WHERE ARE THE SHAPER USERS ?

Not that old chestnut again John...

# I have a '79 S200 Boxford (late metric version of the 8". Use it all the time. Only 2 regrets,

1. I prefer imperial dials but on a shaper it's no biggie.

2. Wish i'd got a bigger one. Something like an Elliot or Alba 10".

# Finish with a shear tool is something to marvel at. Even a great fly cut finish on a mill does not come close.

# Important thing with any shaper is making sure it has a table front support. Some of the very early models inc Atlas and Alba, did not have this detail, and without it, you can't really take proper cuts, as the box table will deflect under load.

# Some pics in one of my albums of my shaper working.

Another happy Shaper user here too!

My Atlas 7B gets used mostly for cleaning up and sizing scrap block before further operations. Like the power saw, it's one of the few machines I can leave to run on it's own for this kind of work and I can normally hear when it finishes the cut. I don't wander too far away but I can be doing something else in parallel - so speed isn't an issue. It will cut stuff that I wouldn't take anywhere near my milling kit and still give a good surface. With care I can produce a mirror like surface that I cannot achieve with anything else.

My little hand shaper (Adept No2) gets used quite a lot for smaller work, where the manual operation isn't a problem and the results are better than I can do by hand (& eye) alone using a file or saw. Same way I can't file round (I use a lathe) - I can't file flat or saw (really) straight either. Eye sights not that good but once set-up I know the Adept will run true. So I think of it as my 'linear' lathe.

That's it - once again - as we have this pop up every six month or so - and I'm still keeping mine!

Regards,

IanT

Some time back I found a shaper on a well known website reasonably priced and I had to collect it from a shed in the Forest of Dean. It had been stored for a long time. Once all the rust and debri had been removed I cleaned it up and gave it a paint job. Light Grey was all I had at the time. the only thing lacking is a good solid metal table to hold it down. It also came with the original instruction book and spare parts manual. with a little research it turned out to be built around 1941 and still as good today as when it was built

spare parts list but i doubt if they are available now

Very nice its-smee. Mine is an Acorntools (UK) version too - almost exactly the same as an Atlas 7B (which is why I call it that) but there are differences - the ram casting for instance. Atlas spares are sold/swopped in the States still but small parts can be simply made. I'm afraid mine isn't quite so pretty.....

A few photos being worth many words - I will add these ones of my Adept No 2 cutting (modifying) laser-cut G3 wagon axle guards. There were a few to do and sawing by hand and probably cleaning up with a file after would not have been as quick or as neat in my view (although I'm sure others may disagree...) A thin, sharp parting tool and three four stokes later and all done.

Very nice its-smee. Mine is an Acorntools (UK) version too - almost exactly the same as an Atlas 7B (which is why I call it that) but there are differences - the ram casting for instance. Atlas spares are sold/swopped in the States still but small parts can be simply made. I'm afraid mine isn't quite so pretty.....

A few photos being worth many words - I will add these ones of my Adept No 2 cutting (modifying) laser-cut G3 wagon axle guards. There were a few to do and sawing by hand and probably cleaning up with a file after would not have been as quick or as neat in my view (although I'm sure others may disagree...) A thin, sharp parting tool and three four stokes later and all done.

Very nice its-smee. Mine is an Acorntools (UK) version too - almost exactly the same as an Atlas 7B (which is why I call it that) but there are differences - the ram casting for instance. Atlas spares are sold/swopped in the States still but small parts can be simply made. I'm afraid mine isn't quite so pretty.....

A few photos being worth many words - I will add these ones of my Adept No 2 cutting (modifying) laser-cut G3 wagon axle guards. There were a few to do and sawing by hand and probably cleaning up with a file after would not have been as quick or as neat in my view (although I'm sure others may disagree...) A thin, sharp parting tool and three four stokes later and all done.

Sorry - multiple post - don't know how that happened.. ?

IanT

Hi all,

Just found this thread and find it fascinating and great to see that shapers are still in use in some home workshops.

I have an imperial 8" Boxford which produces a superb flat surface which I generate as a base for my stationary engines.

Don't have any pics on my profile yet of it bit will post some very soon.

Mike

I sometime uses my Drummond hand shaper for surface grinding
Nobby

Surface grinding on a shaper? That's an interesting idea, but would have to be approached cautiously under power. Food for thought, as I have a small tool post grinder.

Can't add much to what's already been mentioned, but it's nice to see that a lot of old machines are being restored and used. Shapers really are not obsolete, as they can still do jobs that the machines which superseded them can, and with simple and less expensive cutters.

I have an Ammco 7" shaper of World War 2 vintage, and although it doesn't get a lot of use, its one of my favourite tools, doesn't take up a lot of room, and considered a lifetime keeper. Last year it made a long voyage with other selected tools across the big pond, and is in storage until my new 350 sq. ft. garage / workshop is built.

Sorry about the picture quality, but at the moment I only have a couple of old photos of the shaper in the Album I started; one where it can be seen at the back of my old garage, and the other which I took for an inventory purpose. I'll post better photos once the new shop is set up.

I have a boxford Mk2 8" shaper which gets regular use, here it is pictured on the SMEE stand at MEX 2014 coupled with a divisionmaster controlled dividing head cutting an internal gear

Here's my Elliott 10M. Love setting it going then hearing it swish swish in the background as I get on with something else

I'm having a go at making 4x30 tooth gears at the moment

I was about to mention the shaper for cutting gears . I saw a jig some one one had made, every stroke incremented round 1 tooth, every rotation added a thou ( or 2) until the job was finished. Very clever.

I find my Adept number 2 hand shaper to be a good substitute for my poor filing skills.

The modification to the toolslide shown takes the guesswork out of depth of cut.

Gordon.

Just came across this thread, I've got an Alba 1-A 10" shaper and I love it. Very similer to the 'Royal' shaper pictured here. I can shape most things within reason much quicker than with a vertical mill, although the two in combination is a great marriage.

Barry.

Hello Graeme W,

Nice to see your Boxford cutting an internal gear,

How do you work out the tool shape for an internal gear, and how do you create the tool shape accurately ?

I've cut plenty of gears using a commercial cutter in a horizontal mill,

At some point in the near future I am going to have to cut an internal gear, so I am interested how you achieved it.

Richard.

fun to use the old boxford. part of the pleasure is deciding on best use of tooling - and the sounds of cutting. I agree satisfying monitoring it whilst engaged on other work.

certainly wont be getting rid of mine.