Big shapers, little shapers

[vinito]

I've had my ear to the ground for a shaper for a few months. I think I'd prefer a little smaller one, but the big ones are cheap when you find them.

Today I met an ex-machinery dealer who just putters these days. In the warehouse next to his, the folks have a 16" shaper that he thinks they'd sell for $200 to get it out of the way. IIRC it's a Clark and it's in good condition other than the caked-on dirt. The machine is supposedly about as heavy as a Bridgeport. It has a variable speed pulley mechanism (hmm. that could be nice maybe) that extends off the back of the machine and I'm guessing that makes it probably six feet long or so, and about three wide. This takes a bigger chunk of floor space than I was originally considering, but if it comes in handy I would make the space.

So my question is: those of you who have shapers, how much do you like having one? What size is yours and do you wish yours was larger or smaller? I'm just trying to figure out whether I should pick this thing up or whether it would be in the way more than I'd like. It might be good for hogging out a lot of material cheaply. If so, I might use it more often than for the occasional gear, spline, dovetail or internal keyway and the large size might be handy. If I don't use it much I'll end up selling it later, which is a bit of hassle due to its weight. I don't mind waiting a while for an 8" to pop up if it's a better fit for my shop.

Yea I know... it depends on what you plan to do with it. I'm just looking for some testimonials from those of you with more shaper experience than I have. If you have any, you have more than I do.

Thanks.

[Al Messer]

Well, mine is a 7 inch South Bend and I'll have to admit that there are times when I wish the stroke was about 5 inches longer. If you can find room for the one you are looking at, grab it and learn all that it can do.

[#66B]

I bought a 16" shaper at a auction, real nice, large vise, everyone was scared about moving it I guess, I got it for
( $ 12.50 ) very handy item!!!

Very Heavy, But what a buy !!!

[ibewgypsie]

Mine makes a excellent worktable.

Really.

I got the ram to running, never got the cnc'ed table to work to make me happy. Needs more money throwed at it.

David

[vinito]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Well Dave, I'm glad you didn't say "it makes a really great anvil".
I can see some cool potential for a CNC shaper. Prolly not a bunch of them in existence either. You'd be the first kid on the block.

This one was used to make one part for these guys for years, so there is a fixture attached to the table and no vise. Bummer, but I can use it to make it's own vise if I have to. Otherwise the machine appears to be pretty nice.

Al, your reply strikes a chord. I'm no rookie machinist for most machines, but I've never worked in a shop that even had a working shaper. I really would like to put one through some motions just to see what ideas come to mind. My specialty is filling complex requests using the rocks and sticks that employers provide. Seems like a shaper might be handy for that.

I'd still like to hear more stories from shaper owners. You know you're out there.

[Ian B]

I've got an 18" Elliott, I love it, and wherever I can, I use it in preference to my turret mill for removing metal. I haven't done anything like make splines etc, it gets used for jobs like making stock for tee nuts, hogging off metal, making plate flat etc.

So far, every job I've done has been held in the vise - so you'll need one of those. I paid €140 for the machine, with vise.

I'll often set it going and then do something else. Dead cheap to run - the tools were ex-jumble sale 1" x 5/8" lathe tools. It runs quiet, and can produce a very good finish - certainly adequate for what I want.

I think it weighs around 1,000Kg.

I certainly wouldn't have wanted a smaller one, if a bigger one had come along when I was looking, I'd have gone for it. For a shaper to run quietly and smoothly, you need the weight. You just need to have the space.

You can do small stuff on a big machine, but you can't do big stuff on a small machine...

Ian

[bob308]

offer a 100 for it mite suprise you. i got my 12" for $50 they started at 150. got it home set up and wried and was told the overload protector was worth more then what i paid for the whole machine.

does it have a tillting table? or a compound table? i know some had tracing atachments.

[jstinem]

I would love a big shaper but I can't supply the electric power it would need. And I don't trust the concrete in garage floor to carry the the 5000 lbs. There must be a lot of guys like me because the little shapers sure cost more now.

[ibewgypsie]

Lil shapers are for "model builders" and people who must move them in a station wagon car.

Like someone said the small ones are expensive. The big ones are lower than scrap prices. I paid the guy to deliver mine and he gave it to me.

I need floor space too. Tried to get rid of mine but the junkman just keeps calling and trying to buy everything else for a nickel. I finally told him to blow me and not come around. I am beginning to trust my dog's judge of character. He didn't like him.

If I can get around to it, I will continue my plan on reworking the table feeds. That table sure is heavy. HEAVY (1000 lbs). the air motors would move it, but had problems accellerating it. Once it come up to speed it was alright. Perhaps I had just too low of a ratio. With a shaper you must shift while the ram is in the back position, so something that won't take off like a jet and stop like on a dime is out. Otherwise you crash your cutting tool.

John S reminded me of this. I hadn't looked at it like a specialty movement. I was trying to work it like my cnc mill. Like my other projects. It is different.

A real smart man could build a shaper movement to work on a lathe. You have the low-speed powerful head, the carriage already there and the manual feed.

David

[vinito]

Thanks again for the replies.

Well I've almost talked myself into getting the thing. I will talk them down if I can. One thing in my favor is I know they want to get rid of it and they don't know whether I want it or not. That, and the missing vise, might help.

I'm going to take a closer gander at it and check the features out - tilting table, automatic feeds, speeds, motor hp, etc. I'm still prepared to pass if there are any big obstacles.

Dave, I've done keyway slotting shaper-style in a CNC lathe. It just fed into the part, lifted away a bit, and rapid back out. This was all with the regular ball screw motion on the lathe's turret. Only did small keyways (up to 1/4") in cast iron and aluminum, so not much power was required (a big shaper ought to have significant stroke power I'd think). Might be food for thought though.

Hey, does that mean I almost have some shaper experience?