# Early Rhodes Shaper restoration



## RCPDesigns (Dec 5, 2020)

I picked up an early Rhodes Shaper last weekend.  It appears to be built around 1903 and has a few interesting details.  First, the foot is extended quite a bit under the table.  It has a handle on the flywheel and a different ram design than some of the others I've seen.   It does look pretty much identical to the 1903 ad I saw that showed it with a base that looked more like a lathe base.  Unfortunately the base was nowhere to be found.  Perhaps most curious is that the lettering on the casting side appears to have been placed by hand and has a couple of goofs.  The wrong size R was used and some letters are spaced at bit too much and a little crooked.


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 5, 2020)

While a little rusty and dirty, the shaper was in pretty good condition.   I stripped down the main casting and soaked the machined parts in Evapo-Rust.  I cleaned up the main casting and prepped it for paint.  While the shaper was originally gray, I chose semi-gloss black.  I have a lot of Delta machines that are all gray and I've kinda gotten tired of the color.


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## Nogoingback (Dec 5, 2020)

Looks like a great project!  I like the Irwin vise off to the side as well as the car.  MG?
Welcome to the group!


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## Nogoingback (Dec 5, 2020)

Old machines look good in black...


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 5, 2020)

Yes, 1952 MG TD that I'm about 75% through restoring.


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## NCjeeper (Dec 5, 2020)

I enjoyed the discussing about it on PM.


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## 682bear (Dec 5, 2020)

It's good to see you on here, Jeff... welcome to the site.

I'll be watching this thread... one of these days I may find a project shaper to tinker with...

-Bear


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## Tim9 (Dec 6, 2020)

Looking good. You‘re going whole hog there with your restoration. I just tuned my Rhodes up. I did do a mod... or start a modification. But that’s a ongoing project in which I just put on hold for time being. I’m leaning towards making a fixture so I can get more clearance on my Z -axis so I can fit a rotary table + vise + something a few inches tall. Bottom line is every time I go to use my shaper I don’t have fixtu at the ready to quickly knock out something as easy as an internal keyway.

   Anyway, nice score RCP and I too will follow this thread.


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## Tim9 (Dec 6, 2020)

Yeah RCP, I think you have a real early Rhodes. Your vise table box looks much bigger than mine. That’s a big plus because that is one of the mods on my to-do list to get more abilities to mount larger items. And mine has lettering which was now calling Rhodes a company whereas yours looks like it was just an early build from a guy named Rhodes who was just starting out. Good save.


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 7, 2020)

Got a couple coats of paint on it, inspected the sliding surfaces and replaced the felt oil reservoirs under the ram.  I put the ram on my surface plate and, surprisingly, it was flat.   Given the wear in the middle of the X-axis lead screw I really expected the ram to be in bad shape.  That lead screw will need to be replaced at some point but that looks to be a relatively easy job that I'll save for later.  I'll go ahead and get some measurements on it and the nut while they're apart.  The unit obviously saw a bit of work over its 115+ years though I'm sure it had been sitting for nearly a decade when I came across it.  I could only see a hint of flaking on one small part.  The good news is I only found a couple of gouges and I think they'll be fine repurposed as oil grooves.


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## Nogoingback (Dec 8, 2020)

Looking great!  I love it when old machines are brought back from the dead.


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 8, 2020)

So next up is the handles.  These guys were in pretty tough shape.  I started with aggressive wire wheel just to see where things were.  From there the big handle had to start at 60 grit then 80 and 120.  The others I was able to start at 150, then 240, 400 and 600 before moving to the buffer for a pass on the course wheel and then the two finishing wheels.  It takes a fair amount of time and with two of the handles being so small it was a bit tedious.  I needed to split my belts down to 3/8" which, fortunately, still tracked well on my sander.  I kinda hate doing this process because it takes awhile and is tough on the back, but boy does it look good when you're done!


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 10, 2020)

Making good progress.  One of the fun parts of taking a machine all the way down and cleaning each individual part is you find some interesting stampings in some odd places.  Machines like these were generally a bunch of parts that individual machinist would collect one of everything from and then machine them as a group.  Typically you see a number on each of these parts.  My machine was '70'.  With exception on the ram and the ways (which were '8') everything on my machine is stamped '70'. 
The rarity on this machine though was L E R stamped on the back of the saddle casting.  I don't know if Mr Rhodes himself was working on this machine and stamped his initials.  It is very faint and once the dirt was cleaned out it became difficult to see again.   Definitely got a bit of chills thinking that at some point this was his future hopes and dreams as he introduced a new product after Finney had left the company and he was personally building some of the initial units.
I'm ready to mount the table now which involves a bit of "hope" as the nut for the lead screw pushes in from the back as you drop the table down onto the saddle.  Or so the theory goes. 
I think the rest of it goes together pretty quick after that.  Probably get a temporary cabinet for it so I can wheel it out of the way and get back to work on the MG.


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## RCPDesigns (Dec 12, 2020)

Getting closer!   I've gotten a pretty good look at the whole machine now.  The wear is acceptable and a good bit better than I thought it would be.  The ram is in great shape, the x-axis leadscrew will need to be replaced at some point and needs some new gib screws in a lot of places.  It does seem, however, that our little guy took a tumble at some point.  The shaft that the step pulley and hand wheel ride on is bent at the far end where the hand wheel rides.  I'll have to see how it looks under power to know how big an issue it is.   The end of the x-axis lead screen is also bent but since that turns rather slowly it shouldn't be a problem.  It was really only noticeable after I realized the rear shaft was bent and I theorized it must have fallen on its side.   I don't think it will be a problem but even if it is, I can either bend it back or make a replacement.


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## NCjeeper (Dec 12, 2020)

Sexy little shaper there.


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## tweinke (Dec 12, 2020)

Wow nice looking machine! I also have a Rhodes shaper and love having it. I think mine has been on the side also. On mine the hand wheel and step pulley are one piece. I made up a mandrel and chunked it in the lathe the pulleys ran straight but the hand wheel was bent. I managed to true it up on the sides and face. I also checked the shaft but on a lucky note it was straight.


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## 682bear (Dec 13, 2020)

Very nice!

-Bear


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