Shaper cutter profiles

[gwg]

Please offer your choices for 6 shaper cutter profiles that you have found to be the most useful or decorative. Knowing that this is dependent upon the project, I like to build picture frames and secondly provide some shape to the edge of case good (such as bookcases). I intend to use the cutter profile shapes available from Shopsmith.

[dickg1]

A shaper bit differs from a router bit because it gives a great deal of flexibility in choosing a portion of the cutting edge thereby allowing you to create a unique profile. By selecting portions of one bit and then another you "build" a profile that is yours alone. I have used Shopsmith shaper bits to create my own unique molding from cherry, oak and walnut. Recently my son used a portion of a bit to create a bead on 4" - 6" wide planks using the Shopsmith in the horizontal mode. We ran the PowerPro at 10K rpm in reverse so that the controls of the headstock were readily accessible.

The point I am trying to make is that shaper bits allow a great deal of opportunity to create the profile you want. I suggest that you review the bits offered keeping in mind that you can use a part of one, another part of a second and so on. Maybe start with two or three, expanding your collection as you go. If you have the original headstock, feed slowly and allow the bit to do it's work.

Dick

[reible]

This is a pretty difficult question to answer for several reasons. First we have no ideas what sort of project you intend to do. Second, do you have a router which might have the same profiles. Third, are you wanting to do joints or just decorative work or a mix.

Based on knowing none of these I will pick six cutters I have.

1) 1" jointer, this bit lets you joint edges up to 1" thick. If you have a jointer then you might skip this one. I've found it useful on smaller parts.

2) Glue joint, you do one edge on one board, second board is flipped and when you put them together you have a joint with a lot of glue surface that interlocks for alignment.

3) 3-bead edge, interesting cutter to make decorative edging on boards or to cut off and and use as a facing for plywood.

4-5) The matching tongue and groove set is nice. Having matching pairs is a lot easier then attempting to use un-matched sets.

6) Any of the bead, quarter round, cove, and or bevel cutters can be good choices to finish off the six.

I have the drop leaf and drop leaf bead, used for tables and unless you are into making table tops like that it is not worth price. Another specialty bit is the Vee groove, its interesting to use but then you have to have a reason to go that way.

All of my cutters are old and I have not been using them much since I was not a fan of the overhead shaper operation on the shopsmith. Now I have the dual tilt I think I might like to get back into shaping operations for some projects. However I do have a lot of router bits and have grown that collection while the shaper cutters numbers have not changed in 30 years.

Ed

[WmZiggy]

I have two woodshapers - A stand alone 1/2" Grizzly, and my
Shopsmiths 500s, a vintage 78 and 82. Over the years I have used the Grizzly to cut many feet of stiles and rails to make floating panels in cabinets. I recommend a set of cutters that will allow you to make floating panels. Then it helps to have a panel raising cutter. I would add a cove cutter, a round over cutter, and differing widths of groove cutters up to a 1 inch jointer. With these last three, you can create all manner of edge treatments.