What did you make on your shaper?

[cjtoombs]

To give you an idea on price, i purchased a 16" Steptoe, with vise, about 5 years ago for 600. Turns out it is worn out, but I've still done quite a bit of work on it. Bought a Whipp 12" shaper for 287 on ebay auction, had to add sales tax and a 75 loading fee (Reliable Tools). It had hidden rust and some problems, came with vise. I will probably have 800 or more in it by the time I get it running. Very little wear, though. Both of these machines were antiques with all square ways and original lineshaft drive, so they had electric motors set up on them. The Whipp was set up poorly and had to be redone, as the speed range was too high. Purchased a 7" Atlas that was just needed to be cleaned and lubed for 500, with vise (which I consider to be a very good deal, it was put on ebay as a buy it now, and I jumped on it, as these easily go for 1000 on the west coast). Just purchased an 8" lewis shaper, with vise for 200 on ebay, which I was very surprised about. It has some minor problems, but easily corrected. Of course, I didn't count fuel to pick any of those up, you can add 100 at least to all those for that. Frankly I was surprised that I wasn't outbid on the Lewis, but for that price, I will certainly take another shaper.

 

[Dranreb]

Just finished whittling my first proper thing on my shaper, a MK 2 tangential tool holder incorporating all the things that where lacking in the first one I made.

The shaper is a complete revelation and so easy to use after the milling attachment on my Atlas lathe, and what's more it suits my SOTP way of working and my wallet....:biggrin:



Bernard

 

[cjtoombs]

Shapers are still used extensively in countries with cheaper labor. Being able to use a cheap tool that is easily sharpened is a big advantage in those places. New shapers are still being made in China and India. They are ideal for most hobby shops, because you can do much of the same work as with a mill without dulling your end mills or using expensive dovetail cutters. And for what they are good for, I think they could do the job quicker than a small mill if they are set up right. I think some sort of quick change toolholder would be a neat project for the shaper. I have thought about designing and building one, just too many other projects ahead of that.

 

[John Hasler]

Question about shapers: I note that all of them seem to cut on the push. What's the reason for not making ones that cut on the pull instead?

 

[cjtoombs]

Question about shapers: I note that all of them seem to cut on the push. What's the reason for not making ones that cut on the pull instead?

They did, just not as many. You see one up for sale every once in a while. The manufacturers claim they are more rigid in the pull direction than the push, which I do not doubt. It requires s different clapper setup. I believe the one in the railroad roundhouse at Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford in Detroit is a pull type shaper.

 

[Scruffy]

Haven't really made anything.did clean up some old sand cast iron weights. I' m. Using the 16 in back geared cinn that I was given for removing it from a basement.also got a nice die filler. The fella that gave it to , his grandfather had restored it .he did a super job of converting it from line shaft to electric.

I'll post some pic's of my collection of my old , obsolete tools if toag. Will come over and show the wife how.

Thanks ron

 

[GK1918]

Funny this thread popped up, for I just bought a smaller 10" rotary table, mint Yuasa for a hundred bucks. So its tee nut time. I'm getting paranoid
lately about using end mills, mainly not only the cost but the dreaded waiting time. Simple machining tee nuts is definatly a shaper job. Banged out
10 at a time from rusty scrap, HSS doesnt care about rust especially when a box of HSS blanks cost as much as one good end mill.

sam

 

[Dranreb]

Funny this thread popped up, for I just bought a smaller 10" rotary table, mint Yuasa for a hundred bucks. So its tee nut time. I'm getting paranoid
lately about using end mills, mainly not only the cost but the dreaded waiting time. Simple machining tee nuts is definatly a shaper job. Banged out
10 at a time from rusty scrap, HSS doesnt care about rust especially when a box of HSS blanks cost as much as one good end mill.

sam

Happily reclaiming rusty old scrap, mostly unsupervised, is my shapers favorite past time...:thumbzup:

Bernard

 

[Uncle Buck]

Steve, I would like to know if you ever finished your shaper up and how it operated for you? You did a beautiful job with your restoration.

What did you do for a vise? The good ones are not cheap.

 

[C-Bag]

Danreb, I use the lathe style tool holders often, the angle saves grinding a rake in the cutter.

Burtonbr Thanks, Was slow going cutting the teeth, the first 60 or 70 thou you could plunge in pretty quick but as you got deeper it was taking more material up the side of the tooth and 3 or 4 thou at a time was it. The racks were held on dowel pins 8 inches apart, it would take about 2 hours to cut the teeth and reset the stock. All manual but I added the DRO to position the teeth and set the depth. The dials on a Logan shaper are uselessly small,

Kind of neat in a way, an obsolete machine with DRO's cutting racks for a CNC plasma table.
Greg

As a shaper noob, I'm intreagued by how you ground your cutter to cut the rack gears properly. I've not run into that yet.