Jet 1 1/2 hp Shaper

[justin waldron]

What an awesome little machine!  The machine comes with a 1/4 and 1/2 inch collet for router bits and a 1/2 and 3/4 inch spindle for shaper cutters.  Changing of the bits are extremely easy from a lock on the underside of the table, belt tensioning is a dream.  This is a little workhorse!

[Robert Brennan]

OK its now Jun 2013 and I have just returned from the Annual Wood working Expo.

Whilst there I bought a turbo planer for my angle grinder.

I set to work with it on a wooden fork I had from my stock within 15 minutes I had completely resurfaced the fork and produced massive amounts of "sawdust"

The tool is not one that you would let an inexperienced person use as its a very aggressive planer and hence is a bit unforgiving if pushed too hard and tends to kickback.

 

Before

 and after.

And talk about making sawdust, I had it everywhere!

and who said woodworking couldn't be fun!!

 

[Ken Darga]

Robert, 

My Dad and Granddad made so much sawdust, it had to be hauled away in a ''dump truck''.

[justin waldron]

Ken/Robert, I was using a 3 1/2hp Milwaukee rated for being inverted, I suppose too that I could have blown the housing out after every use, but I didn't.  Also, in making a bunch of kitchens it was the right choice for me to move to bigger bits etc. and the use of a power feeder.

[Robert Brennan]

yo!.....Way to go Ken. 

Incredible,

Considering the facts you have presented today, I will withdraw my subjective assessment

of: "You cannot make too much sawdust" and just go about my beloved woodworking.

it is my now learned opinion that the accusation of "too much sawdust" is a unsubstantiated  statement made by those who have no technical working knowledge of a broad spectrum of wood working tools but gob off anyway.

 

[Ken Darga]

Robert,

I've been accused, at times, of making too much sawdust.

Often times I use my chainsaw, so as to get larger wood chips.

If I want really large chips, I use chisels and a mallet.

When I want to make LOTS of larger chips, I use my electric or pneumatic chiseler---

it'll remove bark from a log pdq.

If the chips fly too far, I put up a soccer goal net, to catch them before they go flying into my neighbors yard.

[Robert Brennan]

If you use a router in a table check its suitable to do so, simply by 

a. Checking in the Tool user guide, if its designed to be inverted it usually has it documented as a feature.

b. Check the tool and see if there is a deflector plate fitted over the spindle after the collet and before the housing, if its there, then its designed to be inverted.

There is no reason why the user could not fabricate their own anyway.

BTW some trivia Ken, it is impossible to make "too much sawdust" (Joke) !!

If not 

[Ken Darga]

Justin,

I use my compressor, to blow out the sawdust from the router, after each use, when I'm done making cuts.

I know it's extra exercises, but it helps to keep it clean and doesn't allow the sawdust to buildup, internally.

Perhaps you're just making too much sawdust    ;-)

[justin waldron]

Hey Bill, the shaper will allow you to turn the same corners that you can on the router provided the bit that you're using.  The Jet above will take standard router bits at 1/4 and 1/2 inch shank as well as 1/2 and 3/4 spindle shaper cutters.  A shaper cutter will allow you to take more material off in less passes and is designed to be a continuous use machine, that about sums it up.  I went to a shaper because my router would stop working because it was getting dust inside the housing (I make a lot of cabinet doors).  The shaper allows to add a power feeder and is more solid because of the cast iron top.  That's about it in my opinion between the two.  I have done the same builds with a router table that I have with a shaper and both are very useful.  Like I said, I just got tired of my router getting filled with dust and quitting on me.

[Bill Williams]

Hello;  I have a couple questions about shapers.  Currently I making Adirondack furniture and Christmas reindeer and sleighs.  I utilize a template bit and my router so that each piece is exactly the same.  I would like to know if a shaper is what I need to upgrade to?  The router has a tendency to wear out router bits quickly.  Will the shaper allow me to turn corners, some of the reindeer parts have lot of corners.  Just trying to investigate new equipment opportunities.  Thanks for your help..

[justin waldron]

No problem at all!  Well aligned my friend!