Router vs Shaper
This is a fair question to ask. Both
tools serve their purpose for what they
are. When you put together the cost of a
router and a table, you're getting pretty
close to the price of a small shaper. Add
in the price of one of the many router
lifts on the market and you're there. If
you were running a full time cabinet shop
where there was a lot of panel cutting and
the like, a shaper would be the best way to
go. However in my opinion for the smaller,
non-specialized shop, you can't beat the
router. The router has a lot of
flexibility. It can be used free hand or in
a table. There's a tremendous amount of
selection in bits out there. The price of
router bits are usually cheaper as well.
With table mounting in a table saw
extension or small bench top table, you
save floor space.
Half Inch vs Quarter Inch
I'm biased on that one. A half inch wins
hands down. The only time I use anything
less is when I'm using my dovetail jig or
when I use my trimmer. There's a lot less
chatter and the cuts are much smoother.
There's a greater selection of bits as
well.
I frequently get asked which bits a new
woodworker should buy. They are after all
expensive. As I mentioned above, the
rabbeting bit set is a must. It's useful
for picture frame making, routing cabinet
sides for a back panel. Having the multiple
bearings to control depth allow for
consistency and ease of use. The other pair
of bits are the roundover bits. I'd suggest
at the very least a 1/4" roundover. If you
can afford the extra, get a 1/8" bit as
well. The 1/8" is perfect for breaking the
sharp edge on a piece without creating a
pronounced radius. A 45 degree chamfer bit
is a good one to have. I use it to create
miters on boxes that I've made. The miters
are dead on. It's also a nice bit for
creating a bevel edge. Next would be a 1/2"
cutter with at least a 1" length. You can
use this for general purpose cutting. To
see what's available out there click here.
How Much Power
Again my opinion. I wouldn't use
anything less than 1-1/2 horsepower. Not
the funny numbers some of the manufacturers
use either. I'm fortunate in having a
couple of routers. I like the Porter Cable
691 D-Handle machine for free hand work.
It's light and whether real or contrived I
feel like I'm the one in control. I like
the convenience of having my finger on the
trigger switch too.
I have the Porter cable 7518 in my
router table. This machine has a wide mouth
in the base so when you have it in a table
you can use those large panel bits. As far
as power goes this thing is awesome. It
doesn't bog down at all. It's not cheap by
any means but I doubt you'll ever have to
replace it.
I know there are other manufacturers out
there that make a good machine. I happen to
like Porter Cable. It's a good product and
these are U.S. made. A good tool is like a
pair of shoes, they have to be comfortable.
If you have anything that you would like
to see added here, that would help out our
fellow woodworkers drop me a line.
andrew@andrewsworkshop.com
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