Covid has me knocked down this week, so I'm doing some reading.  I'm in the middle of Roger Cliffe's 1984 Table Saw book and looking at the article on molding heads.  I remember when I got serious in woodworking, the books and magazines often had profile molding listed and used combination of cutters and angles to make them.  But it's been many years since I've seen them used.  Somewhere about that time, I picked up one and have -passed on a few used ones since.  I don't think I've ever used it.  Has something else (router tables?) take over.

 

I don't think they were ever as popular as the vendors (principally Sears) wanted them to be. I've had a set since the mid 80s, and i think I've used it maybe 3 or 4 times. Just the noise is enough to keep folks from using it...put it on an RAS (I did) and you really get that "nope" feeling. That said, I have bought a couple of used RAS and 2 of them included sets that look much like yours. I found they were really popular on e bay, even the sets that use a single cutter have their fans. I don't happen to be one of them. But they can cut some interesting profiles on a table saw by tilting the blade. Of course you have to solve the insert part to do that.

Got the head hanging in the shop with one set of cutters. Can't remember when I bought it or why.

my wife had a similar set.  should be in my shop somewhere.  never used it.

Had one. It was consigned to the same trash heap as the wobble dado head. Both scared the Bejeezus outta me.

1 minute ago, Gene Howe said:

wobble dado head

Got one of these, too, just collecting dust.

I have both too.  I've used the wobble head but never the molding head.  The molding head was given to me and is the single cutter design.  Just always had a that can't be right thought in my head.

 

Bought a used Craftsman RAS and numerous accessories from an "old" woodworker back in the late 70's. It came with the single knife molding head and the special guard for the RAS. I don't think he had ever used it. I never have either.

 

Bought a new Craftsman 10" Contractor TS in the mid 70's. For a few extra bucks at the time they offered an accessories pack which included the 3 knife molding head, the wobble dado blade, saw table inserts for both, several HSS blades and I don't  remember what else. Anyways, used the wobble dado head a couple times...it creeped me out. I've used the molding head numerous times with good results. Takes a little getting used to the noise it makes while it comes up to speed though.

 

In some of my auction bundle purchases, I have a couple more of the adjustable dado heads. One is (still) new in package. Don't recall the brand but looks identical to the Craftsman. Same thing with the molding heads; several of those both single and 3 knife heads; all Craftsman but some differences in the 3 cutter heads designs. Enough sets that I have at least 3 ea of all 17 or 18 knife profiles.

 

Rockwell also made/sold their version of the 3 knife cutter head too. I don't think the knives are interchangeable with the Craftsman versions.

4 hours ago, kmealy said:

Covid has me knocked down this week, 

Sorry to hear Keith. Went through that again about 3 weeks ago. Hang in there. Wishing you a quick and full recovery.

24 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Sorry to hear Keith. Went through that again about 3 weeks ago. Hang in there. Wishing you a quick and full recovery.

I missed that you got that bug, Keith. As Dave said, I, too wish you all the best in fighting it. Do the docs prescrbe meds for it, these days? 

I've got the three knife Delta set with the heads for both the shaper and TS/RAS. 

They've been around since the days of the Tilt Table Saws.

14 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

I've used the molding head numerous times with good results.

I HAD the identical set as the picture. Made roughly a mile ( or 1.6 Km.) of molding and turned it into trivets using ceramic tiles. Helped to pay the rent whenever I was laid off at the bumper plant! IIRC, that set, and the safety cover thingy, was given away with the RAS a year or two back.

 

19 hours ago, kmealy said:

Has something else (router tables?) take over.

DEFINITELY!

Maybe the only thing scarier than a RAS is a RAS with a one-cutter molding head in it.   Keep that arm stiff.

4 hours ago, kmealy said:

Maybe the only thing scarier than a RAS is a RAS with a one-cutter molding head in it.   Keep that arm stiff.

AMEN!!!

As I read later chapters, he uses the molding heads in door and drawer construction.   "When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."   

Certainly, I'd be using a router for most of that work.  Even though it is a book on table saws.

I think a well equipped Stanley 55 could be a wee bit quieter..and safer..

Guess I'm the only "Old School Fool", I've used them on a "Tilty" table saw. But everyone says I'm not quite right anyways. 

54 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

But everyone says I'm not quite right anyways. 

Who are we to argue with "everyone"?????????

15 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Who are we to argue with "everyone"?????????