You wouldn't use something like a Domino unless there are square edges, no cope and stick.

 

You can buy shaper spindles without breaking the bank. Build a "setup" for making cabinet doors. Make them simi dedicated and you will save on cost and get more heads.

I wouldn't recommend a router setup for production. The cutters are smaller and you won't be able to mill as many feet.

Al

 

I already own an older Delta Shaper and a Harbor Freight shaper (I know I know, HF sucks, but in their defense this little shaper has served us well for several years at my work) and am considering buying a Grizzly G1026 that I found locally for a good price. I want to use the HF shaper for rails, the old Delta for stiles, and the big Grizzly for raised panels. I would like to hear some opinions on which you guys would prefer?

In a lot of cases you can buy door stock cutter sets that can be flipped around (position of blades changed as well) to cut both the stiles and the rails with the same exact blades. (generally 2 cutters and a bearing for a 3 piece 'set') These type sets work very well and cost a lot less money as you are not buying as many cutters. Things also tend to fit perfectly (even after you send the blades out to get sharpened) for as long as you own the cutters because the same exact cutter is doing both parts.



Having multiple cutter sets on different machines is all fine and good as long as the cutters interface perfectly. If those same sets interface 'perfectly' still after they have been sent out to be sharpened a few times is something you need to consider.

If I was in your shoes I would be buying cutters for and doing every door part possible on the single Grizz shaper and use the other machines for smaller and less important stuff. Keep all of your cutters sized for the same spindle size if you can help it... AND add a power feeder to the Grizz before doing anything else... :yes:

If the door 'style' that you are doing changes and you need to swap cutters out - You still have to change the same number of blades no matter if you have one machine or 3.

 

Thanks for the reply Oneal! I will primarily be doing the same door style with 99% of my work, that is poplar or maple frame with raised panel in the middle. Most of these will be painted so I can use MDF for the majority of the raised panels. The reason behind wanting 3 shapers is so that I can set them up once and not have to set them up again for a very long time. That is, having a dedicated shaper table for all three, stiles+rails+raised panels.

I already have a cutter set for the rails and a cutter set for the stiles, and another cutter set for the rails, both are reversible from Grizzly model C2314. I do, however, need to find a decent raised panel bit. Will probably go through Grizzly for that too.

 

You will definitely want a power feeder for panel raising. It's very difficult to produce a chatter-free profile from a cutter that large without one.

I have 4 different panel cutters, all from Grizzly, all high quality tooling. Pick yourself up a back cutter and 1&5/8" rub collar too, and you can raise the panel and rabbet the back all at once.

If you're not planning on buying a power feeder, you'll have to take 2 or 3 passes to final depth to eliminate chatter. Even then it can be tricky.

I'd skip the domino door idea. It would only be useful on mission style doors, and they are easily accomplished with a dado stack on the table saw.

 

You will definitely want a power feeder for panel raising. It's very difficult to produce a chatter-free profile from a cutter that large without one.

SNIP

.

Also VERY helpful when running large or very long panels...

Pretty much makes things like that a 'one man job' that can be done easily. :yes:

 

Also, on the panel cutter: you should use the largest diameter spindle that you have at your disposal.

 

Well I thought that I was going to pickup shaper table number 3 this morning. Found a Grizzly G1026 on Craigslist last week, guy wanted $500 for it, although it was missing the fence. I thought that was a good deal and told him that I would come get it this morning. It would have been 4 hours worth of driving on my day off, but that was ok. Unfortunately though, the guy hasn't returned any of my phone calls. So I guess that he backed out.