Thread: Shaper Tooling

Hi Phil,

I just straightened the tool holder and reversed the cutter, (so it's in front of the clapper), and increased the speed and then ran light cuts ( less than 0.1) both ways traversing left-right and right-left, I think the one where it pushes the chips away from the finished surface was a little better, but there's not a lot in it.

I've made the edge straight, when viewed end on, some I've looked at show a slight curve, should it be slightly curved when viewed from end on?



Save a seat for me in the circle... I've got the blank stare pretty much down pat..

Regards
Ray

Ray, the way I like is with the chip rolling onto the uncut side. I think Phil means the opposite. Suit yourself. I don't think it matters about the curve. Just depends on your preferred grinding technique. A pretty wide range of angles works there. I do think a little rake helps though. Above the edge that is.

Hi ray
I haven't tried it curved on that face. Theory says it would be better but theory and practice are normally worlds apart. You could say I always keep a straight face

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Hi ray
I haven't tried it curved on that face. Theory says it would be better but theory and practice are normally worlds apart. You could say I always keep a straight face

Thanks Bryan, Phil,

There's a quotation... "In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."

I can say that with straight face.. but, I might try a smiling cutter face and see...

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by John Hill

Have your looked at lathes.co.uk ? He has a few shapers on there too and that rack type handle gear is kind of familiar.

It is similar, but not the same as other rack drive shapers on Tony's site.

Jordan

The shaper vise quest continues...

Are there any guidelines for sizing a shaper vise?

I'm looking for a 12" shaper vise, but one guy I talked to says, what do you need one that big for? That size is too heavy and cumbersome. Mind you, he was trying to sell me a smaller milling vise...

So for an 18" shaper, what size vise would most likely have originally come with the machine?

Regards
Ray

Kev said to me about half the stroke, but I like a little bigger so I think the 12 would be good. It all depends on what your doing really as something small could be held in a 5 inch vise.

Dave

Ray, my shaper is also an 18". I don't know what vise it had originally, but the one I found (actually Stuart found) is I think 9" across the jaws. It's an Elliot one, the same as Stuart's. I've found it to be a good fit for the machine. The mount holes happen to suit my table. I usually slide it onto a trolley but I can lift it if I have to; any bigger and that would be out.

I guess my advice would be grab anything that suits your table slots and is between say 8" - 12". Even a smaller one might be worth having as it would be easy to sell on if you found a bigger one later. To be honest I suspect that a solid mill vise would be perfectly adequate, as long as you kept your cuts moderate. I'm guessing shaper vises were designed back when shapers where the workhorses of mass production and were pushed to the limit.

Thanks Bryan, Dave,

How about one of these? I reckon the size looks about right...



Regards
Ray

Might be a bit small for yours Ray, LOL

I think shapers come out with the largest vises for there size, than any other machine.

Dave

Originally Posted by RayG

The shaper vise quest continues...

Are there any guidelines for sizing a shaper vise?

I'm looking for a 12" shaper vise, but one guy I talked to says, what do you need one that big for? That size is too heavy and cumbersome. Mind you, he was trying to sell me a smaller milling vise...

So for an 18" shaper, what size vise would most likely have originally come with the machine?

Regards
Ray

What Ive read in some of the old shaper books , general rule of thumb is the jaw width is 50% of the stroke length .
So for an 18" shaper a 9" jaw with would be right .
The Elliot shaper vices have slotted holes on the corners of the mounting plates so they could fit most of thier machines.
From an old MacPherson catalogue page I have ,which has a picture of a shaper identical to the 18" stroke Alba I have ,gives a description of the vice as being 9 1/4 " jaw width with a 10" opening capacity and a jaw depth of 2 3/8 " .
Picked up an Armstrong tool holder off EbayUS last week ,its the T-2-S ,takes a 3/8" sq tool and has no back rake in the holder at all. $32.00AUD including postage.
Kev.

Originally Posted by RayG

Thanks Bryan, Dave,
How about one of these? I reckon the size looks about right...
Regards
Ray

How thick did you say your slab was...?

Originally Posted by Bryan

How thick did you say your slab was...?

The slab he was going to pay for it with, or the slab he is going to put it on.

Dave