Gib material question

I've used 360 brass on my 6" lathe compound with good results- after a short bedding in period the re-adjustments became fewer and farther between. Very smooth with low friction. Higher wear than steel.
 
I would use bronze before using steel. Or if I used steel I would bond some Turcite to it. Steel can be ground and Turcited on a Steel gib it can be ground on a flat gib. A brass or bronze isn't magnetic and would have to be milled and then scraped. Unless you used double face tape....some more info would help as far as gib thickness, height and length.
 
I didn't think I would get as many replies as I have! First off Thank You all! Now for the confession, I have acquired a real strong fascination with shapers that will not go away. I would love to have one and have watched CL and whatnot for a small one for some time. What I did find was either too far away or way more cash then I had to spend. I recently bought the Gingery book and did much internet reading on the subject. The Gingery design if I built it from flat stock instead of castings seem the best fit for my budget (build as cash is available) and not overly complicated. The thing that seems to me to be wrong or would not last would be the ram running on aluminum ways. Thinking outside the box for a simpler/cost effective solution I found that there is a mini mill with a cast iron table that almost exactly matches the size of the ram in the Gingery book and the individual parts reasonably priced. So that is where the dreaming is at this point. Some may think the thought is crazy and a waste of time but I think this may actually work with some care. The thought is make the machine as good as I can and hopefully I will succeed. I do know this will be a large stretch of my skill set and tools available to me but this hobby makes the troubles of my day go away. In a way if I pull this off I will admit I will have a bit of a Franken shaper but who knows.
 
Personally I wouldn't have much use for a shaper- sure they are fun to use and all but a milling machine will do most of that and then some.
Just my opinion. We had a HUGE one in high school, the buffalo. Hydraulic powered and I swear you could take 1" thick slices off a slab of steel; nothing could stop it. Some of the other fools would ride it like a bucking bronco but I never did.
mark
 
I think I will find enough uses for it and do really want to see if I can build it. I do have a mill already but the shaper is more of a challenge then a practical machine
 
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