Ok guys, first I need to say measure first. I had read somewhere that you could install a power feeder in the extension wing, well you can, but with a small feeder – it’s to far from the cutter – note to self: ALWAYS MEASURE FIRST! Anyway I’m now trying to figure out how to mount the feeder correctly. The shaper is set up so fence can be used both perpendicular and parallel to the miter slot.
In the first option I would like to use the power feeder/fence perpendicular to the slot. This gives the biggest table (40”) for feeding long stock and keeps the feeder mounted in the extension wing. I would remount the feeder forward as shown in the red dot. The problem is, the fence cannot be used in the parallel mode when the feeder is mounted (which I assume would be about always). This may not be a big problem, since with the fence slid out of the way I use a coping jig to do cross grain cuts, however I’m not 100% sure. I assume this is sort of like not using a miter gauge and fence at the same time on a table saw.
The second option requires drilling the main table, and with this option the fence is only used in the parallel position, since there us not enough clearance to use the fence perpendicular to the slot. This option is ok, but I lose the large table for long stock shaping.
With either option, I'm still at about the limit of the power feeder travel depending on exactly where the head is. Another option might be to mount the power feeder in the "front", I think the clearance problems would go away, but I think I might have some problems with wide material running it perpendicular to the miter slot.
It’s late, I picked up the power feeder this afternoon and was hoping to finally graduate from my router bits to a real shaper cutters. Obviously, I’ve not used a power feeder before, and it was purchased more as a safety device then anything else. I’m also fairly new to the shaper, although I’ve run router bits in it for about a year.
Any thought are most appreciated.
Thanks – John
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