# Router Table or Shaper



## henderbenderjim (Mar 24, 2011)

Wanting to get a router table or shaper with lift and extras. Price for both about $1000 each. Only difference I can see is the RPM for shaper is 7000-10000 and routers up to 20000. What does one do that the other one wont. Confused. Thanks


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi James

The shaper will suck your billfold dry in short order ,try and do a dovetail joints on a shaper just one of many the shaper has a hard time doing...like a slot down to center of 6" wide board or in fact anything that's more than 1 1/2" from the edge of a board..

Most shapers are great for edge mill work the norm but other than that WELL..  not to say anything about the high price for cutters 
=====






henderbenderjim said:


> Wanting to get a router table or shaper with lift and extras. Price for both about $1000 each. Only difference I can see is the RPM for shaper is 7000-10000 and routers up to 20000. What does one do that the other one wont. Confused. Thanks


----------



## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

henderbenderjim said:


> Wanting to get a router table or shaper with lift and extras. Price for both about $1000 each. Only difference I can see is the RPM for shaper is 7000-10000 and routers up to 20000. What does one do that the other one wont. Confused. Thanks


Shapers use big induction motors and are inteded for high volume production work. Routers use small, high speed universal motors.

Shapers tend to cost more but as you've pointed out, a high end router table set up will cost about as much as a low end shaper.

Shaper bits cost more.

Shapers are always in a cabinet. Routers can be handheld.

Here - read these: 

Wood shaper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

shaper / router table comparison


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the router forum, James


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Shapers are for production shops running large quantitys of edge moulding. Routers are for everything else.


----------



## mjdorsam (Nov 27, 2011)

James:

I agree with the multiple feedback here - I've owned both, and sold the shaper. The initial cost may be similar; however, the cost of new shaper cutters and much lower flexibility of the shaper bit set (top and bottom mounted collars, an enormous array of profiles, different topologies - upcut, downcut, ...) more than tips the scale for me.

MikeD


----------



## henderbenderjim (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks Guys that was helpful. Will start looking at router tables again. Thanks


----------



## skipmiester (Aug 20, 2010)

*Shaper converted to router table*

One of the best deals that I stubble upon was buying 2 Delta 43-355 shapers for the price of one. Real Cheap at that. What I discovered is that you can buy a Delta replacement spindle (43-357) that accepts 1/4 and 1/2 router bits. Soo, for very little money I got the advantages of a shaper platform with the low cost of router bits. I have made many raised panel doors using this combination and it works really well.

They have discontinued the Delta 43-355 shaper but you can still buy the router bit replacement spindle new on ebay for $50.00. If you happen upon a Delta 43-355 shaper at a good price and the ebay deals for the spindle replacement kit (43-357) is still around, go for it.


----------



## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

skipmiester said:


> One of the best deals that I stubble upon was buying 2 Delta 43-355 shapers for the price of one. Real Cheap at that. What I discovered is that you can buy a Delta replacement spindle (43-357) that accepts 1/4 and 1/2 router bits. Soo, for very little money I got the advantages of a shaper platform with the low cost of router bits. I have made many raised panel doors using this combination and it works really well.
> 
> They have discontinued the Delta 43-355 shaper but you can still buy the router bit replacement spindle new on ebay for $50.00. If you happen upon a Delta 43-355 shaper at a good price and the ebay deals for the spindle replacement kit (43-357) is still around, go for it.


 
VintageMachinery.org - Photo Index - Delta Manufacturing Co. - 43-355 , 1 1/2 Hp, 2 - speed reversable LD shaper


----------

