Shaper... about time!

[Artie]

Ive been watching shapers being sold for 6 or 7 months and while I dont need one, I certainly WANT one. Problem is they dont surface too often and when they do they normally go for largish chunks of money. Sort of not too high a priority. I have a golden rule which says I wont throw money at his hobby, hence I make so much of my own stuff, thats what I enjoy....

On fleabuy a Royal shaper was listed, I got the owners number and rang him and spoke at length about the beasty. 61 years old, Owned by his brother who bought it new and he has owned it since his brother passed away. Its quite stained but he thinks it probably hasnt operated for more than 100 hours in its life, certainly bugger all in the time hes owned it. He broke a ratchet gear while moving it and that is all thats wrong with it.

I paid... (drum roll).... $305 Aus for it ($255 US or 175 English pounds).

I pick it up Friday week... Im pretty excited!!!

 

[Deanofid]

What a neat new thing, Artie. A great tool. Looks pretty good, too!
I'll bet you can't wait to get it and make some chips.
Congrats!

Dean

 

[barney_leadhead]

At 175GBP - what a great deal for a machine that has only just been run-in.
With a service and a little cosmetic work she'll be good enough for years to come.
I haven't used a shaper for many years but I would love a small hand operated one to add to my collection

 

[tel]

Congrats Artie - I was the early bidder on that 'un, not because I needed it, but I didn't want to see it go for scrap. Glad to hear it's gone to a good home. Guess I'll just have to make do with my Douglas 10.5".

 

[New_Guy]

nice find i know what you mean about them being hard to find wish i could find one most are just scrapped, to big or to expensive lol we have a huge old Cincinnati at work its so old it used to run on a line shaft apparently that have used it once this last decade :big:

 

[Artie]

Hi Dean yes indeed chips will fly...actually I made a tool holder for the new qctp last night... gee cutting dovetails with a standard cutter takes an age... im hoping this beasty will be much nicer in this department....

Barney, Im hoping it will see me out.... and im only a pup.... ;D

Tel...you bas6584d! Was that you? Actually I did notice there were 2 early bids... I thought I had it for $200 but in the last few seconds it went up twice in $50 hops. I was prepared to pay $500 for it but didnt think I had a hope as the thre I had seen in past each went for over a grand.

Just on the QCTP, Ive a large lathe and the 'sets' were damned expensive but I managed to buy the post alone for $85 inc freight. Have made one tool holder (why do these cost as much as the much more complex post?) and as indicated it was a little tedious although I did most of the bulk metal removal with the HZ mill which 'rips' metal off much faster than the Vert Mill or dovetail cutter...

bugger it Ill do a dedicated thread for the QCTP....

 

[Deanofid]

One of the many cool things about these machines is you can set it and walk away while it chews
at the dovetails for your tool post holders.

I hope you'll do us a nice favor and shoot us a video of it doing it's thing. They're a fun machine
to watch. I keep an eye out for small ones. Someday, one will show up at a decent price when I
actually have some dough. Just waiting for the planets to align!

Have fun. Show us if you can!

Dean

 

[tel]

$500 would have been good buying, what you paid was bargain basement stuff! ;D I paid a grand for the Douglas some years back BUT at the same time H&F had 'arf a dozen of 'em they were flogging for $1500 each

 

[Artie]

Well, after a huge day I have the shaper at home.... I also got my hands on a bag of bentonite clay thanks to our esteemed colleague from the mountainous regions of Aus... (that would be Tel for you O.S. philistines...).....

I worked on the east coast this week past and made a large curvatious detour to pick up the shaper and drop in and see Tel. We did a barter deal ... he got brass and aluminium and I got clay and way oil.... apart from that he gave me a guided tour of his marvellous workshop and I got to fondle some of his creations....

Guys..he has HEAPS of works of art hidden away... you have to pester him to show it off cause he's not one to blow... (aussie term I think... it aint rude... :).

You know that old guy in his avatar? Thats actually a photo of Tel..... its not a cartoon character at all.... ;D

Seriously, really nice guy with loads of info in his head, and very very modest to go with it...

Now, the shaper. Im sooooo disappointed in it...... Its not even broken in yet! I would think thats seeing as I paid so much for it that they would have at least used it at some point...

I had a good chat with the owner as we loaded it, Maurice is 84 and a little infirm, so all his dangerous toys are going (quite sad really). I thought he told me on the phone that it was his brothers. Not so. His dad bought it new in 1948 and to the best of his knowledge never sliced a single piece of metal with it.

He inherited it 45 years ago and probably hasnt turned the machine on a hundred times (his best guesstimate).

