Shop Fox W1812 clearance problem

[Ron Bontz]

OK. So I am pretty sure I have gone brain dead these last few months.
I bought a Shop Fox W1812 because of several reasons such as price point, open ended profiling, foot print, ease of cutter changes, and not needing another planer. Only having to buy two cutters instead of 3 is a plus as well. I'll admit, had money not been an issue I would have bought a W&H. I've always wanted one of those. But I had heard the Shop Fox was a clone of sorts.
I get this thing home and of course can't wait to play with it and make some molding I needed for a custom built in. Small crown, bed molding etc. I hate buying moldings from the BORGS when I know I can make them. After minimal assembly I ran those small moldings and was pleased with the ease of use as well as how quiet it was. The variable speed was a dream. Hard maple as slick as can be. It is obviously easier to make molding on this molder than my router table or shaper. The jury is still out on the cast iron extensions but they do give 36" of solid support.
Then came the time to try a set of cutters I had custom made for some re-production 8" tall fir base board for a 100+ year old house. This base has about a 2.5" profile on one edge. The person I was intending to make it for as a retirement present wanted it to be a single piece like the original. So I first ran a smaller piece 3" wide to check the profile against the original. Beautiful match. So now I am getting pumped up ready to run a sample piece of 8 " wide by 4' long to give to him on retirement day. That's when I had a rude awakening. After I had made the thinner piece I layed the 8" wide piece down and realized it would not clear the castings. I wondered about the cutters and after talking to some one checked the measurement, which turned out to be ok. Then I noticed the rollers were too high. So I went back and, YES, read the instructions. Any other time I would have read them first. So I lowered the rollers as described to their lowest point. Despite never really being able to get the rollers a uniform distance from the table I could now feed the 3/4" thick piece through. But just barely. I had the springs fully compressed leaving the lock nut on them and still barely had enough "friction" to pass the wood through. Of course now the cutters were further from the wood and would not come close to giving me the profile I needed. So now here I am pondering this molder and perhaps my own ignorance. After the cyclone incident I think I might be a little touchy. Do all Shop Fox molders and W&H require deeper cutters for this type of edging? I sent Shop Fox an E-mail and welcomed a tech to come show me what I am doing wrong. This being the weekend, I am guessing I will hear from them this week. In the mean time I am planning to just go to the shaper with a different set of cutters. What's that old saying about "a fool and his money" Well at least I like the profile and will probably use it as an applied edging at some point. It sure does make a pretty 3"-6" molding.
So now that I have gone through all that I was wondering if anyone has an older style W1739 Shop Fox or a W&H they could take a couple of pics of and send them to my email so I may compare the castings. This is why I always like to "touch and feel" a tool before I buy it. I have included a couple of pics of the W1812. Thanks in advance for any constructive input.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

The w&h website has manuals online-- I remember some discussion as to maximum depth of cut. My manuals are boxed up while remodeling / moving my shop. From your pictures it looks as if your custom blades are not deep enough. I think you would have this problem with any moulder unless the feed rollers were super compressible (even non w&h style).

If you buy custom blades from someone experienced with making w&h blades AND specify the use you should get blades with the depth you need unless you exceed the machine's capacity.

[Chip Lindley]

Ron, I have a W1739 in the shop. Will take some photos tomorrow and post here. Meanwhile, you could download the 1739 manual and check out those photos. Might be something useful there.

http://grizzly.com/images/manuals/g0488_m.pdf

[Ron Bontz]

Thanks Bill. We took a look at the cutters and since this is a 3/4" deep profile I may just have to have deeper cutters made down the road. This has just been one of life's little irritants. It is otherwise a nice little machine at that price point.
Thanks Chip. The 1739 would be a good comparison. I would love to have a couple of photos like I have to compare. Hopefully the tech will call me back this week and clarify for me. 90% of the time I would not make anything wider than 4-6". But once in a while.

[Chip Lindley]

I braved the cold and got some shots of the W1739. As you can see, the limiting factor for lowering the machine are the sides of the casting that protrude downward. The machine is spec'd as a 7" wide Planer/Moulder. Anything wider would be just luck. The open space between the two downward edges of the main casting can pass almost 7.5" between them, but the casting has rounded fillets at the corners which close on width that can be passed through the casting.

Hope these shots help:

Moulder front beneath.jpgMoulder front.jpgMoulder from beneath.jpg

[Ron Bontz]

Thanks Chip. They definitely changed some casting around a bit. It will be interesting to see what the tech says.

[Bobby Knourek]

I spoke with Andrew in Tech. Support at Woodstock International, and he claims that the new, as well as the original machines were never intended
to allow for open end machining.
I was surprised to hear this, and reminded him that their original was a copy of the W&H (to the T.) and that the W&H
was made to cut raised panels as an open ended machine, so at least their ''original'' ShopFox molder plane was intended
to do so, if by duplication if nothing else.
They claim that all manuals and directions state all the ShopFox machines have a limit of cut at the 6.75''- 7'' max.

So unless they remake their redesigned molder/planer or some creative machining is done on exsisting castings,
I'm afraid the open end design is only good for the ''Eliptical'' jig option.

Looks like the USA made W&H shines bright!
cutting large panels will need to be done on W&H or the first or second generation ShopFox.

Bobby.

[Ron Bontz]

Thanks Bobby. I also spoke with Andrew just a little while ago and was told the same thing. It's a little bit disappointing. But that's the way it goes I guess. Since the machine does a pretty good job on most anything else I make I'll be keeping it. At least until I can afford a W&H. This has turned in to one of those "should haves". I should have made the molding with the Jet 13" planer/ molder I sold to get the Shop Fox. Kick, Kick.

[Bobby Knourek]

your new shaper knives were shipped yesterday and should be there today.

BK.

[Ron Bontz]

Received them today. Thanks