Building a Shaper experiences-

There's the heart of it:



















I'm almost ready to start making some actual drawings having ironed out a few silly quirks.
One thing I really don't get it the use of ball bearings in the pin joints attaching the crank arm to the frame and ram. Bearings don't like running over a small rotation angle and back again, it tends to wear them strangely. Good old bronze bushes seem like a better choice here, much as it's something else to oil. The pockets with shoulders on the outside are also going to make it hell to machine accurately. Hopefully this shows it clearly:

PIvot.PNG

Not dimensioned as I don't want to run into any copyright issues on an open forum, but you get the idea.

I've not even looked at the slideways, feeds, table and other bits and pieces in detail yet - that's a whole other project!
 
Wow, that video looks cool! It seems the design has some really solid elements to it!

That outside shoulder IS going to be hell... I think I can do it with a boring bar, but I can see why it would be a pain to make. If I mess that up, I might consider making that in 3 pieces, with a screw-on plate as a retainer for the bearings.
 
My 18 inch Pearless has that same bottom link. The Logan didn't.
Why not use a snap ring to capture the bearing?

Greg
 
f350ca said:
My 18 inch Pearless has that same bottom link. The Logan didn't.
Why not use a snap ring to capture the bearing?

Greg
Click to expand...
Ooh, thats a good idea!

@Lo-Fi: This is the response I got from the seller (in addition to some "I don't know why you are so confused!!"):

Re your suggestion of posting portions of the plans on your forum; although I understand your motives are honest, I am sorry but in no circumstances would we ever sanction this. You must understand from our prospective this is a precedent we have no wish to occur as it would be totally out of our control.
 
Just post the drawings in a PM so they're not on the public pages.

BTW, Village Press (Home Shop Machinist publisher) had a "build your own shaper" series in 1999. It is collected in the Projects 8 book.
 
I figured that might be the case. A shame. I'm looking into whether I can post my drawings. Technically I own the copyright on them. Trying to figure out whether the design itself - in terms of appearance and dimensions - falls under copyright is tricky. In any case, I can't help but feel they've been rather short sighted, but what can you do. It does look pretty solid, but there are one or two bits I think could be improved, and if I'm going that far it becomes an original design...

The snap rings may well be the best way, but I'm still tempted to go with bushings. Does you shaper have bearings or bushings @f350ca ?
 
The Peerless is really old, haven't found much information about them. Its all bushings, no bearings anywhere.

Greg
 
Lo-Fi said:
I figured that might be the case. A shame. I'm looking into whether I can post my drawings. Technically I own the copyright on them. Trying to figure out whether the design itself - in terms of appearance and dimensions - falls under copyright is tricky. In any case, I can't help but feel they've been rather short sighted, but what can you do. It does look pretty solid, but there are one or two bits I think could be improved, and if I'm going that far it becomes an original design...

The snap rings may well be the best way, but I'm still tempted to go with bushings. Does you shaper have bearings or bushings @f350ca ?
Click to expand...
I don't have a good idea on this... I suspect it falls under derivative works, and would at least be questionable. If you redesign a component, I'd be sure that would be an original work though...

I agree that its short-sighted, but he also doesn't believe there is anything wrong with his drawings, so *shrug*. I'm definitely interested in any improvements you come up with! Particularly ones that I can use to get things laser cut :)
 
So update: The woman with the Atlas seems to have come to her senses and accepted my offer :) I'm going to pick it up this afternoon!
 
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