Corbett XL Shaper

Probably okay to have one alongside a mill but on it's own pretty useless which is why I say sell it and put the money towards a cheap vertical mill, far more useful.

Clive

Clive, I am lucky enough to have a mill also, a nice new WM18 that I got on a Papal Dispensation from The War Office, aka the missus! Just getting to terms with that so the shaper will be on the back burner for a while.

My gut feeling is that I will clean it up and check it out, get it working properly and if I do not then see much use for it will sell it on.

No hurry though.

Martin

Hi Martin,

Good luck.

Clive

The machine weighs about 100lbs which is a third of what an atlas/acorn weighs and so it can be lifted by one man which is handy

Edited By Ady1 on 04/03/2015 20:34:07

And i do all of my graduations of dials etc on my 8" Boxford shaper, with my H/V Vertex 6" rotary table and dividing plates. Release belt tension, set the stroke, and manually rotate the handle. Good fun and easier than on a lathe with a lining tool.

Hi Thaiguzzi

I was intending to use my Adept hand shaper (with some form of stop) to engrave a dial I need to make but your idea sounds a much better approach.

I hadn't thought of using my powered Atlas in "Manual Mode" for this - simply using the stoke setting for line depth. Simple idea but sounds very workable. Brilliant - I like it !!!

IanT

No probs. Works very very well. Do all the tens in one setting, then the fives, and finish off with the ones.

Just recently done a large shaper excercise. Full stroke used and practising machining all the vees (like dovetail cutting) and large t slot. Could have saved a few hours doing some ops on the Senior M1 with vertical head, but i was determined to do EVERY op on the shaper, bar drilling and tapping holes, and sawing off each piece in the Denbigh power hacksaw. Started off with two flame cut billets of steel, ended up with 11 Dickson/Bison style QC tool holders, 9 std, 2 part off blade holders for my Boxford VSL. 76 hours from start to finish inc drilling, tapping, sawing and hot oil blackening. About 3-4 hours per day on the job.

Sorry, that time also included turning the 12 (one spare) knurled height adjusters.

Ady,

Thanks for posting that review from ME. Its nice to see the Corbetts gets good write up. I just need to sort out some tooling for mine.

Colin

I was looking for something else entirely this afternoon and spotted an advert for your Corbett XL shaper Martin (ME 2742 - December 10th 1953).

Back then it would have cost you new - £57-10-00 (or just £52 without the motor!). Not sure what that would be in todays money - quite a bit I would think. A 4.75" Rotary Table was an extra £6-10-0.

A new Boxford Model CSB was being advertised at £95-17-6d...which also sounds quite reasonable.

IanT.

Thaiguzzi,

Re. Dickson tool holders.

I need to make some as well, using my Boxford, but have never tried cutting vees, so would appreciate any details of the tooling you used, plus hints please.

Geoff - The price of S/T2 Dickson tool holders makes my eyes water.

Hi Geoff,

# Send me a pm with your email adress and i will send you a bunch of photos which will be better than a 1000 words.

# As all the Vees are "external" so to speak, tool angles and types are not critical, although i did use my "internal" tools which will always have a smaller included angle than the Vee itself. Generally 3 degrees less each side. The whole top slide/tool slide needs to be set over for the correct angle. Do not rely on the Boxford graduations as mine were a good 1/2 degree out. i used one of those £20 odd quid Chinese copies of the multi facet Russian engineers protractor. Clapper box also needs to be set correctly to stop dragging on the return stroke.

# The T slot was done using a 90 degree bent grooving/parting type butt welded HSS tool brought from Cromwells, modified shank to suit the toolpost, and sharpened on my Stent to the full correct width, cutting the T of the slot in one go.

# I have a 17" table extension for my shaper which enables me to use my Vertex H/V 6" Rotab AND tailstock for longer items. In this case it was used to hold my BIG H/D rack vice which comfortably held the 7.5" long billets of steel. The toolholder's details were machined so i could do all machining ops on 5 tool holders in one setting, and then saw off to suit.

# Without the table extension and rack vice, you will have problems doing them this way, the std vice is too small, and the table not big enough to clamp a suitable large chunk of steel, you may end up making maybe a max of 2-3 at a time.

# My toolholders are the T.0 or T.1 type, i forget, but they take a 5/8" tool in the shank and are 73mm long. Correct for the Boxford lathes.

# Highly recommend making a purpose built parting off holder at the same time a la original Bison/Dickson.

# Lots of good info on the NEMES American site for shapers, tooling etc.

# Hope this is of use, another ole Norfolk Boy.

Mike.

Mike,

PM sent.

Thanks.

Geoff - Trying to get my head round iMovie and its workings.

Hi Mike, PM sent

Regards,

Martin

Hi guys,

just sent 13 emails with 5 pics each to the pair of you.

Regards,

Mike.

Hi Mike, Many thanks for the great pics and info, much appreciated.

Martin

Thanks Mike,

Your pics make it look easy, so I'm now searching for 1.3/4x1.3/8" or closest steel bar.

A plea to the forum please for suppliers who do not want my arm and leg in exchange.

Given up on trying to make sense of iMovie 11 and its workings for now, so the YouTube video of me taking the BH600G Apron off is on hold right now.

Geoff - Life's just too short, and my treatment isn't helping

No problems guys,

glad you appreciated my time on the computer (*#*#ing things!).

All the best,

Mike.

Colin, you have a pm.