Difference in Jointer vs shaper vs router table?

[muibubbles]

Excuse my inexperienced question but I was just introduced to a jointer and shaper at my internship (just saw never used it) and i was wondering what is the difference between the jointer, shaper and a router table? My understanding is they all use a bit to make a specific cut but it seems like they generally do the same thing? Is one method just more precise?

I asked because they have this one fairly large bit that creates this groove on the edge which allows you to lock two pieces together and have a seamless joint form the outside (like a puzzle piece miter, forgot what the bit is called). After seeing this i want to pick something up that is capable of doing so. I'm pretty sure my job was using a shaper but I found what looks like to be a good deal on a jet jointer so I was wondering if it was capable of doing the same thing?

 

[porphyre]

Excuse my inexperienced question but I was just introduced to a jointer and shaper at my internship (just saw never used it) and i was wondering what is the difference between the jointer, shaper and a router table? My understanding is they all use a bit to make a specific cut but it seems like they generally do the same thing? Is one method just more precise?

I asked because they have this one fairly large bit that creates this groove on the edge which allows you to lock two pieces together and have a seamless joint form the outside (like a puzzle piece miter, forgot what the bit is called). After seeing this i want to pick something up that is capable of doing so. I'm pretty sure my job was using a shaper but I found what looks like to be a good deal on a jet jointer so I was wondering if it was capable of doing the same thing?

Routers and shapers are related, but a jointer is completely different. That being said, you can do jointing on a router or shaper with the appropriate bit.

I assume you know what a router is... a shaper is its big brother. Shapers are designed to take larger bits, bigger wood, and bigger cuts of wood. Many have a power-feed attached and are designed to be used in a production environment for creating moldings and things.

A jointer's main purpose is to make a board's surface flat and to create two faces at a right angle to each other. The table on a router and a shaper are flat and single piece. A jointer is actually two tables that are nearly coplaner and mounted to the same base. They are separated by the cutter head. The infeed table is lower than the outfeed table and that's how you set the depth of cut.

Jointer:

Router in a table:

Shaper:

You can see the router and shaper are the same idea, just to a different size.

To answer your question, NO. A jointer will not do what a shaper can do. The bit you were mentioning is known as a "lock miter" bit and you can't put anything like that into a jointer.

 

[muibubbles]

So a jointer is more like a planer? where a planer does 1 face of the wood while a jointer does 2 perpendicular faces?

And a shaper is a router table on steroids?

 

[Marlin]

So a jointer is more like a planer? where a planer does 1 face of the wood while a jointer does 2 perpendicular faces?

And a shaper is a router table on steroids?

A jointer can straighten a board and also aquare up one face to another. A planer cannot do that.

 

[Outlawmws]

So a jointer is more like a planer? where a planer does 1 face of the wood while a jointer does 2 perpendicular faces?

And a shaper is a router table on steroids?

No, a planer is solely for planeing and making stock to a specific thickness dimension.

A Jointer does one face at time, and is intended to get an edge smooth and perpendicular to the plained surface. You can use a jointer for plaining narrow stock up to the max width, but that is generally either 4 or 6" A plainer would be 12" or more generally.

 

[muibubbles]

ahh! thanks for clarifying i think i understand it now!

are shapers generally bigger than router tables? i was looking at a few on craigslist and they are claiming its a shaper but visually it looks just like a router table to me... How would i distinguish them apart?

 

[Jack Olsen]

Yes, so that they can be mated together with the certainty of fitting together the way you want. The easy example is a table top made of parallel boards, glued or fastened together.

 

[woody 73]

PM sent on the difference between the router and shaper.

 

[porphyre]

ahh! thanks for clarifying i think i understand it now!

are shapers generally bigger than router tables? i was looking at a few on craigslist and they are claiming its a shaper but visually it looks just like a router table to me... How would i distinguish them apart?

A shaper is a single, free-standing, machine. Like a drill press or a mill. Shapers are larger. Good shapers will have a large cast-iron table.

A router + table is really just that... a router bolted into a table. They're designed to have different routers bolted into it for different jobs. Many router tables are designed to sit on a workbench. A good router table will have a melamine or plastic top.

 

[Stuey]

You're talking about a lock miter bit. Easiest way to do that at home is w/ router table.

The previous posts went through the differences between router table, shaper, and jointer beautifully.

 

[hdshinn]

Whatever your choice of machine for whatever your woodworking requirements, rest assured that a shaper is one of the most dangerous tools in the woodshop. The vast majority of millworkers I've met that can't count to ten without taking one of their shoes off had lost one or more fingers to a shaper. Obviously all large power tools present definite safety hazards but from my observations, the shaper seems to be the most successful in removing body parts.

For what sounds like might be your first power tool I'd suggest a router. I consider it one of them most versatile tools in my shop. I've been woodoworking, hobbywise, for close to 40 years and I've never felt the need for a shaper. But now with the luxury of a fair sized woodshop I wouldn't know what to do without my jointer. It's really a rather large, expensive, if you want quality, and single purpose machine but what it does it does with great results. Face joint to flatten one face, edge joint to produce a square straight edge using the flattened face against the jointer fence, then plane on the thickness planer to proper thickness and rip on the table saw to required width.

