I accidentally picked up a craftsman shaper

[Don1357]

Like in the picture... I went to pick up a generic 15" planer, same casting as just about every other 15" planer out there with the motor on top. He had this shaper on a shop made 8' table. As we were loading the planer he kept lowering the price until it became "$50 bucks and we can load it up right now". Well it is in the truck waiting to be unloaded...

On a manual I found online it states 9,000rpm. Is there a router collet that could be fit into this thing? I have some rather large router bits that may run fine enough on it... Think raised panel bits.

 

[Prospecter]

I've got one of those. Works great!

 

[Don1357]

I've got one of those. Works great!

Does the spindle comes out in any way that a router collet could be installed? That would give it a place on my shop, I'm too invested on router bits to start collecting shaper bits.

 

[mikegt4]

I see old craftsman shapers like this on CL occasionally. High powered routers seemed to have made them obsolete for all but lovers of old tools. I was going to build one from a Gilliom (Gil-bilt) kit back in the 1970's but the cost of the bits put me off. Made a Gil-bilt belt sander instead.

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=9739

 

[ssdave]

I really looked at various models of these shapers with the idea of a router spindle. Bearing speed is a real limitation. I finally just bought a Jessm lift to make a really good router table, and that was the right answer for me.

 

[Don1357]

I really looked at various models of these shapers with the idea of a router spindle. Bearing speed is a real limitation. I finally just bought a Jessm lift to make a really good router table, and that was the right answer for me.

Limitation is subjective; on a professional/production environment it would be completely underpower and the speed ill suited. On a shop producing one off's or limited runs it could find an effective niche. For example I know of a guy running three radial arm saws, one an ancient 9" Dewalt. One does cross cuts, one has a dado blade, one 45 degree cuts. His setup can do quick work of building cases for furniture.

Having said that I think that for this one to work for me I would need to be able to run a router collet and it is not clear whether such a thing is possible, I'll know more when I get a chance to take it apart this weekend. If anything I know a machinist so I may be able to have something adapted for it. I have some rather large router bits that should work fine at 9,000 RPM. Having two routers work pretty good for applications were you want to have two bits set at once like when you are making raised panel doors.