three phase, for $540 because no one wanted it because it was three phase. I run my whole shop off of a 50 Hp converter as three phase is not available where I am. You will find much more machine for your dollar if you look at industrial Three Phase equipment.

Of the ones you listed I wouldn't buy any of them including the grizzley, I would look for used european equipment from SCMI, Minimax, Martin, and so forth. There is no comparison. They are worth a lot of money but if you spend a little time looking deals do come up, and there is no comparison in quality and the quality of work that they will produce.

Another option to look at is some of the all in one machines if you are space challanged. MiniMax, Felder and Hammer are the main ones with Robland pulling in a distant fourth. These machines are fairly expensive but they are all commercial quality in a compact package with a tablesaw, jointer, planer, shaper and morticer all in one large machine. The Felders are a work of art, but I would say the Minimax machines are just as good but with a little less polish. These provide you with a world class woodshop wit a footprint of just one large machine. If woodwork was just a hobby for me I would have one of these.

ely

thanks for the replys so far guys, any and all helps me to decide. i have been looking at CL and found a few machines but i am unsure about some of the quality.

i intend to to do this work for myself in my house and for a hobby. maybe for a few friends if they really like my work. i am not really going into business though. the industrial machines sound really good to me, i have never been a real fan of the all in one machines because i have no limit on floorspace.... with a sawmill and an attitude we just keep building.

Just Me

 There are plenty of industrial shapers out there right now. It doesn't really matter if they are very old either, except for the newer Europeans with electronic height adjustment they have not changed much in 50 years. Olivers and such are just as usefull today as they were in their hayday.

Keep this in mind. I have "Never" heard someone say that their shaper is too "Big".

If you go big try to keep to a 1 1/4" spindle. That is the size that has the most used industrial cutters available.

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