Table saw molder heads- any recommendations?

[Charlie Schultz]

It looks like you can do some interesting things with these- googling around I see the LRH "Magic Molder" (carbide tips) and the Sears (HSS tips). I understand Delta used to have one, but no more.

[Lee Schierer]

I've used the Sears one. My father had one. It worked okay. The cutters were't very sharp out of the box so they needed honed to get a good quality cut. You need a zero clearance insert to run one. The three big teeth whirling around is certainly intimidating, but if you take light cuts and use feather boards and push sticks you should be able to make acceptable mouldings.

I have one that a guy gave me, but I'll probably never use it.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have a sawstop so I will not be using a moulder head (have a shaper and just got a planer/moulder machine though so that is OK with me). I would try out that LRH model. LRH makes super high quality shaper cutters so I would guess their moulder head is excellent as well. Brian from Holbren dot com could sell you one for a great price I bet.

[Scott Welliver]

The most spectacular kickback I ever had was with one of those Sears 3-head molding cutters. The saw was only 1hp, but a momentary attention lapse on my part and -bang- the oak board being molded ended up embedded through the sheetrock wall about 12ft away. Exciting stuff. That was nearly 30yr ago, and I still think about it just about every time I approach a TS.

Definitely consider using mechanical hold-downs / featherboards, and stay out of the line of fire! Those three cutters spinning around can grab and throw a board faster than you can say "hospital."

[Harley Lewis]

I had an experience like Scott --never used that puppy again. A router table is the way to go. If you do decide to do this, the zero clearance insert as noted above is really critical, a bigger hole and the unit will grab quicker than you can say like was noted above --- "hospital".

[Steve Clardy]

It looks like you can do some interesting things with these- googling around I see the LRH "Magic Molder" (carbide tips) and the Sears (HSS tips). I understand Delta used to have one, but no more.

LRH Magic Molder

I have one. Very well made.
They have a very extensive line of cutters.

I also have the sears, which needs to go in the iron pile one of these days.

[Jim O'Dell]

The most spectacular kickback I ever had was with one of those Sears 3-head molding cutters. The saw was only 1hp, but a momentary attention lapse on my part and -bang- the oak board being molded ended up embedded through the sheetrock wall about 12ft away. Exciting stuff. That was nearly 30yr ago, and I still think about it just about every time I approach a TS.

Definitely consider using mechanical hold-downs / featherboards, and stay out of the line of fire! Those three cutters spinning around can grab and throw a board faster than you can say "hospital."

You never experienced a kickback with one of these until it's happend to you using it on a RAS!!!!! I still have mine, 1 set of cutterheads slightly used, 3 sets of cutter heads have never been out of their packages! And never will. Jim.

[Tom Hargrove]

These are like using a shaper with a lower RPM. However, the larger head size may mean that the velocity at the cutting head is about the same or even higher.

I used one years ago, and it scared me to death, in part because of the noise. A zero clearance throat plate, small cuts, and anti kick back precautions are absolutely necessary. And stay out of the way in case of kick back.

My recommendation is to use a router or a shaper.

Regards to all.

[Peter Quinn]

My dad offered me his sears molder head...I looked at it and told him to throw that crap out! I love you Dad, so please throw that crap out! Ain't no way I'm ever gonna spin that thing on my TS!

If your gonna use a molder head on a table saw I'd seriously consider a power feeder, at least 1/2 HP. LRH is a very good manufacturer and their knife profiles for the magic molder are great looking. That will let you reach the middle of a wide board in a way that few shapers will. But for your safety you really need to run and rip wider stock for narrow moldings, which means molding, changing back to a rip blade, molding again, etc...slow but doable unless you have two saws. Its viability depends on the volume you intend to produce.

I made moldings for a living and believe me, wether its with a shaper, router table, table saw or Weinig 7 Head molder, molding knives are nothing to trifle with. Plus without a power feed you'll be sanding till the cows come home!

