Thread: Shaper tool head questions

I don't think the lock would worry anything, if the gibs are firm it wont move much and will only go side ways if it does which wont affect height.

With the graduated collar, as far as I know they should all turn, are you sure it's not just stuck?

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

I don't think the lock would worry anything, if the gibs are firm it wont move much and will only go side ways if it does which wont affect height.

With the graduated collar, as far as I know they should all turn, are you sure it's not just stuck?

Dave

Thanks Dave,
The collar is pinned onto the handwheel.......no chance at all its stuck! There has been some dodgy work done in that area though, so as i thought i'll have to fix it up. I can ask JBoogie on PM for some pics of his.

I was more worried about the rigidness of the head, if only one side of the dovetail is tight, the smallest amount off chatter may be started, Does the Alba have a lock?

Been a while since I looked, but I think it uses one of the gib screws to lock it.
I will double check tomorrow as the Douglas set up keeps running through my head because thats what I am into at the moment, LOL

Dave

Originally Posted by Ueee

Firstly, Do any of your machines have locks on the dovetails?

No. Sometimes wish it did though.

Secondly, Is you graduated collar moveable, or fixed on the shaft?

Movable.

Thanks Bryan,
I knew there was another question I was going to ask last night but I couldn't think of it.
What's the best thing to lube the bull gear with? Grease or oil?

Grease is a Bad Idea for open gears with chips everywhere. I've rigged a drain from one of my ram ways to drip on the bull gear. Didn't seem to be any provision originally. I just checked the manual and the bull gear is not even mentioned in the lubrication chart.

I should have called this thread "General shaper questions"

This is one for those who have square knee rise and fall guides.
I put the knee on today, but when i do the bolts on the rear part of the guide's up it clamps the knee onto the guides. I need to shim at least 6-8thou to get anything like a nice fit, could it be possible that the guides need to be loosened to move the table? Seems like a real pain to me, 5 bolts each side, but if not why so tight, there were no shims when we pulled it apart.

Same here. I had to leave one way plate slightly loose. I don't know why either.

Originally Posted by Bryan

Same here. I had to leave one way plate slightly loose. I don't know why either.

Thanks Bryan,
I didn't even realize, i just did them up and then tried to move the knee......I'm just worried about table sag whilst setting up, there is alot of weight hanging of the front of the knee. I'll have a shim session and see how i go. If i had a surface grinder i would knock a few thou off the way plates (thanks for the name, i wasn't quite sure off what to call them)

At the risk of being stoned. You are meant to do your vertical tool movement with the tool slide not the table. You wouldnt want the table moving back and forward with the ram.
Having said that...... with the cuts most of us are going..I leave mine "not to tight". I dont even have a table support.

The collar on my shaper is movable. not lock on the slide, though I do wonder about the backlash in the nut making the cut pull deeper...still its the same as a lathe cross silde....

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

At the risk of being stoned. You are meant to do your vertical tool movement with the tool slide not the table. You wouldnt want the table moving back and forward with the ram.
Having said that...... with the cuts most of us are going..I leave mine "not to tight". I dont even have a table support.

The collar on my shaper is movable. not lock on the slide, though I do wonder about the backlash in the nut making the cut pull deeper...still its the same as a lathe cross silde....

Stuart

So maybe buying an 1 1/16" spanner and leaving it on the machine might be a good idea? I certainly don't want to be moving the knee up and down too much, even with a gear reduction of 2 or 3 to 1 its damn heavy, and thats without the table!

Hi Bryan,
I found this reference to loosening the way plates "locking bolts" It is from the "Suggested unit course in Shaper Work for beginners in machine shop practice" from 1944.



The link to all 57 meg of it is here: http://www.airgraver.com/shaper/shapers.pdf