Safety Speed Cut Thermwood Corporation ECabinet Systems

Cabinetmaking

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

router vs shaper

1/19/16       
alex whitefield Member

Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AWhitefieldDesign

I have a series of templates that I am using a router table and 1/2 inch trim bit with a ball bearing to cut out. I am cutting 1/2 Baltic birch plywood. I finish the edge of the plywood so I need a fast yet clean cut. Would I be better off with a shaper and a flush bit and bearing? If yes, any thing special I should be looking for in a shaper? Or the size/type of bit?

1/19/16       #2: router vs shaper ...
Ken Member

The most obvious answer is you need a CNC router. That said so do I, hope to have one in the next year. I have been doing template work for years using a C.R. Onsrud inverted pin router. These come up used at auctions and private party occasionally, sometimes on WoodWeb. The base model uses a 3 hp router and from there a 5 & 10 hp spindle. I use a 3/8" 2 flute compression spiral and cut full depth through 1/2" BB about as fast as I can move the board. There's also some tricks you can do with the pins to allow a finish cut. It sounds like maybe you're rough cutting the blank to you pattern and finishing up with the router? The pin router eliminates that, I just attach the template to the blank and plunge the material and cut to shape.

1/20/16       #3: router vs shaper ...
Larry

So much depends on the size and shape of your parts. We've go multiple ways of cutting curved parts. If CNC is out of the question then for parts with gentle curves I'd use a shaper. Lots of variations but if you can swing it get a reasonably heavy shaper, 1 1/4" spindle. I see used European shapers come up fairly often. Use inserted tooling, ball bearing collar. It is possible to use a single wheel feeder on some shapes and I would if you can. There are power fed pin routers (R9 SCM) and tilt table pin routers (R8 SCM) & the inverted pin routers that are much better than a table mounted router. Used ones are pretty cheap and work well. Plenty of power and you can just swap pins to do a rough & finish cut. If you are doing multiples in a reasonable volume a CNC router will take far less labor.

1/20/16       #4: router vs shaper ...
Ken Member

Larry, if you look at Alex's web site you'll see the shape and size of the panels he's trying to shape. Using a shaper or router table with a guide bearing is fine but the panel would have to be rough cut to size. You also have a minimum radius issue with a shaper. I often use a 1/4" diameter cutter in my pin router allowing me to cut 1/8" radius' without any rough cutting to the finished shape.

1/20/16       #5: router vs shaper ...
Bruce H

I looked at his design and lacking a CNC a pin router would work quite well. About 3K would pick up a good used Onsrud inverted router. The patterns, being on top, could be vacuumed to the part for cutting.

1/20/16       #6: router vs shaper ...
alex Member

Ken and Bruce,

Thank you for all of your thoughts on this topic. I would love to get a CNC router but I have a smaller shop and that is more in my long term goals. I think both a shaper and a pin router could fit all of my needs. I like the idea of the shaper with just a couple moving parts and alot of power. The pin router would be able to do everything just under a CNC router.

alex

1/20/16       #7: router vs shaper ...
Pat Gilbert

You can sub out the routing for 40-50 a sheet. Subbing the work out is a good way to go.

1/21/16       #8: router vs shaper ...
Larry

Each of the machines under discussion has pluses and minuses. Cost is always a major consideration but should be viewed in terms of total cost per item produced. You can't calculate that w/o knowing how many in what time frame. A cheap router like a Shopbot could well be the answer, depends. Know the limitations of each choice. Cheap router w/ a Porter Cable motor, w/o a drill box may do what you need. Plan on relatively short life out of the motor. Extremely limited drilling capability and no tool changer might not matter, at least for now. Part holding is also a consideration. I'd at least look into the Bot. Even in it's most basic form it is probably more productive (cheaper per part) than a pin router.

1/21/16       #9: router vs shaper ...
rich c.

Go with a 1 1/4" diameter trim bit in a router. Completely different cutting than the 1/2".

1/21/16       #10: router vs shaper ...
alex whitefield Member

Rich,

What does the 1 1/4 bit do for you? Cleaner cut? Faster? Do you have a brand or vendor that you like?

Larry,

I have looked at the shopbot and if the timing was right I would make a move on one. It seems like a great machine to make the jump into the CNC world.

alex

1/22/16       #11: router vs shaper ...
Larry

Larger diameter cutters will provide a better cut, all else being =. They can also provide a higher feed rate because of additional gullet space available. All rotary cutters leave a scalloped edge. The larger the cutter the less obvious the scallop. The other thing that enters the picture is the compression before actual cutting begins. Various arguments about the quality of cut from conventional VS climb are at least partly based on compression.

4/25/21       #12: router vs shaper ...
FORSUN CNC Member

Website: https://forsuncnc.com/

This mainly depends on the nature of your work and what type of work you are planning to do.

The CNC router machine is a computer numerically controlled machine tool that is very similar to the commonly used handheld milling machines used to cut various materials. The CNC equipment can help cut wood, steel, aluminum, composite materials, plastics, foam and other materials. Common CNC engraving machine applications: furniture manufacturing, cabinet manufacturing, sign making, handicraft and art, mold manufacturing and prototyping, construction wood products, foam cutting, metal processing, plastic processing, etc.

CNC engraving machine has the ability to efficiently produce disposable parts and reproduce similar parts. It can produce excellent and high-quality works while increasing the overall productivity of the factory.

A shaper is a type of machine tool that uses the linear relative motion between the workpiece and a single-point cutting tool to machine a linear toolpath. Its cut is analogous to that of a lathe, except that it is (archetypally) linear instead of helical.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Limtech Industries, Inc. Lamello
    Today's Sponsors

    Become a Sponsor today!