Shopsmith Forums

I'm just now learning all the setups of my new Mark 7. I have a project coming up that will require a lot of laminating various widths to make table and cabinet tops. I have a reversible glue joint bit that I planned to use for making the joints. I set the SS up for over the table routing and under the table shaping to see which one I was more comfortable with for the wider stock. In both cases, the position of the fence limited the width to about 4" if I had it set up right. Then I watched a video on shaping and saw the operator using the starter pins with the shaper. It appears to me that this would be the best setup for wide stock using multiple passes to get the total depth. I watched him use a pulling feed and pushing feed. I would thing a push feed would be safer. Anybody got any comments

Your set-up or technique is off. Take a look a this chapter on shaping (there is another on routing) -- http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/shapin ... nceshaping

If your set-up limits you to routing or shaping a 4" wide piece of stock, it must be that you are trying to place the stock between the cutter and the way tubes when the Shopsmith is in the upright (drill press) position. You don't want to do that. Rather, you want to run the stock on the opposite side of the cutter, where with the proper support you have all the space you could need.

You don't want to use those starter pins either, as they're really for when you're shaping/routing irregular edges, not straight ones.

What you want is the shaper fence sold by Shopsmith or you can build something like the fences shown in the two chapters mentioned above.

After rereading you post, it possible that you're trying to use the rip fence for this set-up. That isn't the way to go either, if that what you tried. You really don't want to trap the wood between the cutter and the fence.

pennview wrote:Your set-up or technique is off. Take a look a this chapter on shaping (there is another on routing) -- http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/shaping/index.htm#fenceshaping

If your set-up limits you to routing or shaping a 4" wide piece of stock, it must be that you are trying to place the stock between the cutter and the way tubes when the Shopsmith is in the upright (drill press) position. You don't want to do that. Rather, you want to run the stock on the opposite side of the cutter, where with the proper support you have all the space you could need.

You don't want to use those starter pins either, as they're really for when you're shaping/routing irregular edges, not straight ones.

What you want is the shaper fence sold by Shopsmith or you can build something like the fences shown in the two chapters mentioned above.

Not only do you not want to do that - DON'T DO THAT.

Trapping the stock between either a shaper or router bit and a fence will create an uncontrollable projectile. If you ever do it, you'll understand why you don't want to. When I did it, I was just lucky that I had the shop doors wide open, the car was parked elsewhere and there was noone in the "line of fire".

I had a feeling I was doing something wrong, but I read the setup at least twice. I went to the link you sent and in the picture it showed the setup that my manual calls over the table routing. My manual showed the shaper setup under the table very similiar to a router table. Am I totally backward here. I have used a shaper and it is under the table just like a router except the cutter is different. It seems to me if you set this up as under the table you could use either the shaper spindle or the router chuck and use either type bit.?

I think where the book really threw me off was the fence. It never spoke of the shaper fence and the pictures didn't indicate the shaper fence, but without it you are limited to trapping the stock between the fence and the bit, and yes..I tried that and had a very hard time controlling it. I'm going to build a shaper fence.

Gee is this 'for real'?

505 - 20 tables have the mounting holes for the shaper fence to the 'left' of the blade slot.

The Mark 7 when tilted 'left'(headstock under the table) requires reversing the table which places the shaper fence mounting holes to the right of the blade slot.

That places the fence on the 'wrong' side.

Similar to a Mark VII?




























No it ain't!:D

The fence is still towards the way tubes.

A lesson in 'twisted' logic?:rolleyes:


Pun intended!;)



The Mark VII trunion design allows +- 90 degree tilting so the reversing the table in the carriage is unnecessary. However the shaper mounting holes are to the 'right' of the blade slot. That places the shaper fence towards the way tubes when tilted left(headstock under table), but, using the shaper fence when vertical 'right'(usual Mark 5/V/10 tilt) is not correct because it is 'away' from the way tubes.

I now unnrerstan WHY the table reversing/dual rack design was done for the Mark 7.

I should never have started this tread. It was really a dumb question. I have a router table and have logged a lot of time on that router table. The term "under the table shaper" is just a fancy way of saying router. The only difference is they use the shaper spindle and cutters. I set this up the first time with the router chuck and a reversible glue joint bit. It should have been a no brainer that I needed the router fence (they call it a shaper fence) to be able to use the shaper cutters or the router bit on wide stock. I feel like a beginner again...sorry for the trouble...

woodjoint70 wrote:I should never have started this tread. It was really a dumb question. I have a router table and have logged a lot of time on that router table. The term "under the table shaper" is just a fancy way of saying router. The only difference is they use the shaper spindle and cutters. I set this up the first time with the router chuck and a reversible glue joint bit. It should have been a no brainer that I needed the router fence (they call it a shaper fence) to be able to use the shaper cutters or the router bit on wide stock. I feel like a beginner again...sorry for the trouble...

Nothing to be sorry for.

Shaping and routing have sorta merged lately with 'shaped' bits available.

Way back when, the router bits were all straight.

The shaper fence has the variable infeed/outfeed offset capability. That distinguishes it from a 'normal' fence.