A woodworker has an opportunity to buy a shaper and wants to know if he can use his router bits in the shaper?
Michael Dresdner: It depends on the shaper. Some have accommodation for a collet in place of the spindle. These typically have more than one speed. Remember that the speed of the cutting tip relates to the diameter of the bit. A larger bit requires a slower RPM, but conversely, so does a small bit require a higher RPM.
Ellis Walentine: Yes, but with some limitations. Some shapers offer router bit collets as either a replacement spindle or an add-on to an existing one. The problem is that shaper spindles usually operate between 6,000 and 10,000 rpm, which is rather slow for routing, especially with small-diameter bits. It would be a fine speed for larger diameter bits, for example, panel raising cutters or big round-over bits.
