The great router table/shaper debate

It's not uncommon for anyone in any business to want to try and cut a few corners now and then, especially if they are just starting out.

One of the more commonly cut corners is to substitute a router table for a shaper. There seems to be an easy path to the conclusion that these two machines are interchangeable and that a router table will save money over a shaper. It is true that there is some similarity between them that might lead to that conclusion. And there are devoted aficionados in both camps which is what pushes this subject into the category indicated by the title of this post.

I have foolishly attempted to participate in this debate on several occasions and ended up, as is often the case with debates in which the participants have extremely strong feelings, in a heated argument. Now, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm never one to shy away from a good argument. But a lot of the arguments commonly offered in defense of choosing a router table over a shaper are based on beliefs, not facts. And we all know that while you can often argue about facts, you cannot argue about beliefs because they don't require proof.

Therefore, I propose to provide the facts about this subject in a completely straightforward and unbiased manner. My next post will offer these facts which should either settle the debate once and for all or result in a number of large heavy objects being hurled in my direction. It is the latter possibility that prevents me from presenting these facts at this point in time. Having declared my intentions, I want to be sure I have enough time to construct a sufficient defensive barrier first.

D.D.