|
I agree with what Evil says about 1/2" shapers. They can't make 3 1/2" mouldings, not that there is much demand for them. What they can do, however, is an amazing variety of smaller cuts, and the 1/2" cutters are much cheaper than the larger ones. A major cost of construction is the small pieces of trim. In a few minutes with a shaper an operator can turn out a hundred dollars worth of perfectly acceptable door moulding, quarter round or cove, in the wood of his or her choice. A reversible glue joint cutter takes some fiddling to work, but will greatly ease large gluing jobs and reduce the number of clamps needed by assuring allignment of the pieces as well as doubling the strength of the joint. Tongue and groove joints are a great help in restoration construction. You can repair damaged panels, flooring, wainscotting which would otherwise have to be replaced. A friend gave me a 1/2" shaper some years ago. How much does a free shaper cost? In my case about $500 in carbide cutters, purchased on the Internet. Last year I started the reconstruction of an 1827 stone house. One of the first tools bought was an elderly Poitras 3/4" shaper. More cutters, as the Poitras doesn't have a 1/2" spindle. But so far I have made siding, the ceilings, the hardwood flooring, the windows and the doors, using up about 5000 bd feet of lumber to date. The cutters all still look like new. Trim and cabinets await. It doesn't take long to get the investment back on a shaper. I still use the 1/2" shaper for some operations on the windows, but I much prefer the sturdier 3/4" machine with the power feeder for most cuts, large and small. Remember the real cost is in the cutters (and the power feeder), and a good 3/4" machine is much more versatile than a 1/2". Elite Tools is a Quebec firm with a store on eBay. I find they provide very prompt service with good prices on excellent shaper cutters. Hope this helps, Rod
| 
