What's a SB 7" shaper worth?

[projectnut]

You should also take into consideration whether or not the procedure you wish to perform can be done by another machine.

Shapers have fallen by the wayside for a number of reasons. While they may be versatile, they are slow.

Remember the old adage “You can make anything on a shaper except money.”

They were the precursor to the vertical milling machines. Once the vertical mills were perfected, they could do nearly anything a shaper could do in a fraction of the time. Shapers were built to work in a world where time is money. They became obsolete when faster more versatile machines came on the scene.

 

[benmychree]

I don't understand the fascination with baby shapers, they are nearly useless for getting any real work done, I was told many years ago that they were used as training machines during WW 2, that was about it. I have always had a shaper in my shop, but one that was capable of real work, presently I have a G&E 20 24 universal about mid 1950s vintage, and also a P&W 6" vertical shaper.

 

[benmychree]

In the end, I guess it is worth what one of 3 idiots thinks it is worth, personally I'd think that a few hundred dollars should be about it. I think that YouTube videos have stoked the imagination of folks that, for the most part have more money than common sense.

 

[twhite]

I don't understand the fascination with baby shapers, they are nearly useless for getting any real work done,

I can only speak for myself. Being a machinist for 40 plus years. I LOVE vintage machines. As Shapers are of no great value to an actual business. Slow does not make money. I would love to have a small shaper in my home shop. Just because! I do my hobby machining for the pure enjoyment. I do not care how long something takes me at home.

So if anybody wants to donate a small worthless shaper to my home shop. I would be honored.


Cutting oil is my blood.[/QUOTE]

 

[projectnut]

Mine came from the Badger Army Ordinance Works just south of Baraboo Wisconsin. It has a manufacture date of 1941and a War Board finish sign. It was covered in brass shavings so it must have gotten some use in its day.

I don’t know what it was used for, but Uncle Sam must have wanted it there.

 

[mmcmdl]

There has been a shaper up the road from me for sale for years along with 2 SB lathes in pieces . The son thinks there is gold hidden in these machines with his " wanting " price . He's been calling me back now for 2 weeks to look at them again . Uh , no thanks . He can haul them to the scrap yard himself .

 

[seasicksteve]

I don't understand the fascination with baby shapers, they are nearly useless for getting any real work done, I was told many years ago that they were used as training machines during WW 2, that was about it. I have always had a shaper in my shop, but one that was capable of real work, presently I have a G&E 20 24 universal about mid 1950s vintage, and also a P&W 6" vertical shaper.

I kind of agree The small shapers are neat but if you have enjoyed running a heavy machine the tiny shapers don't cut it. Many years back I used to work for a co that liquidated school vo tech programs . I cant count how many nice shapers Norton, Varnamo ,Cincinatti, Smith Mills and Gemcos that we put in the scrap bin. Wish I could redo that. I did save 4 nice G&Es I have a 14" tool room the others were 16 and 20s My buddys still have those. That little G&E weighs in at just over 2 tons, it will cut some nice sized curls

 

[benmychree]

There are some jobs where a shaper is just the thing, one good example was making a new gib for a mill at another business near me, I got paid my regular shop rate for the job, the table tilt feature of my shaper made it easy. The head of the gib had broken off, making any adjustment nearly impossible. The G&E shapers are one of the best, I think; mine has hard chromed ram ways, auto feed on the saddle up and down, rapid traverse, easily adjusted feed amount and 16 speeds and table that tilts both ways, has pressure lubrication at all points and runs quiet. I never had to do keyways with it, as I had both the vertical shaper and a Mitts & Merril keyseater.

 

[Larry$]

The same obsolete mentality has been in the hobby woodwork area for years. They'll buy an old 3 head drum sander instead of a widebelt. Or a Whitney copy shaper with a sprocket drive. Or a push thru, square head molder instead of a modern feed through with 6 or 8000 rpm heads. Those old machine are slow to setup, slow to run, heavy to move. Very little new traditional woodworking equipment is now made in the US. But a lot is still made in Italy, Poland, Germany....and of course China and Taiwan.

 

[Pevehouse]

I was lucky enough to run across mine about 6 months ago. Went to look at a metal cutting saw and the lady showed me this old nasty looking machine and right off I had no clue what it was and neither did she. I just saw the beauty under the crud and offered her $200 for what turned out to be a complete Atlas 7B. I am now in the process of the restoration of said machine,lol.