mark v shaper

[easterngray]

If you take a look at the shaping chapter in the book POWER TOOL WOODWORKING FOR EVERYONE your confusion should be cleared up. You are perfectly able to execute shaping operations with your Mark V as it is. The recent shaper arbor upgrade, which is used in conjuction with a 1/2 router chuck, is nice, but not necessary. Here is a link to the chapter:

http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/shaping/index.htm

Alec

[reible]

Hi,

I thought I would address the forward/reverse drive issue.

Back in the day when I was introduced to a shaper it was an old craftsman and only turned in one direction. I was always wondering why some of the cutters had profiles you couldn't use. It was many years later that I got my shopsmith and got the shaper set-up and low and behold I found the same issue.

So let me share this bit with you, most shapers run in both forward and reverse direction! OK this will not be a big share with a lot of you who have already know this but since we are talking about the shopsmith with and without the ability to reverse direction lets go on with this.

If you have a shopsmith that has a single rotation direction you will not be able to do all the things that a dual direction will allow. Options become $$ at this point. I'll leave that to you and your wallet.

Below is a picture of the shopsmith 1/2" arbor with a 1/2" shaper cutter mounted. This would be what you would set up in the drill press mode.

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Note the rotation of the shopsmith in forward rotation. As you can see the cutting edge is in the proper direction for the small round over cut.

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However what if we wanted to use the larger round over? You can't use it as mounted so now what?

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The obvious solution is to flip the cutter over. So we go ahead and do that. Now we have the portion of the cutter we want but we also have a problem. As you can see the bit will be running backward....

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Solution? Flip the switch to reverse, that is if you have it.

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Now you can go on cutting.

Just a couple more things coming up in my next post.

Ed

[reible]

Now the rest of the story.

The above post was true to a point but depending on how thick the work piece is and other factors.... There is another way that might work for us.

The use of some spacers can provide a way of moving the main part of the bit below the table, putting the cutting edge just above the table (think drill press mode).

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So this is really cutter/operation dependent but certainly worth looking at when you are making your decisions.

Personally I have used the shaper, it has worked for me but, it came down to deciding where to put my money and I elected to go towards routers. I have several sets of shaper cutters, as well as single cutters but they are all from years ago and are not carbide. When I looked to upgrade the cost looked to high to do for me. I still don't see me spending the money for the things that I build.

I would say you might want to check prices for the cutters you think you might want as that is where the real cost come in. As an example, sets can run $100, more conventional bits $40. So lets say you buy 3 sets and 10 conventional bits, $700. Do your research.

Couple of other notes. A lot of cutters come as a 3/4" or 1-1/4" bore, you might well want to check that out as the shopsmith is 1/2". Adaption I've seen will get you from 3/4" to 1/2", don't know about the other.

The table insert for the shaper is a good idea, it has starter pins for free hand work.

A lot of work can be done using the shaper fence and will not require rub collars or bearings.

So there are a few thoughts, free advice is free so get what you pay for.

Ed