Stock preparation 101.

 

[muibubbles]

A shaper is a single, free-standing, machine. Like a drill press or a mill. Shapers are larger. Good shapers will have a large cast-iron table.

A router + table is really just that... a router bolted into a table. They're designed to have different routers bolted into it for different jobs. Many router tables are designed to sit on a workbench. A good router table will have a melamine or plastic top.

Thank you for clarifying, that was my understanding but some of these craigslist ads confused me. They seem to be titling them incorrectly as i suspected.

You're talking about a lock miter bit. Easiest way to do that at home is w/ router table.

The previous posts went through the differences between router table, shaper, and jointer beautifully.

Thanks for the correct term (also the other member who stated it earlier)
Its also good to know i wont have to pony up for a shaper and i can just use my router table (although i have to admit i never used it before ahha)

Whatever your choice of machine for whatever your woodworking requirements, rest assured that a shaper is one of the most dangerous tools in the woodshop. The vast majority of millworkers I've met that can't count to ten without taking one of their shoes off had lost one or more fingers to a shaper. Obviously all large power tools present definite safety hazards but from my observations, the shaper seems to be the most successful in removing body parts.

For what sounds like might be your first power tool I'd suggest a router. I consider it one of them most versatile tools in my shop. I've been woodoworking, hobbywise, for close to 40 years and I've never felt the need for a shaper. But now with the luxury of a fair sized woodshop I wouldn't know what to do without my jointer. It's really a rather large, expensive, if you want quality, and single purpose machine but what it does it does with great results. Face joint to flatten one face, edge joint to produce a square straight edge using the flattened face against the jointer fence, then plane on the thickness planer to proper thickness and rip on the table saw to required width.

Stock preparation 101.

Thanks for the heads up on the shaper. Its good to have those safety reminders. Not my first power tool- just starting to get more in depth with woodworking and improve quality. Seems like a jointer is a very valuable tool. I might have to get one as i believe the cost will be well worth the headaches, frustration, and cursing from pieces not being align due to poor wood

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[TireTracks]

Remember to use some "push handles"( not sure what to call them) if you get a jointer. You want to keep your hands well away from those blades. Also usefull for routertables,table saws, etc.

 

[MoonRise]

A jointer is used to "joint" one edge of stock at the desired angle to one face.

One face of the stock may be flattened on a jointer if the wood width is less than the width of the cutterhead on the jointer.

A planer is used to plane down the thickness of a board and to make the two faces of said board 'parallel' to one another.

A router and a shaper are similar, with the shaper (usually) being bigger and heavier and more powerful than the router. Routers can (usually) be used handheld or in a router table, while shapers are just the motor-cutter-table-fence all-in-one.

As mentioned, stock-prep (if you are using rough-sawn boards) is usually:

- face-joint one face flat and smooth;

- edge-joint one edge at 90 deg to the just flattened face;

- plane the other face flat and smooth and parallel to Face-1;

- rip to the desired width;

- maybe joint the just ripped edge if needed.

After you have the board prepped, then maybe you would use router or shaper to put an edge/corner profile on things, or to do things like a lock-miter or a dado or groove or to maybe put a finger-joint in to glue-up some boards into bigger/longer stock, etc, etc.

And there is often more than one perfectly fine and valid way to do things. Dado or groove on the tablesaw or the router, moulding-head cutter on the tablesaw for some profiles, router or shaper for edge profiles, limited edge-jointing on a router/shaper, etc, etc.

If you are just buying and using S4S stock, you probably don't need a jointer. It is a certainly handy machine, but it is a bit 'specialized'. A planer is also a bit 'specialized' but may be desired if you want your boards in a thinner dimension without buying not-always-available thin stock (without going to a supplier who can either plane stock down for you or has certain species of stock available in-stock in smaller thicknesses).

Jointers and planers are useful, but not 'essential', as you can still do an awful lot of woodworking without them. Maybe just slower or being limited in stock sizes/species.

Router is very-very useful and can do an awful lot. Shaper is bigger and more powerful and can do tasks only where the workpiece can be brought to the tool, where a router can be used handheld or in a router table or in a jig/fixture.

And ALL powertools can be dangerous if used improperly or unsafely. Tablesaw, router, jointer, shaper, planer (not so much, as the wood is fed through the machine and held down by the feed rollers, but it still is a power tool with sharp cutters), etc, etc.

 

[MoonRise]

Remember to use some "push handles"( not sure what to call them) if you get a jointer. You want to keep your hands well away from those blades. Also usefull for routertables,table saws, etc.

Push-blocks.

Store-bought or homemade.

Use them.

(knew a guy who was jointing something. No push-blocks. Wood shattered. Cutterhead ate his thumb IIRC. )