Tenoning Add-Ons for Shapers
Information on equipment choices when using the shaper for a specialized purpose: cutting tenons. March 26, 2013
Question
Does anyone know who manufactures a rear tilting arbor shaper with a sliding table for tenon work (besides Felder)?
Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor M:
Martin makes the finest there is, as long as money isn't an object. They do show up on the used market once in a while.
From contributor D:
Check out the MF30 from Logosol. Looks interesting.
From the original questioner:
It seems Martins do not have tenon tables. Am I wrong? Don't know much about Logosol. Where are these made?
From contributor D:
Sweden.
From contributor J:
Martin makes a tenoning table that hangs off the side of the shaper. It is very nice. You asked about a tilting spindle and a slider. With the Martin setup you would not be able to use both at the same time. Panhans makes a small sliding table that can be mounted on the top of a stationary shaper table. This would work if you are cutting tenons on small parts. I think the Martin Tenon table is around $9k. I saw the demo in Vegas this summer.
From contributor B:
Why not Felder? Seems to me it is exactly what you are asking for?
From contributor D:
I've had a Felder F 700 for about 5 years and it's worked well for me. We use the sliding table almost every day.
From the original questioner:
I would not need to use tilting arbor and sliding table at the same time, but 9k? Wow. I am a little leery of Felder. I owned a combination machine about ten years ago. I didn't keep it for more than a few months (had probably 21K in it). The guy I sold it to did not keep it either. The individual machines may be better, though they seem to be on the light side.
From contributor J:
I get a lot of work done with my F700z from 2001, but it would be nice to have a heavier duty shaper. The Felder 900 series and the Format series and even the new 700 series are much heavier than what I have. I have had no problems with the F700z and have even made modifications to run large cutters at about 12" and 30 to 40 pounds. It works.
There are heavy duty shapers with an optional tenoning table that hang off the side like the Martin. There are some advantages to this setup over an in table slider.
From the original questioner:
So I'm guessing this long bar on the front of the table (Martin's) is for setting up the tenon table?
From contributor J:
The long bar on the front of Martin shapers is an extension to support large work pieces. It is used when cutting hardware profiles in assembled sashes and doors.
There are lots of features on European shapers used for door and window construction for Tilt and Turn and Lift and Slide windows and doors. A fully featured Martin is really an amazing machine!
Joe Calhoon has posted pictures of his Martin shaper set up here on Woodweb in various discussions of shapers. He also teaches a shaper class in Ouray, CO in conjunction with Greg Godbout at Rangate. Good stuff!
From contributor Q:
If you're open to used, Marin T-23's come up now and then and seem to be right in the $8k+/- range. They are the older models with tilting and sliders, and they are pretty much as good as it gets in shapers. They also offered tenon hoods and saws which make them really flexible, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to find those attachments these days?
From the original questioner:
I'm certainly open to getting a used Martin. Most of the ones I've looked at are fixed arbors or tilting without the sliding table, however.
From contributor Q:
You specifically want to look at the T-23, for older tilting models. The newer version is (I believe) the T-27, but that's a whole different price range. The only one I've seen in person had the slider with it and it was a heck of a machine. Well out of my price range at the time… and still is, actually.
From contributor J:
As mentioned, for Martin shapers you have basically two choices for sliding tables. The large side mount table that is the equivalent of a single end tenoner without the saw and a small bolt on table that sits in front of the fence on the main table.
The advantage of the side mount table is that it is very heavy duty, does angles easy and can handle long stock. The disadvantage is on older models there is a bit of setup to bring the table into play. The main fence is either removed for tenon heads over 250mm diameter or swiveled if cutters are less than 250. The swiveling fence was a nice feature on older machines that is no longer possible because of electronic fences. On newer machines the setup is quicker because of positive fence location and a moving support to push the fence out of the way.
The front mount table is easy to install, good for short work and can utilize tilt and the main fence for a stop if the cutters are less than 250 mm diameter. With the bolt on table, lengths over 4' become difficult to handle.
European shapers with in table sliders are another option for tenoning with advantages and disadvantages also.
For used tilting Martin shapers, the T25 is a good choice. It will have more modern and convenient features than the older machines. The next vintage for tilting is the T26 and now the new T27.
