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Long workpieces on shaper

wildo

Aluminum
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
I have an alba 14" shaper, right now cutting 24" straight edge. Curious if there's any preferred methods/directions to stagger cuts on long items? The times that I've done blind cuts I've just gradually shifted the ram back as I get deeper in the cut. Cutting the bevel I hogged the majority of the material out with a die grinder for tool relief at the end of the cut.

Cheers

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I can't help you with procedure but how about a few more pics of your shaper. [I recently acquired an Elloit Invicta 2mr and like to see pics of others in the same family.
 
I've had mine for 3 or 4 months. I don't have a mill so I make pretty good use of it. Shapers were well and truly gone when I started my apprenticeship, so when I saw this one in my buddies shop I was pretty stoked and ended up trading my hydraulic hose press for it.

I just re-read the manual and it looks like this has a 18" stroke. I haven't ran it longer than 14" so far.
I just found the gib screws for the upper table cross ways. After tightening them it's a lot better ram alignment to table. Before the front of the table was sagging down around .010" so I would have to lower the table onto the table support before to get it true.

My one has power down feed option, clutch and swiveling table.
I also have a manual for the 2s and 4s scanned if anyone needs it.

The down feed on my one has quite a bit of backlash feeding manually, so you can dial a cut on and push the tool down an 1/8" if the gib screw isn't locked. This caught me out once cutting a slot I got some chatter and then bang it pulled the tool even deeper in.. It doesn't seem to be an issue with power down feed, and can leave the gib screw loose.

The finished - sans scraping- straight edge. I am used to milling machines. This would be twisted to hell. I get a kick out of how little distortion there is the shaper.
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There's still a lot of frosting left on it assuming its original. I think it is though. My buddies business owned it for a long time, maybe since new I am not sure. My buddy said I've used it more than anyone else had at his shop.
 
Nice shaper! I have a 14" steptoe that I added an old milling machine table to for extra length so that I could use a dividing head or super spacer in conjunction with....The Steptoe has an opening that will accept a long shaft for the purpose of cutting key slots, I am told.. Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1:)
 
Nice shaper! I have a 14" steptoe that I added an old milling machine table to for extra length so that I could use a dividing head or super spacer in conjunction with....The Steptoe has an opening that will accept a long shaft for the purpose of cutting key slots, I am told.. Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1:)
I think my one has clearance to run a shaft up the middle under the ram for that reason too. I have a 12" angle plate I use for putting a dividing head on there. It works pretty slick for making square holes. I look forward to cutting some splines and gears with it eventually.
 
I think my one has clearance to run a shaft up the middle under the ram for that reason too. I have a 12" angle plate I use for putting a dividing head on there. It works pretty slick for making square holes. I look forward to cutting some splines and gears with it eventually.
I have my shaper set up for use with an eight inch super spacer on the end of the lengthened table but have not used it much for that as I have a shaper head for my Kearney and Trecker horizontal... I have it if I need it though... I also made a tool holder to use in place of the clapper for cutting internal slots, etc.. Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1:)
 
I have my shaper set up for use with an eight inch super spacer on the end of the lengthened table but have not used it much for that as I have a shaper head for my Kearney and Trecker horizontal... I have it if I need it though... I also made a tool holder to use in place of the clapper for cutting internal slots, etc.. Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1:)
Got any pics of your tool holder? I know it appears a fairly simple item to make, but it is always better to have some dimensions and tips from a real machinist who has "gone and dun" it.
 
Hello: I had made bars similar to yours for a shaper I had that is unmentionable on this forum but when I got my 14" Steptoe, I made an attachment which replaces the clapper completely thereby eliminating the need to block the clapper for internal cuts...How did you produce the square hole in the end of your bar? Did you broach them? Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1:)
 

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