# router table or shaper?



## flyboy8224 (Dec 3, 2007)

OK,
Im new to his so bear with me .
have been looking at a new top for my router table and have found one that looks to be the top dog....price is 500 big ones along comes a buddy of mine and says get a shaper youll have the best of both worlds you get router bit adapters and can use 1/4 1/2 and also shaper bits 

HELP !!! what makes sense ??????
the router table top (made out of extruded aluminum...or the shaper at 800.00 ????????
Dave.


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## Noddy (Aug 31, 2007)

Router. 

Search the forum, I asked the question a while ago, and your buddy may have it wrong. The router table will give you the best of both, where as the shaper will not (always). 

It has been discussed in the forum a few times.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dave

The router can put the shaper to shame, it can do more..

Try and put in a dovetail,blind dado,a slot that is 4" from the edge,template of any kind,etc. with a shaper  not to say anything about shaper cutters that are almost always HSS unlike the bits for routers that are carb.tiped and are cheaper the norm.

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flyboy8224 said:


> OK,
> Im new to his so bear with me .
> have been looking at a new top for my router table and have found one that looks to be the top dog....price is 500 big ones along comes a buddy of mine and says get a shaper youll have the best of both worlds you get router bit adapters and can use 1/4 1/2 and also shaper bits
> 
> ...


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Dave,

Do you need such a 'top dog' table top? The extruded aluminum, is it flat on top or ribbed? I had a ribbed top one when I was using my table saw extension wing, and I did not like it for certain applications, smooth and flat was better.

There are a lot of ready made tops in the 2' x 3' range, or make your own custom size tops. You probably can do a lot better than $500

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/routertable.html

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16372&filter=router table top

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/10942

or solid phenolic

http://www.jointech.com/routertops.htm

If you really want to spend a lot of money (with no appreciable gain, unless you are doing A LOT of cabinetry)
http://grizzly.com/products/Router-Table/G0528


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the RouterForums Dave. Glad you joined us.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Welcome Dave, looks like the table from Grizzly might be just what you are looking for.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

If you are setting up a production shop where you will be running hundreds of feet of moulding every day then you should purchase a shaper. This is the job it is designed to do. Other than that you are much further ahead with a router and table.
As for a $500 table for home use? You can purchase a Router Workshop table for less than half that. You can purchase a table like Norm uses on the New Yankee Workshop (The RT1000) for half that. Is there something special about this $500 table we do not know about?


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