# Cutting Dovetails with the Shaper.......



## Artie (Jun 22, 2010)

or..... how the hell do I do it?

I jumped in tonight and it was a case of sink or swim.... I sank...... :fan:

The problem is simple... I have had great success with flat surface milling using the shaper and thought this going to be a straight forward process also. Not so. :wall:

I have hit 2 snags and I think I have them both solved but now wonder what else am I about to encounter?

First one was I didnt know I needed to lock the clapper and as it lifted on the back stroke it damaged the edge of the surface I was cutting (you can see the damage on the thin edge of the taper in the pic below, it looks all ragged thanks to the tool dragging back over it).

The second was I had trouble getting the tool to cut efficiently on both sides of the 58 degree cutter, I ground it to 58 and not 60 so I could take light cuts off each face of the taper and have a clearance angle on the other. I experimented with this and think that I have it ok now but I wouldnt mimd seeing what others have done.

I have the feed set at 30 deg from vertical to give me the 60 deg dovetail and have experimented with canting the tool holder at some extreme angles combined with various (corresponding) angle ground onto the cutter. Please ignore the cutter shape (and excessive tool angle and extension) in this pic, its was a wild experiment while I was frustrated.

My question is this... Would it be possible for those who have cut dovetails with the shaper to share their experience or technique? Please.....  stickpoke *discussion*

Rob


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## Artie (Jun 23, 2010)

Well thanks to Davo over at Madmodder I have had a successful evening.... he provided me with a couple of links which dealt with shaper set up and my problem was a simple one which was easily rectified.

A piece of advice I had received about locking the clapper was...er... eroneous! It worked great unlocked.... 

It was simply my inexperience with the machine and I feel pretty good about the outcome...oh? The outcome? Right here!











Im happy again.... ;D


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## tel (Jun 23, 2010)

Well, it's a relief to 'ear you're happy again. Yep, clapper boxes are supposed to do just that - clap. If they were meant to be locked up the makers wouldn't bother putting them on there in the first place.

That's a pretty credible dovetail ...erm ... thingy that you have made there, much better than my early efforts.


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## lathe nut (Jun 23, 2010)

Looks nice, good job, I like playing on my shapers, Lathe Nut


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## Dan Rowe (Jun 23, 2010)

Artie  said:
			
		

> Well thanks to Davo over at Madmodder I have had a successful evening.... he provided me with a couple of links which dealt with shaper set up and my problem was a simple one which was easily rectified.



Could you supply the links? I could always use shaper tips of any kind.

Dan


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## ttrikalin (Jun 23, 2010)

nice work.
prompted me to search for what a shaper is... 

it is enjoyable to watch it work (youtube has several videos)... 

thanks... 
t


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## Deanofid (Jun 23, 2010)

Excellent Artie! Looks like you're on the road to a whole slew of tool holders.
It would be fun to see a video of your next one. Everyone (in their right mind) likes to 
watch a shaper doing its thing!

Dean


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## Artie (Jun 24, 2010)

Hi all, yes Tel its good to be happy again.... : and thats a tool holder for the QCTP, no, really it is! The clapper was doing its thing nicely.

That brings me to ttrikalin, glad you enjoyed watching them work. The beauty of a shaper is supposedly that you can set it up and do other things while it works.... not me.... I stand around and watch the damn thing.. mesmerising almost.... so yes Lathenut, we are on the same page  ;D

Dan the links are here http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=3277.0 I found them very helpful. And yes Dean I have plans for 6 more, the stock is cut into lengths and Ill be sizing them up tonight and over the weekend I hope to end up with a heap of dovetailed blanks that I can get off the shelf and use as required.

Then Ill experiment with the brass units.

Cheers all.


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## tel (Jun 24, 2010)

I suspected that that was what it was, but you never know in this craft, do you. Good to see you're enjoying the shaper, I know I wouldn't part with mine.


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## Tin Falcon (Jun 24, 2010)

Artie: It has been a whhile but IIRc when I did my tool blocks I I did three in one shot on the shaper then cut aprt and squared them up
The dovetail:
 grooving tool to get started with a plunge 
then rough out the middle 
finish the middle a little deeper than the dove tail bottom.
then cut one dovetail flip the part do the other side 
I did not lock the flapper but positioned to prevent digging rubbing etc on the back sroke. 
they came out looking pretty good




Tin


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## Artie (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks Tin, Ive developed a different set of steps and due to the size of a) the tool holders (big) and b) the vice I can only get two done in one cut. Ive already done 2 so 4 to go.

I cut the centre part out (tween the dovetails) with the horizontal mill almost to depth and width, literally takes 3 minutes as it really rips metal out, I have two angle cutter holders (mirror image) to do either side dovetail, this is to avoid disturbing the block once its clamped and therefore reduce the error/alignment issues.

I did my first tool with the dovetail cutter and it was OK but took a while, I did the second with the shaper and with all the stuff ups it took about the same time. I expect to do the next sets of pairs in probably half the time... so effectively (2 holders at a time) 4 times faster... vid to come as requested by Dean, its the plan for the weekend.

I had seen the pics of you holders previously and I do agree they came out looking more than pretty good, they are part of what motivated me to take this particular journey. So thanks go your way. :bow:

The shaper (in my case) is an untapped resource, and while certainly not efficient enough for commercial workshops, they are a goldmine for the home shop, especially as some go for scrap metal value.... TOOLING is the key.... almost nothing.... compared to my mill anyway......

Rob


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## Tin Falcon (Jun 25, 2010)

There are two things I like about my shaper (1)the low cost and versatility of the tooling . Get a box of tool blanks and make what ever you want or need. (2) It is just a fun and relaxing tool to operate. IMHO fairly easy to learn to use With the exception of having to unbolt the way guides to raise and lower the table, an atlas quirk. But that is what manuals and fiends are for. The price on mine was pretty good too. she has seen better days shows some evidence of moisture damage to some of the parts but all in all good shape And the auto feed housing had been replaced . The original was pot metal .Probably a weak link in the atlas. 
Tin


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## Dan Rowe (Jun 25, 2010)

I have an Atlas and a South Bend 7" bench shaper. They are both all original I paid twice as much for the South Bend but it was worth every penny.

The South Bend is much simpler to use and has a crank case oil pump. The reason I say it is simpler to use is they did not put an adjusting screw to move the ram to where it is needed. Just unlock it and move it by hand it is a small shaper so that is easy to do and there is much less danger of forgetting to relock the ram.

Dan


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## Dave Sohlstrom (Jun 25, 2010)

I have a Boxford 8 inch made in England. What I like about it is it has power on the table for left and right or up and down. I can use power feed across the top of the part and then power down the end of the part without moving the part. Also the table will rotate left or right up to 90 deg. Needed to cut a 12 deg angle on a tangent tool holder I made and just rolled the table to 12 deg and made the cuts.
Just getting into dovetails they can be a challenge getting the depth and width where you want it.

Dave


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## Maryak (Jun 25, 2010)

These are a couple of the results for google search for "2nd hand shaper"  






and another






I need the 1st, I want the 2nd.

Best Regards
Bob


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## duckman (Jun 30, 2010)

The only thing you have to remember, is the clapper box has to be tilted more than the compound (down feed) when cutting a dove tail.


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