Oh, Jim, the idea of using a molder head with a RAS in the rip position is making my skin crawl and the hair on my kneck jump ship!

[Lee Koepke]

I bought some awhile back when I didnt know anybetter, and when I REALLY looked at what was going on, I cant believe I spent that money.

I could be persuaded to sell them if anyone is interested.

[Steve Rowe]

My dad offered me his sears molder head...I looked at it and told him to throw that crap out! I love you Dad, so please throw that crap out! Ain't no way I'm ever gonna spin that thing on my TS!

If your gonna use a molder head on a table saw I'd seriously consider a power feeder, at least 1/2 HP. LRH is a very good manufacturer and their knife profiles for the magic molder are great looking. That will let you reach the middle of a wide board in a way that few shapers will. But for your safety you really need to run and rip wider stock for narrow moldings, which means molding, changing back to a rip blade, molding again, etc...slow but doable unless you have two saws. Its viability depends on the volume you intend to produce.

I made moldings for a living and believe me, wether its with a shaper, router table, table saw or Weinig 7 Head molder, molding knives are nothing to trifle with. Plus without a power feed you'll be sanding till the cows come home!

Oh, Jim, the idea of using a molder head with a RAS in the rip position is making my skin crawl and the hair on my kneck jump ship!

Yep! One day long long ago, in a galaxy much to close to home, I actually did this with a catch and kickback. The board ripped a big chunk of skin out the palm of my hand and threw it about 30 yards into the street. The RAS was dancing across the garage floor with an obvious out of balance cutter head in motion. The molding body was 1/2" thick and one of the wings was bent back quite a bit. I was very very lucky and other than my hand, the only thing injured was my pride.

I have a buddy that wasn't so lucky; he lost all four fingers on his right hand using a molding head on a Shopsmith. Given that it was a molding head, the fingers were so mangled they could not be re-attached.
Steve

[Loren Hedahl]

My dad in the 60's built several custom houses with copious amounts of mahogany molding all done on a Sears 10 inch RAS.

I remember as a teenager watching him. He always wanted to get a custom shape, so most were cut with the RAS head set to an angle. The blade guard was never installed. He'd have a big pile of wood and first take a small cut, running the whole stack through. Then he would crank the arm down a smidgeon (his term) and run it through again.

There was enough molding needed that he would spend an entire day, so it seemed, running that pile through the many needed times.

After I finished college, I purchased one of those houses from him and still live in it. It's been an excellent house and the wood work is still beautiful.

To my knowledge he never experienced any kickback or problem of any kind. It was probably a case of being very experienced, very cautious and a small amount of luck.

[J.R. Rutter]

The LRH is very nice. They have a lot of experience with tooling and it shows.

[Peter Quinn]

Loren..great story. It's awesome that you get to live in a house that your dad built and trimmed. Priceless.

I remember my grandfather using his Dewalt RAS as a shaper. Some of the Dewalts and Craftsman RAS had an arbor on the opposite side of the motor from the saw blade arbor which allowed the cutter to spin in the correct ie: non-climb direction. You mounted the shaper arbor to the motor to accept the cutters (there was a cutter guard available) and set up the table/fence to accommodate this. By canting the head you could simulate a tilting arbor shaper and produce interesting moldings. Raising and lowering the arm let you make complex profiles with multiple cuts.

However, the idea of putting a TS molder head on a RAS in the rip orientation is asking for trouble. Mahogany mills like butter. Some species have hard spots and grain that changes direction...these things will get you no matter how careful and experienced you are.

I remember my careful experienced grandfather shooting a white oak kickback off the RAS into the foundation wall...pieces of wood were imbedded into the concrete. Lesson: Climb cuts are dangerous.

[Jim Becker]

Magic Molder is an amazing product. I've seen it in action in my cabinetmaker neighbor's shop. Absolutely balanced, very well made, quiet and safer due to the way the cutters lock into the head. Not inexpensive, but you do get a great tool.