Toller wrote:

....
Four problems with it.
1) The hole is too small for large cutters. Getting a larger hole seems
prohibatively expensive, so I was thinking putting a second surface over the
top. The bearings ought to be robust enough to handle a little more
extension without excessive runout, no?

The shaft is only a 1/2" shaft. Any 3/4" shaper cutter _sold by the
manufacturer_ w/ a 1/2" bushing is ok, but even there I'd err on the
side of caution (having the same machine)....

2) The table is too small. So I was thinking of solving 1&2 by using a
large sheet of corian I was planning on using for the router table; gluing a
piece off plywood to the corian, with a cut out for the old table, with a
large opening to accomodate large cutters. Is this reasonable? I could run
some supports from the base to the edge of the corian/plywood table, but it
ought to be strong enought with them.

I simply made an auxiliary table around the shaper table itself. If you
add the extra table you may then run into the problem of not having
sufficient spindle height adjustment. That depends on what you want to
actually do.

I use the LD shaper for stick and cope cuts and, for the most part,
leave it set up simply to handle the undercut of the full-length tenon
w/ the stub spindle while using the larger shaper for the actual other
cutting. This saves a somewhat touchy setup issue when using the same
shaper for both cuts.

When had only the one, of course, had to do so so it made planning ahead
to minimize the number switchovers much more a significant issue.

I still suggest planning on using cutters which do fit within the
machine's intended capability. It is truly unfortunate that Delta
stopped production of the 1/2" cutters for the LD shaper. It would be
nice if Grizzly or some of the others who still make a 1/2" spindle
shaper would pick up the niche.

3) Sealing the front and sides to hook up a dust collector is easy enough,
but the back would be a little trouble because of the motor and pulley.
Also, the fence doesn't lend itself to easy DC connection. Has anyone
found a clever way to do this?

Not effective. When shaping, I accept that there will be chips...

4) I foolishly thought I could use my router bits in it, but now find I
would have to buy a $90 adaptor. That $90 would pay for a couple cutters.
Am I better buying the adaptor, or just going with shaper cutters. (I will
be building a small router table to go in the left TS wing for small stuff)

When in Rome...


Or with all of these problems, maybe I should unload it and just do the new
router table as I originally intended. At an auction last week, the same
shaper went for 50% more than I paid for mine, despite being in worse
condition.

Oh, all the decisions....

As I noted in an addendum/response to Marty's answer, I wonder why buy a
piece of gear if not sure what one wants to do w/ it...

Overall, a large router is undoubtedly more flexible and has advantages
to a part-time/hobby woodworker over a spindle shaper. For
architectural work or for production cabinet work, the shaper properly
set up can't be beat....

IMO, YMMV, $0.02, etc., ....