I appreciated all the help I received last week regarding my ¼ hp Maggi power feeder. I thought about it and came up with all kinds of ideas (including new mounting arms, extension plates, etc…), but in the end the little Maggi just didn’t have enough reach for my shaper and the mounting options I was interested in. I then thought an upgrade to a Steff 2033 ½ hp full size feeder might be the ticket. Fortunately the dealer accepted the return of the old feeder; however I could no longer take advantage of the show pricing. The 2033 is a much larger, more refined machine, with more speeds, fatter wheels, and also a heavier unit. It also incorporates several low maintenance features. Pricing would have been very good if I bought it at the show, but was still very competitive. I also needed to do a little wiring since it is 220 v machine.

Now that I finally have everything setup, it is a wonderful combination. The feeder works beautifully, and the Delta shaper and deluxe fence make a very solid work surface with plenty of power. I still needed to compromise a bit as the reach is still a tad short to use parallel with the miter slot, however, there is plenty of room to swing the fence and crank the feeder out of the way when using my crosscut sled. So time will tell, but I think I am set.

Using the shaper is now a dream, no more starring at the spinning cutter, thinking, “Damn, that looks dangerous!” Once set up you simply feed the shaper much like a planer. Just stand back and watch it go. Dust collection is decent, and quality of cut was very good, and after a couple passes, I got a sense of feed rate and how much material I could take off for finish that will not require sanding.

Overall, I spent more then I had wanted to, but ended up with a much better unit. The shaper is now much safer and gives even better results. I know it’s often recommended to add a power feeder, and now I know why. I also picked up an extra base and may see how easy it is to use on the table saw and jointer. As someone recommended, I think I will mount the extra base to board to and just clamp it in place when I need it. As a hobbyist, the purchase was safety driven, but now that the feeder is mounted, I’m thinking of more uses for the shaper. I think if I was still using my router table (I still have it, just rarely use it) I would consider either a baby feeder or a ¼ hp unit. I think some of the same benefits would be realized.

John

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