What's A Shaper For?

[Splat]

I've searched but found no exact answer. I might regret knowing the answer because I might want to then buy one but ... What's a shaper used for? Thanks.

 

[ScrapMetal]

Here's a copy of South Bend's "How to Run a Metal Working Shaper" - http://www.arcaneiron.com/machines/htramws.pdf It's on one of my servers and is roughly 27M. It will give you a better idea of just what a shaper can do.

-Ron

 

[8ntsane]

Splat

From what I understand, the shaper is the old way of machining parts, and the mills like BP evolved from these early shapers. The shaper is a neat machine to watch in action, but I think I would stick to the vert milling machine, or a universal type mill like scrapmetal now has.

Last I checked into shapers, they are still built new today, in countrys like India. Kind of a Dinosour, but still available never the less.

 

[DMS]

Milling machines were actually based on the Lathe (at least according to wikipedia). Shapers were around before that AFAIK. They work like a lathe in that they use a single point tool for cutting. Instead of the part rotating, and the cutter remaining fixed, as in a lathe, the part is held fixed in a shaper, and the cutter moves back and forth across it in a linear fashion. There is typically an auto feed that traverses the cutter across the workpiece a fixed amount after each stroke. Depth adjustment is usually manual.

I have never operated a shaper, but find them fascinating. Lots of videos on youtube of them in action. There is not really anything you can do on a shaper that you can't do on another machine, but tooling is very cheap (hss cutters, vs endmills or broaches). From what I have seen, the surface finish is also remarkably good. Many people like them for cutting dovetails, as they can do it with cheap tooling, as opposed to a dovetail milling cutter, which can be expensive and delicate.

 

[Charley Davidson]

In today's home shop the biggest use (in my opinion) would be for internal key ways & splines, as mentioned dove tails also a great tool for, squaring blocks or facing at any angle.

 

[Tom Griffin]

I first ran shapers in the early 70's working in a die shop. We had three of them, a couple 16" G&E's and a 24" Cincinnati. They were primarily used to square up sawn stock for dies to get them ready for heat treat and grinding. We also used them to shape curved surfaces on blanking dies which involved following a scribed line with one hand on the feed crank and both eyes on the line. That was a stressful job because we were expected to split the curved scribed line. If we went over the line, the part was scrapped and cutting short of the line meant extra work for the grinders and therefore extra cost and an unhappy foreman. :scared:

Once milling machines became readily available they pretty much made shapers obsolete because a milling machine can do everything a shaper can do only better and faster, plus they can drill and bore holes and easily machine curved surfaces without having to do it free hand. The next shop I worked in was a form tool shop, doing similar work, except that there wasn't a shaper in the place. We used horizontal milling machines with form cutters to create the curved surfaces and dovetails.

If you are trying to figure out what to buy first, buy a vertical milling machine. It's do a lot more work than a shaper in less floor space.

I would like to add that I'm not picking on anyone who owns a shaper, I'm just pointing out that a milling machine is a better choice as a first machine. I would have a shaper myself if I had the room if for no other reason than the cool factor.

Tom

 

[jfcayron]

Weeeell ... I don't think you can cut keyways in bores without some sort of reciprocating/linear device. The milling machine will not do it without a sophisticated attachment.
That's the only real exception I can think of where a shaper scores points.

 

[Tom Griffin]

Weeeell ... I don't think you can cut keyways in bores without some sort of reciprocating/linear device. The milling machine will not do it without a sophisticated attachment.
That's the only real exception I can think of where a shaper scores points.

Sure you can Jeff. Check out my Steven's build thread and you'll see me cutting square cornered pockets with nothing more than a hand ground HSS bit mounted in the stationary spindle, using the quill as a ram. You can cut keyways the same way.

Tom

 

[jfcayron]

I stand corrected.
:whistle:

 

[ScrapMetal]

I stand corrected.
:whistle:

Download that shaper book I posted. You might be surprised what can be accomplished with a shaper.

-Ron