In theory, you wouldn¡¯t need any real support on you Shaper fence. Th side registering against the fence is always flat on the infeed side an so resist twisting until it clear s the cutter. You might tracheostomy¡¯s the last coupe of inches of each piece, but I get snipe anyway and so allow for that.
Chris Edwards
(407) 902-1358 cell
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Chris,
I am asking about making the louver using the shaper. The frame is easy to make.?
The bed you used for the second pass on the ShopFox W1812 makes perfect sense. For the shaper, how can the bed be mounted on the infeed side?
James
Are we taking cutters for making the louver blades or the shutter frames?
I just finished cutting my second batch of Plantation Shutters for 10 more windows in my house. I did 11 windows last year.
I petty much used the Rockler design, making 3.5¡± adjustable shutters. Rockler calls for 3/8¡± thick louvers in ther ?plans. As my louver blades are quite long, I made them 1/2¡± thick.?
Most of the shutter hardware also came from Rockler.
I have a Shaper, but the only time I used it was for cutting tenons on the rails.
I have a ShopFox W1812 Moulder which I used, with custom blades, to make 600 louvers, most around 31¡± long. Even with the W1812, it¡¯s a two pass process to cut the elliptical shape of the Louver. I use two Maple beds, the first is used when the louver is still a 3.5¡± x 9/16¡± rectangular profile. The first bed just gives the wings of the cutter a little more clearance over the metal bed.? The second bed is used as the support bed when one side is already shaped. This second bed is made with a set of blades that compliment the shape of the louver profile. You only really use these blades once to make this bed.
Even if you get the profile blades to fit a shaper, I can see how the first pass could be done using a power feeder. The second pass would require a jig. similar to my second bed, that would keep the work piece perfectly vertical. I think it could be done, but would be tricky given the proximity of the feeder wheels. You would probably need to make a bed similar to the one used in my second pass and clap it to the Shaper fence on the infeed and outfeed sides.
I did initially try and use the Rockler Louver router bit. This needs 4 passes as you cut 1/4 of the elliptical profile on each pass. I made about two louvers, but was not satisfied with the result.
That is when I decided to buy the ShoFox W1812. Because of the length of my louvres, cost estimating buying pre-cut louvers from Rockler, if would have cost me around $5000 and I would have had about 60% waste on each louver.
Here¡¯s a bit of video of my first set
Chris Edwards
(407) 902-1358 cell
yes that is what I was referring to - it is a different look.
I was considering going down the custom designed knife path as well but have not gotten that far.
Michael,
Are you referring to this shutter cutter ??? I looked at it before, but did not see the louver like Rocker's I am looking for based on the picture. Maybe it needs the custom knife.?
The cutter head I am looking at is Byrd's 2 knives cutter head?
I found this website?, you can pay $10 to get a DXF knife design and have the knife custom made at or other company of your choice.
James
James I have not but plan to do the same as well. ? I will watch this thread with a great interest.
I did look into the cutter that rangate has and liked the look of those shutters but was unable to find the hardware from any US supplier when i was looking this spring. ? I did not reach out to the folks in Italy at the time given they were in lock down - I am not sure how easy it is to get hardware from there but the assembly effort looked like it should be quite a bit less and i have quite a few between my home and my sisters to do -
I plan to make the plantation shutter for all the windows in the house. I have Rockler's shutter jig.
I know it is easy to?make the louver using a planer molder, but I have no space for more machines in the double car garage.
Has anyone used the cutter head with corrugated knives on the shaper with power feeder to make the louver? Is it doable?
Thanks,
James
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