Input needed on machining a router bit adapter for a wood shaper

[buffdan]

Hiya folks,
I want to machine a router bit adapter for my Powermatic #26 wood shaper, to utilize 1/2 shank router bits.

The standard shaper spindle is for shaper cutters, but you can easily remove the spindle to insert a router bit adapter.
These adapters are commercially available, but are ~ $100..

Here are a couple of photos, one of the standard spindle and adapter, and one of the commercial router bit adapter.

Not a complicated piece, but I would like your input on machining the adapter nose, with the associated clamping nut.
The commercial one utilizes a split tapered nose with tapered tightening nut.

Any inputs on the taper angle, cutting slots, type of steel, etc?


Thanks.
Dan

 

[DaveD]

If you don't have one, beg, borrow, or steal a router that takes 1/2" bits and just reverse engineer the snout end.

I could take some picture and a few measurements of the snout on my 1/2" router if that would help you.

 

[LJP]

Dan, if I were making an adapter, I would use tool steel.
The shank that goes into the shaper should be easy enough to copy, because you have the spindle. From there I would copy any 1/2" router collet, and you could use the nut and inside sleeve. It does not need to be made like the Powermatic adapter.

 

[777mechanic]

sounds like a fun project , i've got the router collet for both delta and my powermatic shapers . used it once and it runs way to slow for a nice cut so it just sits in the cabinet.

 

[buffdan]

Thanks for the inputs guys.
That's kind of what I was thinking..
Copy a router setup..
Though I have a double taper type Y collet that I might machine holder for..

I read also that the shaper is too slow.. But, the shaper does leave a nice finished cut when using shaper cutters, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Sometimes I want to put an edge on a small project and wanted to experiment, plus the machining part should be fun!

I'll take pictures to share

Dan..

 

[JohnG]

I went through this twice for this project. I'm building a fixture to grind router and shaper cutters on my surface grinder. The top image is the spindle which will hold router cutters. I used a collet from a broken Rockwell speedmatic router. These just screw on; so they are the easiest to mount when you're building a spindle, but also very hard to remove from the router.

I need to cut a key way into this spindle and the second spindle that will hold shaper cutters. I don't have a milling machine, so I'm setting up to do it on my engine lathe. If I had a second Rockwell collet, I'd have used it. I considered working with the collets from Stanley, Milwaukee, and DeWalt routers shown next. They were all too small and fussy.

I built the spindle for my lathe using the collets from the router spindle of a Delta shaper. I used some steel that was lying around. It's probably just cold rolled bar. After I had turned the #5 Morse taper, I mounted it right in the lathe and turned the internal thread and taper: 20 degree taper, 13/16 x 16tpi thread. The taper was short enough to turn with the compound rather than reset the lathe taper attachment. I've used it once, to turn an indexing slot in the matching fixture that will hold the shaft to be keyed. Worked fine.

Below that is an end view of the Delta chuck that holds the collets and then the shaft from a Dodds production router that uses the same collets, a very rugged and reliable machine.

What I learned: copy from a larger machine, not a small portable tool. The internal machining for the Delta/Dodds chuck was simple. I didn't need to make the collets, but I don't think they would have been much trouble if I had.

Good luck. Hope this helps