Popular Woodworking 2002-08 № 129, страница 44

OUTER TABLES

chine has a fence that locks to the table to safely and effectively guide the workpiece past the spinning cutter or bit. In fact, even many of the operating principles are the same. Both machines can produce mouldings, rabbets and a variety of other profiles on straight or curved stock.

But like other stationary power tools, shapers are production machines. The average shaper weighs in at 500 pounds, or approximately one quarter of a ton. This mass, coupled with a large spindle, bearings and motor, enable the shaper to breeze through heavy cuts, such as a raised panel, that bog down even the most powerful routers.

But besides the obvious differences in size and power, there are some other significant differences, too, that will affect the capabilities of each tool and how they will perform in your shop. For example, shaper cutters are bored to fit the spindle of the machine, but router bits have a shank that fits into the collet of a router.

What's the difference? Shaper cutters can be inverted or mounted upside down; the spindle rotation can be reversed and you can feed the stock from the opposite direction. This is an important feature that will allow you to shape profiles on wide, thick and odd-shaped stock. Shaping from either direction also allows you to cut with the grain, rather than against it, resulting in a smoother surface on the workpiece.

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