LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Is this safe to use on a tablesaw?

2K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  Sylvain 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey, I found these deep in the garage. My grandfather did woodworking so I acquired a lot of stuff. It does fit your normal 5/8 arbor like all my blades, but it seems a bit heavy? I don't know.

Also, it seems like the various cutters are held in by tightening allen keys/wrenches. It seems like something that could belong to a shaper, or something.

my main interest would be using some of the flat knives for dados

thanks!

Road surface Wood Asphalt Rectangle Tints and shades


Wood Gas Circle Metal Concrete
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#3 ·
They look like molding knives. Unless you have a molder they fit in, I would not try them on a table saw. The other possibility is a plane molder of some sort. They look a little wide for a hand plane though. Dan

- RDan
the knives in the first picture definitely dont seem to be for a hand plane, they fit into the thing in the second pic
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
That is a molding head designed to be used on a table saw or radial arm saw. Can't really tell about the knives based on that picture, but they seem to be for a different head - got any better pictures? Those heads are pretty rough on a table saw, and many can't use them - so unless you have a fairly substantial machine, you would probably be better off just getting a standard dado set.

Clean up the head and let us know what the markings on it are. I know that Craftsman had a head similar, as did Delta. Figure out who made it and you can get more info on it.

Edit: Here is a shot by fellow LJ Dusty56 showing some variations on the Delta molding head and appropriate cutters for them (Found in this thread):

Gas Font Toy Electric blue Engineering


Cheers,
Brad
 

Attachments

#5 ·
That is a molding head designed to be used on a table saw or radial arm saw. Can t really tell about the knives based on that picture, but I assume that is what they are for. They are pretty rough on a table saw, and many can t use them - so unless you have a fairly substantial machine, you would probably be better off just getting a standard dado set.

Clean up the head and let us know what the markings on it are. I know that Craftsman had a head similar, as did Delta. Figure out who made it and you can get more info on it.

Edit: Here is a shot by fellow LJ Dusty56 showing some variations on the Delta molding head and appropriate cutters for them (Found in this thread):

Gas Font Toy Electric blue Engineering


Cheers,
Brad

- MrUnix
Oh very cool! I can see tomrrow what it says on it. Glad to know it can go in the saw and not fly off and behead me
 

Attachments

#9 ·
I had a Craftsman molding head cutter that I inherited from my father. I used it once on my old Delta contractor saw.

I really didn't have good luck with it; it left rough cuts and controlling the work piece was difficult unless taking very light passes.

Simply wasn't worth the hassle for me.
 
#11 ·
I have used them many times. You can even grind the cutters to make your own pattern but that works best on the cutter head that only holds one blade…..yes there two types, 3 bladed and a single. A close fitting throat plate is a good safety measure. They make a scary sound because they are pushing a lot of air around.

On harder wood it is best to make multiple passes to get to the finished depth. Feather boards are a big help in using these. They are a great substitute for a shaper and with adjustments you can even shape wide boards just be aware of how the board is supported on the table as you move the fence over for additional cuts. I usually leave a 1/4" blank edge on both sides of the board to support it and cut it off later if needed.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Wood Font Rectangle Hardwood Artifact


Here's my piece, a "Reyco" from Vancouver, BC Canada.

I spent a few years, ages ago, in an old mill known as "Gregg and Son" Millwork. Their main product was upscale kitchens, back when you bought a kitchen and installed it as a built-in. Then, Triangle Pacific bought the place and shifted the focus away from one-off kitchens, to discrete pre-built cabinets to be hung on your kitchen walls.

We had to deal with disgruntled old-timers who no longer got tapped for fancy hand work, and were stuck behind production machinery all day. However, when asked, they would gladly show off their old shrapnel wounds from busted shaper cutters hurled around the room. most of them over the course of their earlier career had at one time or another took a carbide chunk to the gut.

That's why I never used my 3-wing shaper head on my table saw. Cripes the old shapers would only hit you at gut level, worse yet a vertical cutter head that could get you right between the eyes.

Keep your shaper head as a curiosity, and get a compliment of vintage molding planes and a Stanley #45 or equivalent. You'll be ahead in the long run!
 

Attachments

#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
If they are not made anymore, there might be a good reason.

That s why I never used my 3-wing shaper head on my table saw. Cripes the old shapers would only hit you at gut level, worse yet a vertical cutter head that could get you right between the eyes.

Keep your shaper head as a curiosity, and get a compliment of vintage molding planes and a Stanley #45 or equivalent. You ll be ahead in the long run!

- poopiekat
more dangerous than a dado stack (not authorised in Europe) with the added risk of of flying cutter.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top