# Moulding cutter options for Atlas saw



## Sam397 (11 mo ago)

Hello and thank you for letting me join. I’m replacing all of the trim in my house and am making the new trim with hemlock boards. I was given my late grandfathers atlas 3060 table saw and it is in excellent condition. I would like to make a design on the trim with a moulding attachment rather than use a router. I’ve only found 1 atlas moulding adapter for sale and it doesn’t come with the cutters I need. What are my options here??? Can I mount up a different brand of cutting head like a craftsman that are readily available? Any thoughts or advice on this is appreciated. Thanks.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Nevermind trying to match the Atlas cutter heard, just get a set of the Craftsman head and cutters off Ebay. I have several of those sets There are two types of cutters if I correctly recall? The difference may be in the manner they are secured to the head, but I can't remember. There's another company that makes cuuter for those heads:








Corob Cutters







corobcutters.com







molding cutter heads craftsman - Google Search


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Sam397 said:


> Hello and thank you for letting me join. I’m replacing all of the trim in my house and am making the new trim with hemlock boards. I was given my late grandfathers atlas 3060 table saw and it is in excellent condition. I would like to make a design on the trim with a moulding attachment rather than use a router. I’ve only found 1 atlas moulding adapter for sale and it doesn’t come with the cutters I need. What are my options here??? Can I mount up a different brand of cutting head like a craftsman that are readily available? Any thoughts or advice on this is appreciated. Thanks.


If you are going to go that route I would suggest mounting a power feed on your table saw. When running molding, to get a good consistent profile, it is essential to maintain even pressure keeping the stock absolutely flat against the table. The feed rate is also very important. I run molding occasionally on a spindle shaper with a molding head and always use a power feed.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

B Coll said:


> If you are going to go that route I would suggest mounting a power feed on your table saw. When running molding, to get a good consistent profile, it is essential to maintain even pressure keeping the stock absolutely flat against the table. The feed rate is also very important. I run molding occasionally on a spindle shaper with a molding head and always use a power feed.


Yes, that would be the safest method. However, they can get beyond the reach of home shop budgets, so some folks have made their own:


DIY power feeder - Google Search


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

woodnthings said:


> Yes, that would be the safest method. However, they can get beyond the reach of home shop budgets, so some folks have made their own:
> 
> 
> DIY power feeder - Google Search


That is pretty awesome! Heck of a lot cheaper than my 4 tire beast


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have run many feet of wood through a Craftsman molding cutter. Never had any need of a power feeder.

George


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## Sam397 (11 mo ago)

woodnthings said:


> Nevermind trying to match the Atlas cutter heard, just get a set of the Craftsman head and cutters off Ebay. I have several of those sets There are two types of cutters if I correctly recall? The difference may be in the manner they are secured to the head, but I can't remember. There's another company that makes cuuter for those heads:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That’s kinda why I asked cause the arbors seem to be a couple standard sizes. The plate where the blade comes up through the table may need to be modified to fit a different band. Like you said there are a bunch of craftsman cutters for sale on eBay with knives. I’m going to give it a try. I’m pretty excited about this trim project. Doing baseboards and window sills also.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

The arbors will be a standard 5/8" diameter for 10" table saws.
I found a video that show there are two types of cutterheads, a single bit and a triple bit.The triple cutter will no doubt run with less vibration and make a smoother cut.
Look for that type.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Sam397 said:


> Hello and thank you for letting me join. I’m replacing all of the trim in my house and am making the new trim with hemlock boards. I was given my late grandfathers atlas 3060 table saw and it is in excellent condition. I would like to make a design on the trim with a moulding attachment rather than use a router. I’ve only found 1 atlas moulding adapter for sale and it doesn’t come with the cutters I need. What are my options here??? Can I mount up a different brand of cutting head like a craftsman that are readily available? Any thoughts or advice on this is appreciated. Thanks.


Those molding sets can get the job done however if you have ever used one you would think they should be kept in a case marked "Break glass in case of emergency". It's unnerving to make molding with one and they cut pretty rough making for a lot of sanding to make the molding usable. As far as having the correct knife you could get a set of knives that don't have any design on them at all, just a squared off blade and grind your own design on them.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> Those molding sets can get the job done however if you have ever used one you would think they should be kept in a case marked "Break glass in case of emergency". It's unnerving to make molding with one and they cut pretty rough making for a lot of sanding to make the molding usable. As far as having the correct knife you could get a set of knives that don't have any design on them at all, just a squared off blade and grind your own design on them.


