The shaper is used for grooving and shaping on straight and curved edges, producing moldings, glue joint details, fluting, reeding, and almost limitless combinations of decorative cuts. However, it is a relatively dangerous machine because of the high speed exposed cutters and the necessity of moving the material past these cutters with your hands in close proximity.

Safety precautions to observe when using the shaper include:

Whenever possible, cut on the underside of the stock. This allows the stock to cover most of the cutter and act as a guard.

When changing spindles or cutters, make sure the power for the machine is off by removing the power plug and testing the start button.

Make sure the spindle and cutters are installed correctly and securely.

Make sure the rotation of the spindle is correct for the particular cutterhead. If there is any doubt ask your instructor to check the setup.

Always position the outfeed fence so that it will support the stock that has passed the cutterhead.

Adjust the spindle for correct height and then lock into position. Rotate the spindle by hand to make sure it clears all guard and fences.

Always feed the stock against the rotation of the cutting edge, that is, feed the stock into the cutters in the direction opposite to cutter rotation.

Examine the stock carefully before shaping to make sure it is free of defects. Never cut through lose knots of stock that is cracked or split.

Hold stock down against the table and tight against the fence with your hands on top of the material at least one inch away from the revolving cutters.

Never shape a piece of stock shorter than 10 inches.

Remove all loose tools and articles from the table before any shaping operations.

When shaping curved stock, hold the stock firmly against the collar.

No adjustments are to be made to the shaper while it is in operation.

Concentrate on the shaping operation. Avoid distractions and never look elsewhere while operating the shaper.

After stock has completely passed the cutterhead, be aware of the fact that the cutter is still rotating and under power. Respect the machine with as much attention after the machining operation as during the operation.