Thread: Smith and Mills Shaper

Hi Karl,

Congratulations on the machine! When I first started using the shaper for a job I found it to be one of the most user unfriendly, unforgiving machines I have! Only takes a small distraction on setup to have a crash. I run mine of a VFD and I learnt very quickly to run it on jog at 5 hz just to make sure everything was ok before committing to full speed.

WRT cabide. I was told its not good because all cutting on shapers are interrupted cuts which is not good for carbide as it tends to chip or damage the cutters. Besides HSS is perfect for shapers anyway.

Cheers

Simon

Originally Posted by PDW

I saw his ads and to say his prices are - interesting - is the most innocuous remark I'll make.

A BOC 80A plasma cutter for $1800? I can buy a brand new BOC 100A plasma cutter, from BOC, for $1575.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271350969...84.m1438.l2649

I know this is Tasmania and everything has a freight premium, but still..... perhaps I should list some of my surplus machinery and see how it goes. I have quite a bit due to some upgrades recently.

That shaper looks in really good condition and - bonus - it has a serious vise with it.

PDW

Yes I know what you mean. As best I can tell he has based his pricing around what he paid for the items.
He is very open to offers and I didn't pay anywhere near the asking price for my shaper.

Originally Posted by simonl

Hi Karl,

Congratulations on the machine! When I first started using the shaper for a job I found it to be one of the most user unfriendly, unforgiving machines I have! Only takes a small distraction on setup to have a crash. I run mine of a VFD and I learnt very quickly to run it on jog at 5 hz just to make sure everything was ok before committing to full speed.

WRT cabide. I was told its not good because all cutting on shapers are interrupted cuts which is not good for carbide as it tends to chip or damage the cutters. Besides HSS is perfect for shapers anyway.

Cheers

Simon

I have not forgotten the lesson I learned some years ago when I may possibly have smashed the quick change toolpost off a Colchester lathe while doing some eccentric turning at TAFE. Now I always find a way to run cycle a machine by hand before I hit the go button.
I admit that this is the area that causes me the greatest concern overall.
It makes sense about the chipping of carbide tools plus you would lose a certain amount of versatility by being constrained by set tool profiles. I think an angle plate will be my first project once I get set up.

This is an interesting coincidence to find this shaper at this time. I just bought a vise at online auction when I could not get to the real auction on time. They showed 2 pictured, one of a universal milling machine which I bid on and won for $85 USD. Another picture was a shaper vise, same size picture along the other. I bid on it and won it, cannot declare price as it was sold online and the buyer might see this post. The shaper was covered in about 20 years of grime. Looked as heavy as stated above,auction price was USD $125 with only one bid. Would have loved to have it but no room. The vise is around 300 pounds, 13 1/4" wide and about 13" long.

One sleep to go and I pick her up!
I will put some more photos up once I have her. I've even got a plan on how to unload her off my truck. No, it's not gravity.

Well, it's home, sitting on the ground awaiting final positioning and installation.
Loading it was no issue, a borrowed 4 tonne Hyster forklift sorted that. Unloading was another thing entirely.
I collected the big girl on my Mitsubishi tipper, once home I proceeded to set up a 3 Phase 3 tonne electric chain hoist on the front of the tray, ran a webbing lifting strop around the shaper and tipped the tray up to maybe 15 deg which was more than enough to let the machine slide. It was then simply a matter of hitting the down button on the hoist and Big Bertha slid down the tray until just shy of half was overhanging the tray. I then tipped the tray to a shade over 30 deg and slid the machine off until it touched the ground. The truck was then driven forward carefully until the edge of the base was roughly half way between the tray pivot point and the back of the tray, blocking placed under the machine base and the tray tipped up all the way so it dropped from under the blocked machine. After all this, it was a simple matter to drive the truck away and bring my Toyota Huski loader in and lift the end sufficiently to allow the blocks to be removed and the machine lowered to the ground. The final step will be to move her into place with my tractor which will lift a shade over 4 tonne on the linkage.
Many hours of thought and planning led to a smooth job
Probably a silly question, but I cannot find a direction of rotation for the motor. Which way should it spin?

Good to here she is home safe.

Generally the motor should run so the bull gear runs clockwise when you look from the door side. This means the return stroke will be faster then the cutting stroke. If it runs the other way round huge pressure is put on the arm, bearing block and pin.

Cheers,
Ew

I had a feeling that was probably the direction.
I'll put a plug on her tonight and see what happens.

hmmmmmmmmm



Karl knows the rule.... pics or it didn't happen..

Originally Posted by .RC.

hmmmmmmmmm



Karl knows the rule.... pics or it didn't happen..

Tomorrow I promise. The last two days have just not run to plan. Yesterday I was meant to panelbeat, reskin and polish a truck fuel tank. Normally a 6-8 hour endeavour. I actually spent half the day repairing the welders in the workshop I was working in and took the tank components home to finish off using my own gear. Today wasn't a whole lot better and I will have a late night in the shed to get up to where I need to be, so I can go back to the West Coast for 4 night shifts in my normal job.
I haven't even had time to play with the shaper

Well tomorrow was a bit longer in coming than I planned, but they are here now, some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
PB300090.jpgPB300091.jpgPB300094.jpgPB300098.jpg
I had to replace the switch gear on the old girl as the contacts were burnt. While that would have been a relatively easy fix, I was concerned that being old, oil dampened switch gear, the oil would most likely be full of PCB and other nasties.
I have a bit of fine tuning to do as over a 500mm workpiece, the machine produces a .4mm taper. Whether this is table droop, setup error or vice mounting issues I have yet to decide and did not have the time to properly work the problem through from start to finish. It appears that the oil feed may have been compromised or swarf trapped on one side of the ram as there is evidence of some galling that has been repaired, but there is still plenty of accurate bearing area. On the bright side, I did fix the stroke indicator, which was no working initially. One loose nut tightened and all was good.
I will say this though, they just ooze power and on the maximum 100 stroke per minute setting it does its best to launch into flight. I don't see full speed being used at full stroke too often.
For the moment, she is sitting under cover where I unloaded her until her resting place can be prepared properly in the shed.
The adventure continues and I'm loving it.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

Well tomorrow was a bit longer in coming than I planned

Hey, that happens at my place as well!
Good to her you got it up and running.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

I have a bit of fine tuning to do as over a 500mm workpiece, the machine produces a .4mm taper.

Taper how?

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

I will say this though, they just ooze power and on the maximum 100 stroke per minute setting it does its best to launch into flight. I don't see full speed being used at full stroke too often.

Damn that would be exciting!!!

Stuart

I see it has the standard galling on the ways from lack of lubrication...

I am yet to see a shaper that does not have such galling... Perhaps the ones with auto lubrication fare better, provided the auto lube works..

She has got auto lube and it works really well now. I am guessing that it became blocked at some stage as the galling is only on one side and not over the whole length.