Mit-a-mit

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 10:41 AM

Hi guys,

As some of you know I'm a sucker for old cast iron things and when those items are small machines if i can afford it I can't help myself. So I have just acquired another basket case.

It was an Aussie made shaper known as a MIT-A-MIT and as I have been wanting a small shaper I'm hoping to restore it to being one. Unfortunately someone has removed the head/ram and clap box etc and made the thing into a power hacksaw.

Only two references come up on google, one here for a Brace (Drill) and the other is for the shaper on Lathes.uk. http://www.lathes.co.uk/mit-a-mit/

Built during the 1930s and 1940s by the Metalcraft Engineering Company of Sydney, Australia, the Mit-A-Mit shaper was very similar in design to the later English Perfecto. The machine appears to have been heavily constructed for serious (if small work) with decent pulleys in cast iron, a strong built-on countershaft and even a hole bored through the bed casting from front to back to allow the insertion of shafts to be key-cut The stroke length is not known - but was probably around 7 inches.

So now you know as what it should look like and are probably more familiar with shapers than I am. What likely hood is there of making this thing work as a shaper again on limited budget? Or do you think it will be a waste of time? Also would a new head cast in Aluminium or brass/bronze be suitable or does it need the weight of cast iron to do the job?

This is mine I'm picking up Sunday.

I figure at worst I scrap the machine and take the three sided angle plate, motor, vise, and any other recyclable parts. But I really bought it with the intention to have it as a shaper would love to get it working.

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 10:55 AM

My thoughts are the clapper box can be fabricated, and I may be able to find an old topslide on the cheap to fit it to, which just leaves the ram and I guess that could also be fabricated rather than cast?

**.RC.** · 30th July 2015, 10:58 AM

Very interesting shaper...

I could caption this picture though..

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Oh God what is he buying now!!!!

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 12:47 PM

Nah that is the sellers photo..

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 12:50 PM

I think I am going to have to leave the bench behind and disassemble the machine and make two trips with it in the boot of the girlfriend's holden cruze. Otherwise the load may be to heavy in one go?? Any thoughts?

**jmebgo** · 30th July 2015, 01:19 PM

There's a few videos on youtube from memory.

**AndrewOC** · 30th July 2015, 02:20 PM

G'day Dale,
TTTG recently had an article in in the 'News' about Mit-a-mit. We have in our collection a small, very well made, surface plate by that company. A member also has another small precision tool by them (forgotten what..).
Appear to be one of those engineering firms that flourished due to shortages of imports and Government contracts during the world wars.
I wonder how big the shaper ram should be? Would it be possible to modify the ram from a scrapped Douglas / Lock size machine? Clapper box is easy part- just large-ish lumps of steel.
regs,
AndrewOC

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 02:34 PM

Hi Andrew,

If you have a copy to scan I wouldn't mind reading that article.

I believe the sober to be 7" so another ram may fit or be made to if I could find a scrapped one.

**AndrewOC** · 30th July 2015, 04:10 PM

It won't hurt if you join!!
I'll see if I can find it, stuff gets buried in my 'library'.
A.

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 04:51 PM

TTTG is the wrong state for me. I do occasionally get along the the HTPAA.

**craftsman12** · 30th July 2015, 05:41 PM

I am feeling slightly pleased with myself that the photos from an Ebay ad for a Mit-a-Mit shaper which I sent to Tony at Lathes.co several years ago are now proving useful for DSEL in working out what to do with his new purchase. At the time I had of course never heard of this Australian machine tool and following a thread on PM about the history of Australian machine tool making at the time, thought it would be worth trying to find a way to enshrine on the Web something about this manufacturer, and Tony was good enough to create the present Mit-a-Mit page on his site.

Cheers,

Adriaan

**Simplicity** · 30th July 2015, 06:07 PM

Wow nice one Dale
I've got no idea how you find these things.
Will look great done up
Matt

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**DSEL74** · 30th July 2015, 06:32 PM

Well Adriaan, you have my Thanks!

Matt it's called being the only bidder on eBay and knowing what it really was thanks to Adriaan.

There are 3 videos on utube I found thanks to the post tipping me off.

**Michael G** · 30th July 2015, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by DSEL74

What likely hood is there of making this thing work as a shaper again on limited budget? Or do you think it will be a waste of time? Also would a new head cast in Aluminium or brass/bronze be suitable or does it need the weight of cast iron to do the job?

Now personally I would not dream of buying an old clapped out machine with half the parts missing and hoping to get it working, but that's just me...

The ram and clapper box can probably be steel. I would suggest CI for the main body, but that would be me trying to get it looking vaguely original. Shapers are not complex machines so you could get it working. If you could find a complete one and get some measurements, you would be ahead, but even with the bits you have and the photos you have, you could scale parts well enough to get the proportions right.

Looking forward to reading about the project (and assisting where possible)

Michael

**WCD** · 30th July 2015, 07:44 PM

If it was mine, I would be very tempted to get the ram done as an iron casting. The shape is not overly complex and I think would not need a core, it would look authentic and minimise machining, as well as being the best material for the slideway surface. The tool slide could be made from continuous cast iron bar, with some of the same advantages.

Cheers,
Bill

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