Powermatic PM2700 Shaper

[Charlie Plesums]

I got the 5 hp PM2700 and love it.

I use a jig against the fence for copes. I can align the fence to the miter slot, but normally don't bother... I rarely use the miter slot.

The fence adjustment is great. It is easy to offset the fences (like a jointer table) for cutters that remove wood across the entire surface (including the end of the tenon on cope cuts)

Dust collection is good - I only have a 2 hp dust collector sucking at the two ports, so more DC power would probably improve the collection from good to excellent

DRO is right on and VERY useful

The 1 1/4 spindle allows about 6 inches under nut. Powermatic recognized that was pretty high for the connection between the spindle and the machine, so provided an extra rod that screws in from the bottom to stiffen the connection. Not much of a hassle after you have done it a couple times, but a heavier joint between the machine and spindle would have been an easier solution to use. (My MiniMax spindle has a tapered connection over 3 inches tall, compared to the Powermatic about 1 1/2 inches tall.)

Do I need the full 5 hp? Probably not, but I have never been disappointed by too much power, and it is hard to increase if you start too small. I now have six 5 hp motors in my shop.

Sometimes I wish it had more than two speed choices, but it hasn't cramped my style yet. (If I had more choices, I am not sure how often I would actually change the speed!). Since I don't have a separate router table, sometimes I wish I could crank it up to 15,000 rpm or more.

Would I choose that machine again? In a heartbeat. A great investment.

[Paul McGaha]

Glad to see you happy with the shaper Charlie.

We lay out a fair amount of $$$ for these tools, It is good to see people happy with the purchase.

PHM

[David Nelson1]

Yes Jay, but there would be no room to operate it effectively in the dog house in which I would then be living. Wife says something about not buying any more machines until I have billed enough shop time to pay for them? But maybe some day? In the mean time I can dream, and a PM2700 might come in $22,000 cheaper than a Martin if I can suffer the compromises. My wife loves a bargain!

Fence parallelism is something I would like to take seconds, not minutes. I have a quick jig in mind along the lines of a piece of MDF with a 3/4" dado 1/8" deep, a miter bar in that dado, rip the other edge parallel, use this as a gauge block against which to pull the fence while it is tightened.

Hi Peter,
Did you ever build your jig? If so, how did it work and could you please post a photo?

Dave