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Shaper Setup for Tongue-and-Groove Flooring
Question
Forum Responses
From contributor B: If you have a set of T&G knives that allow you a loose fit like Jeff was talking about, you can adjust the tongue so it just slides over the bottom part of the groove which will hold it down and not float. Just check the fit every now and again when milling. As for the in/out feed tables, I don't think you have to be very picky about them. The boards will run through flat. As long the tables are close to the height of your shaper and I assume you have a power feeder, you should be fine. From contributor C: Although my experience is limited, I find that the outfeed table height makes no difference in cut quality as long as you are using a power feeder. What are you using to end match the flooring with? From contributor D: The biggest problem you have to solve is that the ends need to be exactly the same width, and the only way to do this on a shaper is to affix a fence opposite the cutterhead, so the blanks are run between the fence and cutterhead. Power feeder is an absolute must. Supporting the long blanks is about the easiest problem to solve - anything that will hold them up and not alter their path will do the job. You'll also not be milling the thickness, so marring the faces could be a concern - and what about back relief? I wouldn't want to install paneling on the floor. End-milling has been optional for me, as long as the ends are trimmed square by square. Wide planks should be end-milled or secured in some way. I know a guy who biscuited an entire floor!! Straightness is always a concern, more so with wide (over 5") flooring. As long as the width is consistent, the narrow pieces can be nailed in tightly, but when you get over 5", some pieces can't forced straight to make tight joints. Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
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