Shopsmith Forums

Hobbyman2 wrote:The question was under the table routing ?, not sure I understand why you need the shaper fence for routing ? the lock nut on the shaper arbor set up must spin correctly or it will be a huge safety issue ,,it will back off no mater how the cutter is installed .

Router bits don't always have guide bearings and was thinking about using a straight router bit originally, and I thought it would be nice if it could be used in shaper mode, too. Your mention that the nut could spin off because of a direction change is one of the reasons I brought up the question. Will it actually spin off just because you change the position of the headstock? The motor is still turning in the same direction relative to it's position and the arbor still attaches the same.

When you flip the shaper cutter end for end you also reverse the shape AND the cutting direction and therefore the feed direction. When using the pins and free hand it only requires feeding from the opposite direction.

The shaper/molder fence is merely another way, but it does not require rub collars/bearings.

Flipping the molder head also requires reversing feed direction as well in addition to inverting the shape.

All that above ignores the 'detail' that rotation must also be reversed. Not a problem with the Mark 7. A show stopper with the reeves drive headstock.

if I ever get a MARK 7 that would be one of the buying points .

WileyCoyote wrote:

Hobbyman2 wrote:The question was under the table routing ?, not sure I understand why you need the shaper fence for routing ? the lock nut on the shaper arbor set up must spin correctly or it will be a huge safety issue ,,it will back off no mater how the cutter is installed .

Router bits don't always have guide bearings and was thinking about using a straight router bit originally, and I thought it would be nice if it could be used in shaper mode, too. Your mention that the nut could spin off because of a direction change is one of the reasons I brought up the question. Will it actually spin off just because you change the position of the headstock? The motor is still turning in the same direction relative to it's position and the arbor still attaches the same.

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Using a sacrificial piece of wood on the fence allows you to bury the cutter with out damaging the fence ,

Reversing the headstock does NOT alter the direction of rotation of the motor/cutter. It does reverse from an overhead vertical point of view which is why the feed direction must change.

Flipping the cutter end for end does however REQUIRE reversing the direction.

A tongued washer will prevent loosening the nut so the arbor can be used in either direction.

The reason for using the shaper fence is to allow for total edge removal. The shaper fence infeed/outfeed sides are separately adjustable analagous to the jointer infeed/outfeed tables.

I think under table routing is preferable when using large cutters. The extra REAL HP is an advantage and the elimination of spinning parts above the workpiece and sight impairment are also. They also require lower RPMs.

God points,it would also allow wood chips a place to evacuate .I made the sacrificial piece with a hole big enough for the chips ,
[dont have the shaper fence} when I got my MKV it had damage on the fence where some one had done this with out a sacrificial piece of wood .