Last time he used it he had to have it rewired as it had perished and was dangerous and it looks like it is new... it has cutting fluid stains buit no marks on the ways or in fact on any moving surfaces. It doesnt even need a coat of paint, th eoriginal is almost immaculate.

Ill take pics tomorrow as the sparky is coming to rewire it (again... damned time does weary them...)...

He broke two small fixtures when he was trying to move it so I have these to repair (be finished tomorrow) and away she goes....

Ill add pics tomorrow...

Cheers all

Rob

 

[tel]

Glad to see you got 'er 'ome safely matey - that's a lovely hunk o' old iron you got there, look after 'er or I'll be around you wif a big stick!

 

[Artie]

gday mate.. I dont believe you. Any fella that burns 22 tons of firewood a year CANT SPARE A BIG STICK! Thanky for the hospitality mate, very much appreciated. My turn next. :bow:

 

[lathe nut]

Nice find glad that you got it and its going to have a good home, you take care of it and it can be passed on again to another who cares, I have three of them and I think that I need another one, they are fun to play on, have fun, Lathe Nut

 

[Artie]

The beast as she was when I picked her up...


After a degrease and a bath...


The brocken ratchet pawl... and the freshly made replacement....


Sitting with her neighbours.....




A little action...... click on th epic.....





Shes clutched, 2 speed with an 8 inch stroke (I was told it was 6) with auto feeds on both axis. and mechanically brand new.The ways have the scrape marks still fresh and proud.

It has a little damage from storage but I have that under control. I thought teh paint was very good, but after degreasing it, it isnt so hot, all chalked..... but.... I think it adds to its history abd I wont be painting her...

Now to make some tool holders...... ALmsot forgot, it came with all the original tooling but sadly no vice... for the time being Ill use my large beast but will keep my eyes open...

 

[d.bick]

Artie
I’ve owned a shaper like yours (called a New England) for many years. Sadly it’s had a lot harder life and is a little worn. But is still very useful. I’ve done key way slots with it, but found the clapper box needs to be fixed. A grub screw took care of that.
Before I had carbide cutters for the mill the shaper was very good at removing metal from the harder castings and steels, in that you could regrind a blunt tool a lot easier than re-sharpen a burnt out HSS mill cutter.
I’am sure you will have many happy hours using it
All the best Dave Bick U.K.

 

[tel]

Sheeeesh! These blokes with acres of spare floor just to plop down their new treasure!

I bought a new screwdriver t'other week and was 'ard pressed to shoehorn that in.

You must 'ave spent all Sat'dy on 'er did you mate?

 

[Deanofid]

Ah, she runs nice, Artie. Sounds quiet and tight. Very good!
You have a nicely equipped shop, too!
I see your little Ford was able to bring the new
beast home. Probably weighs 1/3 of the car!

Glad you have the new baby settled in.

Dean

 

[Artie]

Gday Tel, mate I understand your comment... :big: Tel does amazing stuff in a rabbit warren.... I could have spent all day poking around in there had I not needed to get on the road.... kudos mate, just makes your impressive work all the more impressive.

Hi Dean, she does doesnt she?

The shop suffers from "damn, I need......" Its never well equiped enough.... the thing I find is that I want to do a small machining job... it takes 3 times as long to make the jig as it does to do the actual job! One day, just one day... a jig I have made in past will actually be used unmodified again... I live in hope.

Jeez mate, I dont know what the equivalent is over there but thats a pretty big car (over here at least). Large 6 cyl eng. It hardly knew it was on there .... although it went from around 680kms per tank to around 500 and at a $1.30 a litre that starts to tell.....

Shes itchin to cut something.. I have a few old tool holders for it somewhere ( I never throw anything out... :) so today I might commit cuttery.... ;D

 

[Artie]

That just got me curious .. so I did some calcs.... we pay $5.02 (US) per gallon for fuel.... that'd be why there are so few Hummers over here... :

 

[Deanofid]

Jeez mate, I dont know what the equivalent is over there but thats a pretty big car (over here at least).

I think I'm being fooled by camera perspective, Artie. The shaper is closer, so makes the car look smaller!
They used to make a Falcon here, too, but stopped around 1970. I had two. Mine were good cars.

 

[Artie]

We have 2 'primary' car sover here Ford Falcon and Holden (General Motors) Commodore, in fact we sell you guys our Commodore in 2 door form. I think you call it the Pontiac GTO.

Great news.... Maurice just rang me.. " Ive found the vice that belongs to the shaper... you'll have to pay postage"..... oh..... alright....... some things were meant to be.... and at 84 years, it may take a little time to remember things...... In the end I offered to make payment and he grudgingly agreed. Hell I paid $300 aus for the damn machine, he gave it to me I wont take the vice for nothing. ;D