I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton of
shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!

I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton
of shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!

First...make/build/buy/whatever it takes to get some hold downs and
shielding around the cutter.

Second...have them sharpened, if needed. If there is any question as to
being sharp enough, sharpen it. That's how I do it, anyway...your mileage
may vary

After that, it's a piece of cake...make up some chunks of 2X4 that are about
8-10" long, no knots, straight/square edges, etc. and make a cut with each
cutter to see what it does.

If the shaper is like mine...also a DeltaRockwell...it'll have a single
speed reversible motor. Be VERY careful that you use a good, thick washer on
the spindle at all times, but even moresoe when going "backwards"...and
you'll need to because many cutters have 2 patterns, one on either end of
the cutter.

As for what to do with it after that, basicly, it's a powerful router table.
About the only thing that you can't do with it that you can with a router
table is bury the cutter in the middle of a board.

Worst case is send me the cutters...I'll give them a good home and sharpen
them as needed.

I have a book from Rockwell on using the shaper table, but it's out on loan
right now, so I can't even check the name of it, but it's out there...if I
get it back soon, I'll repost with the name of the book.

Luck and have fun with it...and it can be a lot of using a sharper!

Mike

On Nov 20, 10:24 pm, "The Davenport's" wrote:

If the shaper is like mine...also a DeltaRockwell...it'll have a single
speed reversible motor. Be VERY careful that you use a good, thick washer on
the spindle at all times, but even moresoe when going "backwards"...and
you'll need to because many cutters have 2 patterns, one on either end of
the cutter.


Mike

What you really want when going "backwards" (spindle rotating
clockwise viewed from above) is a washer with a tab that fits the slot
in the spindle.

John Martin

Uninvestor wrote:

I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton
of shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!

Look for some shaper books: Cliff & Holz "Shaper Handbook" and Lonnie
Byrd's "The Shaper Handbook" are both quite informative.


--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

Uninvestor wrote:
I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton of
shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!


I strongly suggest getting a feeder - both for safety and for uniformity
of cuts.

Jim

Bingo!

The first machine they had me run as fresh meat in a furniture factory
was the shaper. Even with the feeder on it it was considered (and was)
dangerous. I love those things but I would likely really have my
testies retreat if I was pushing stock through it by hand. Get a
feeder.

My first week on the job I was shaping the edge of 4' x 6' table top,
using a feeder. Something on the underside of the piece I was feeding
in caught on the front edge of the shaper table as I was feeding it. I
lifted the back edge of the top I was feeding to clear it as I bumped
if forward. That was enough for the big 4" tall winged cutter to grab
the table, chew off about a square foot of the leading edge of the
table, which also swung up and cocked me under the chin. I was told
all about it a few minutes later when I woke up. I still have the scar
under my chin, 30+ years later.



On Nov 21, 4:18 am, Jim Artherholt wrote:
Uninvestor wrote:
I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton of
shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!

I strongly suggest getting a feeder - both for safety and for uniformity
of cuts.

Jim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message:
| Bingo! snip
Get a feeder.

Wow! I've never had such an experience, but I haven't used such a cutter
either. I don't try to do moulding or use any detail cutter that tall.
Panel raisers are about as big as I go. I also use a feeder with them.

Good advice. I have had things hang and tear up and throw stuff around but
not like that.

Good post.

have a good day, woodstuff

"Uninvestor" wrote in message:

| To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
| parts and built a finger detachment device!

You can make jigs to hold the workpiece so that your hands don't get close
to the cutter. I know how but it is too hard for this lamer (me) to explain
in this forum. Try searching the net maybe...

Maybe get some safety instructions from any shaper manufacturer and heed
them;
a shaper is no more dangerous than lotsa other tools you might have... In my
humble opinion.

The use of a power feeder is great, but expensive ($500-1800). Power
feeding is a must for me because it saves time and I don't get burn marks.
I mostly use the feeders for sticking and panel raising. Also, they force
the workpiece down and keep the cuts more consistent.

As for the cutters you inherited, make sure that you get a price from the
sharpener service before you let them do it; sometimes they charge so much
for the HSS steel sharpening that it would be more beneficial to buy some
carbide cutters from Grizzly or www.mlcswoodworking.com or whoever.

I have a few cutters that were given to me that were too expensive to have
sharpened, but I was able to sharpen them with a set of diamond sharpeners
from woodcraft and went from coarse to super fine. They worked well, but I
seldom use them, as they are mostly detail cuts. I am also not wanting to
do very much with them because I know HSS won't stay sharp very long.

Have a nice day! woodstuff

Thanks for all the help and insight! Have a great week to all!


"Uninvestor" wrote in message
. ..
I have recently inherited a Delta shaper from around 1950 including a ton
of shaper cutters.

To be honest this thing is scary! I looks like someone took some old car
parts and built a finger detachment device!

I have had success in shaping long straight lumber into picture frames and
used it for easing edges on other projects. My question is how do I make
sense of the 50 cutter options that were included? Can you point me to a
guide or book to learn what I can do with this monster?

Thanks and I really appreciate all the help this group has given me in the
past!

Happy turkey day!