Boxford shaper

I brought a Boxford shaper home last night then fell asleep in front of the telly.

Went to look at it in the garage this morning and half an hour later it was all in pieces.

I don't actually need a shaper so this is a bit like puberty, I don't know what will happen next.

Will I clean it, fix it, repair it, paint it?

I don't think it has been used much. It looks like the grease dried on the table slides, someone wound the handles once a year and found it was not improving, got bored and left it alone. It is in lovely condition, nothing I couldn't fix in an afternoon

FIX IT they are a wonderful machine, they do a lot more than make flat surfaces (all though they do that well) you are only limited by your imagination. From an avid shaper user

I suspect is should be lubricated with oil, rather than grease, so maybe as well you've stripped it for a clean.
These pages will provide you with many happy hours of reading
https://www.circuitousroot.com/artifice/machine-shop/shaper/literature/index.html

Bill

Strangely enough, when compiling my list of things to do with it, "Use it" did not occur to me

Interesting... The vertical feed was an optional extra, which I do not have. However, most of it is there. Very tempting but I think that is for another day

Robin, that looks in remarkable condition. I hope you get it working again, in both senses of the word.

Bill

I was storming along, new motor installed, all the bare iron sparkly after a dose of Scotch Brite with a palm sander, then splatt. I lost a taper pin.

I am completely stuck. Of all the parts I could lose it is one of the more replaceable, so I want to get my order in to try and force the original out of hiding.

Question, if I buy a 1/4" x 2 1/2" taper pin, will the other end be larger or smaller than 1/4"? Which way do they go?

I have to go walk the dog, I will put some pictures up when I get back.

I was so close to trying it out

I will while away the hours cleaning up the vice and the clapper slide thingy

Taper-pins.... Assuming the new one is correct for the hole, one that size is going to be fairly obvious which way round it goes.

Gently insert it without force - if entered from the right end of the hole it will penetrate right through before starting to grip. If entered from the wrong end... it won't enter at all!

Simply take care to ensure the hole in the inner component of the joint is the right way round, if this is not obvious from other, external features.

Nigel,

I think the question was more for the pin quoted is 1/4” the max diameter or the min.

For imperial pins I believe if you order a 1/4” pin that will be the largest diameter (head end of the pin) taper will be 1:48. So on the pin quoted 1/4” should be the largest diameter.

To confuse issues meteoric pins are sized by the tail (smallest end) and the taper is 1:50.

Paul.

I can't think of many large taper pins on it, so if you mean the taper pivot pin for the clapper box, it's specified as 7/16" x 3" on the Boxford spares diagram
https://www.boxford-software.com/spares/NewImages/SHAPER/ram%20assy.png

On mine, the existing pin was fully home in the outer hole, so I ran a taper pin reamer through the whole assembly and made a new pin on the lathe, with a very slightly larger diameter.

Bill

The missing pin secures the feed winder ratchet thing to the bull gear shaft.

The hole starts at 0.2525 and tapers to 0.209 over 2.13"

The original pin sat slightly down in the hole and had that dome end, uncut look. That is why I assume 1/4" imperial ???

On cursory inspection, the clapper box seems fine and dandy, but I am a shaper novice and wouldn't know what to look for yet

It;s easy enough to make your own taper pins on the lathe. The charts are all online for number of thou per inch taper for various tapers. Just turn a bit of bar parallel and use a dial indicator to set the topslide to the correct taper, remembering it is half the total taper. An interesting little exercise in itself. The domed end is all part of the job too.

Edited By Hopper on 03/07/2022 07:34:44

The Spares Diagram appears to concur ¼" x 2¼" taper pin
https://www.boxford-software.com/spares/NewImages/SHAPER/rocker%20arm%20assy.png

Bill

vertical feed is easy enough to do, you do need another gear (which is moved from shaft to shaft) to either drive the cross slide screw or the vertical feed screw.this is a must to get perfect right angles with a good even finish.when working vertical don't forget to angle the clapper box away from the edge to be cut as this will allow the tool to move away from the cut edge on the return stroke.

The clapper box is plastered in the same dried-out grease I have found everywhere else. Won't know if it has issues until the grease is gone

Angst: 4 hours to remove the handle on the tool slide, eventually wedged it off with Stanley knife blades. Went to clean it and it has a different paint than everywhere else, one that cannot withstand harsh ultrasonics and turns to slime.

The clapper seems to adust okay, I can put it as tight or as loose as I want. Whether it will stay as I want only time will tell.

Now I am also waiting for a 3/8" reamer. Humph.