WHERE ARE THE SHAPER USERS ?

I was under the impression that Elliott in some form transformed into 'Gate' who still exist but with rather newer product lines.

Mines 120956 so also pretty close!

Hi guy just have a general question, has anybody put a spring under the tool holder to lift it at end of stroke just a small amount and had good results?

Some machines have fancy lifting mechanisms would it be comparable.

Garth.

when cutting tee slots people use a hinge to lift the tool completely clear after each cut, this requires quite a bit of extra stroke either end.

If the tool is lifted, it won't make contact on the cut stroke either...Gravity is your friend..

If you own a shaper or planing-machine it would seem worth finding a book on using them as they are more subtle than appears..

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Garth -

Could you be a bit clearer what you mean? Shapers relieve the tool for the return stroke anyway. The hinged clapper-box (hence its name!) lets the tool slide back along the work surface, and depending on the tool shape this will often raise the cutting edge itself slightly clear of the work. They don't use a spring.

Certain operations, particularly keyway / spline cutting normally back towards the machine, need the clapper locking. This does let the tool edge rub but it seems to work, and shaper tools are easy to resharpen! I think cutting down a vertical side does as well.

With a tool-steel tool this is relatively easily done by drilling and tapping the softer upper end of the bar to take a screw that abuts on the vertical slide, between its bearing surfaces. Alternatively use a mild-steel tool-holder with such a screw, that accepts a small, inserted HSS bit, and such a tool can be made to tilt the bit sideways for vertical side shaping. (HSS not carbide, which is brittle and might not give a decent finish anyway.)

Some planing-machines had a tool-box rotated by suitable gear 180º at the end of each cut, but probably only on the larger machines, and simply to halve the production time by cutting in both directions.

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Bernard -

Tee-slotting may well be an operation where a spring would make life simpler by lifting the tool completely clear of the top of the work. The tool-holder is hinged anyway of course. A bungee cord might be effective, given the large tool swing needed!

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Note that the cutting edge needs be below or only a little forwards of but not behind, the clapper fulcrum.

I normally file a low-angle chamfer on the approach edge of the work to ease the shock a bit. On me as well as my even older machine, and the work; as my shaper is a Drummond manual one! My main tool on it is a carbon-steel spring-tool, as was often recommended.

Some here have asked about cutting lubricant on a shaper. I use tapping-paste, or soluble cutting oil used nearly neat so it stays on the metal.

Some machines did have lifting mechanisms, but they don't seem to be really necessary, and I think especially not for amateur use where we are not generally doing long production runs. The tools seem to last fine even if they do drag backwards over the surface and are simple to sharpen. Even carbide doesn't seem to mind.

I've done T slots with the cutter locked, no problem. Home made T slot cutters for the shaper are cheaper than T slot cutters of the mill, and much easier to sharpen.

For vertical facing, if you angle the clapper box correctly it will let the tool swing to clear the face on the return stroke. Same applies to dove tails.

You can use pretty much the same cutting oil on a shaper as you would on a lathe, with the added advantage that it won't try to fling it at you quite so much.

John

Thinking about the geometry, with the clapper-box operative, the return stroke should lift the cutting edge off the metal. The heel of the tool is what slides on the workpiece; and despite the work advancing from the side.

When locked for key-way cutting, the returning of the tool is akin to what happens when we back off a tap or die. The edge does rub but with relatively little load on it because it has already cut the metal away (neglecting any springing).

Even so, the clapper-box should still be unlocked for external surfacing, partly due to the larger amount of metal being removed, but also to avoid jamming against the feed's flanking movement.

(Unlike using a saw or file without relieving the return. That does put a heavy, unfair load on the teeth unless of some bi-directional form not normally found on metalworking tools.)

Got a alba 1a and a load of tooling that I've not used for about 2 years.

Willing to sell if if any one is looking for one

Not really - think about it - the spring would need to lift it a few 100th's to clear cut metal, but not more than the new metal when stepped over - so what prevents the spring from lifting it to the extent it can? A fine adjust on the spring so it lifts just a smidge? And when friction on the clapper pivot changes ( oil, machine warms up, whatever), the spring lifts less - or more....And if it did lift just enough, it means there will be a little ridge at the start of cut , all along the edge of the workpiece, as the cutter is just a little higher than the set depth as the cut starts. The normal gravity drop starts the cut with the cutter fully down in place each time. The spring would mean the clapper never fully shuts ...or 'claps'..

Suggest you read page 51 of shaper operations by j w Barritt. . As regards to using a hinge.

Suggest you read page 51 of shaper operations by j w Barritt. . As regards to using a hinge.