I ended up selling the misenheimer heads and bought a used rangate set and panel raiser for half off retail. I haven¡¯t used them yet, but I agree with people¡¯s first impressions. Also, the panel raiser is incredibly stout. It has to be 10+ pounds. I had a 7-8¡± diameter unique/Great Lakes tools panel raiser that I thought was substantial and this one is significantly heavier. I am interested in playing around with the set and seeing what results they produce.?
Brent, that is a good point with hss knives and euroblock heads. For fear of sounding like an ass, the setup ease and speed of insert heads is worth the extra couple hundred. I¡¯m not sure how impactful it is in the scheme of things, but the insert heads are much larger diameter than the euroblock I have/have seen.?
Patrick
On Wed, Jan 17, 2024 at 6:57?AM Brian Greene <
Brian@...> wrote:
Hi Patrick,
I'm mostly a hobbyist and bought my first shaper a few years ago in anticipation of doing a couple of kitchens at my house as well as some other panel-based furniture.? Felder sliding 4hp in a saw/shaper combo.?
I "went for it" and bought Rangate tooling - a couple of groovers, a multi-use insert thingy that's been super useful, and the beveled shaker set (which is 2 parts of the 3 piece set and an alternative for the 3rd piece).? This is worth noting - their normal 3-piece set allows switching from rail to stile without touching the cutter stack, and using the beveled shaker option means you have to change one cutter on the stack between operations.? Not a big deal, just worth noting.
I have little to compare it to, and I'm aware it's "top of the line"... all I can say is that it?sure seems like it.? Every time I pull the stack out, I get a little excited at how lovely it is.? I took the "ears" off it as I don't need that back-cut, and that makes it... only slightly less terrifying when it spins up.? It creates a little wind tunnel between the feeder and back-fence, and is quite intimidating.? The results are very nice.? I've made a few sets of doors and panels and I think the cutters are still sharp enough to shave with.? You have to wear the cut-proof gloves they include with it or you will hurt yourself handling them.??
It's also worth noting that their pricing on the website is not really what you'll pay - around multiple shows as well as randomly they'll extend discounts, particularly if you're buying multiple pieces at once.? Later this year I hope to order another groover and a panel-raising cutter - I'll likely buy Rangate or Amana (I like their cnc tooling so I'm willing to try their shaper tools).
Is it worth it for a hobby?? Who knows.? I don't have a lot of time in my shop, it's not my job, and my life is quite busy.? So when I get to make stuff, I want the best tooling experience I can afford/imagine, and I think with shapers this has a lot to do with tooling quality.
Brian
On Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 11:15?AM Patrick Kane <
pwk5017@...> wrote:
Im going to hijack this thread slightly instead of starting my own. For those with experience with the Rangate/Garniga cabinet cutter versus other insert cutterheads, is it worth it to step into the Rangate set? Right now, i have 3-4 different profiles from Misenheimer that i got at auction several years ago. Steel body insert heads that seem to be pretty nice quality. 9 bodies in total. Ive used them on smaller built in projects at my home, and they did the job fine. However, this thread brought back up the Rangate cutter, and it got me thinking that i could unload my misenheimer heads and trade up to more flexibility with the Rangate. It doesnt look like they offer a ton of profiles, but im sure?i might find more options if i searched. If the trade were break even or a couple hundred bucks, would you upgrade to the rangate head? Keep in mind, im a hobbyist that maybe has a dozen cabinet/vanity projects in my future the next 5-7 years. It is not like im churning out cabinet doors. That is partly why im drawn to the Rangate set, because it offers more flexibility in profiles. With my misenheimer heads, they are dedicated profiles. I appreciate the feedback.
Patrick
On Thu, Jan 11, 2024 at 6:03?PM Jim Dayton <
jd74914@...> wrote:
Mariusz,
Thank you! Pretty cool they are so close to your home. Quite a ways away from you, but about a decade ago now I spent a considerable of time in the Gda¨½sk/Gdynia area and did some touring of the country on the weekends I had off. Really enjoyed it and I still think very fondly on those days.?
I can send them an email, I am guessing they do since they have any automatic English web translation.?
Certainly understand the difference in style. Usually my runs are really small and not time sensitive so cost is the biggest factor unfortunately.?
Jim
On Thu, Jan 11, 2024 at 10:54?AM mariusz_m <
mariusz_m@...> wrote:
Jim, sure, here it is (actually they are practically in my home town:
I do not know if they take international orders, I can find out if you want.
As I said before, their saw blades are really good and less expensive than FELDER, plus they will make custom profile cutter blades for multipurpose cutter heads.
However when I¡¯m talking about price difference between Rangate / Whitehill and Bryk, please keep in mind I¡¯m not comparing apples to apples. Rangate / Whitehill make user replaceable cutter knives for their tooling, Bryk¡¯s cutter heads will have permanently welded HSS or HM knives, so if one chips, you might be out of luck- I have them in my backyard, so they can fix it on the spot.?
Mariusz
