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Can I use router bits in a shaper?
Michael Dresdner & Ellis Walentine

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Q. A woodworker has an opportunity to buy a shaper and wants to know if he can use his router bits in the shaper?

A. (Michael Dresdner) "It depends on the shaper. Some have accommodation for a collet in place of the spindle. These typically have more than one speed. Remember that the speed of the cutting tip relates to the diameter of the bit. A larger bit requires a slower RPM, but conversely, so does a small bit require a higher RPM."

A. (Ellis Walentine) "Yes, but with some limitations. Some shapers offer router bit collets as either a replacement spindle or an add-on to an existing one. The problem is that shaper spindles usually operate between 6,000 and 10,000 rpm, which is rather slow for routing, especially with small-diameter bits. It would be a fine speed for larger diameter bits, for example, panel raising cutters or big round-over bits."

This article originally appeared in the Woodworker's Journal eZine.
Click here for information on this free, twice monthly online publication.
Copyright; 2010 Woodworker's Journal
All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval devices or systems, without prior written permission from the publisher.

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