I have never experienced that the final cut product was that rough. I have mostly used white oak. 

They can be a bit un-nerving to use as there is vibration and noise. I use side and over the top feather boards. And sometimes even long length boards to hold everything in proper position. Just snug enough that I have no problem pushing the object board through.

George


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GeorgeC said:


> I have never experienced that the final cut product was that rough. I have mostly used white oak.
> 
> They can be a bit un-nerving to use as there is vibration and noise. I use side and over the top feather boards. And sometimes even long length boards to hold everything in proper position. Just snug enough that I have no problem pushing the object board through.
> 
> George


When I went into business I couldn't afford a shaper so the first job I did I make a coping and sticking set as well as raised panel knives to make the first kitchen of cabinets I built. These cabinets were oak and I didn't think I would ever finish that job. A lot of wood had tear outs so bad it wasn't usable so I probably made 50% more parts than got used. I did finish that job but never attempted another kitchen with that equipment. I went and bought a shaper before I did another.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

My late FIL had one of the three cutter Craftsman sets. I tried it on my saw and was terrified by just the sound it made, let alone trying to keep the work piece down on the table, even with hold downs attached to the rip fence. I thought the 4,500 rpm of my saw's arbor was too fast for this attachment and shelved it. I later gave it to my BIL to use on his PM66. It scared him so much, he bought a PM shaper with a power feeder to make moldings. Good luck and stay safe if you go this route. I get by with a router table on my table saw with a 15 amp variable speed router for moulding work. I used it to make all of the oak moldings for our entire previous home.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> My late FIL had one of the three cutter Craftsman sets. I tried it on my saw and was terrified by just the sound it made, let alone trying to keep the work piece down on the table, even with hold downs attached to the rip fence. I thought the 4,500 rpm of my saw's arbor was too fast for this attachment and shelved it. I later gave it to my BIL to use on his PM66. It scared him so much, he bought a PM shaper with a power feeder to make moldings. Good luck and stay safe if you go this route. I get by with a router table on my table saw with a 15 amp variable speed router for moulding work. I used it to make all of the oak moldings for our entire previous home.


Holding the work down is kind of reminiscent of running an air hammer.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Sam397 said:


> Hello and thank you for letting me join. I’m replacing all of the trim in my house and am making the new trim with hemlock boards. I was given my late grandfathers atlas 3060 table saw and it is in excellent condition. I would like to make a design on the trim with a moulding attachment rather than use a router. I’ve only found 1 atlas moulding adapter for sale and it doesn’t come with the cutters I need. What are my options here??? Can I mount up a different brand of cutting head like a craftsman that are readily available? Any thoughts or advice on this is appreciated. Thanks.


God bless you guys for having the courage to do this. All I can see is my grandfather looking over my shoulder and telling me, as he did a thousand times, "right tool for the right job Billy". He drummed into me that you can hammer nails with a monkey wrench, but that is not what it was made for, so don't.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Table saw 4500 RPMs, maybe 5,000 RPMs with 5" diameter cutterhead
Shaper 10,000 RPMs with 2.5" cutterhead.
No difference in SF per minute.
Is one safer than the other?
Possibly the table saw because the work is flat on the table and the hold downs can secure it easier that way.
The large majority of the cutter head is below the table, so safer in that regard.
The width of stock is limited in the shaper to about 3" on the arbor. No limit on the table saw.
Shaper will do edges better. table saw will do faces better, horizontal vs vertical cutter orientation.
It's been a long time since I used mine, but I don't recall any big issues.





PART 2





Yoops forgot about the cutter on the RAS!
Now the cutterhead is horizontal, so better for edges.
NOPE, not necessacrily, the cutter can also be vertical.
My favorite You Tuber making moldings with the cutter at 9:50 in:


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## Sam397 (11 mo ago)

woodnthings said:


> Table saw 4500 RPMs, maybe 5,000 RPMs with 5" diameter cutterhead
> Shaper 10,000 RPMs with 2.5" cutterhead.
> No difference in SF per minute.
> Is one safer than the other?
> ...


Nice thank you for the videos!


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## Sam397 (11 mo ago)

B Coll said:


> God bless you guys for having the courage to do this. All I can see is my grandfather looking over my shoulder and telling me, as he did a thousand times, "right tool for the right job Billy". He drummed into me that you can hammer nails with a monkey wrench, but that is not what it was made for, so don't.


Seriously no sarcasm here on my part...is it really not the right tool? I’m not wanting to do anything to extravagant, just knock the edge off while adding a nice profile. Thought this would be much easier than building a router table.


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