Chad J Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I want to start by saying I'm not a machinist, but want to start as a hobbyist. There is a old shaper on a local classified site, and i was wondering would it be worth the trouble to get this or is this considered obsolete. Maybe put time and money into a milling and lathe machine? This is the link. Ksl.com Thanks for any input. Chad J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I want to start by saying I'm not a machinist, but want to start as a hobbyist. There is a old shaper on a local classified site, and i was wondering would it be worth the trouble to get this or is this considered obsolete. Maybe put time and money into a milling and lathe machine? This is the link. Ksl.com Thanks for any input. Chad J I don't know much about machine tools. I just think there sexy. The shape and patina on this one is great. I have a friend who has a machine shop and all his equipment is WWII vintage or older and he loves them and there quality is outstanding. He also is a hobbyist and runs a small buisness so out put with a CNC type machine is not important to him. He buys most of his equipment at auction, at scrap prices because they are of no value to a modern shop. Most are in excellent conditon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I want to start by saying I'm not a machinist, but want to start as a hobbyist. There is a old shaper on a local classified site, and i was wondering would it be worth the trouble to get this or is this considered obsolete. Maybe put time and money into a milling and lathe machine? This is the link. Ksl.com Thanks for any input. Chad J A shaper is not obsolete to a person with no other machine tools. Combined with a saw, drill press and a lathe, most anything can be readily made. Even when you aquire a mill the shaper may have a place in your shop. There are some things shapers like to do. Some of the small shapers are sought after by hobby/machinists and can be worth some money. Many shapers are just too large for the home shop/small shop, often weighing many tons. One benefit of shaper tooling is that it is single point, like lathe turning and facing tools. As such it is easy and cheap to make your own tooling from H.S.S. tool steel stock. Sorry, didn't see the link. That is not one of the cabinet models the collectors want, but a serious machine that can take a heavey cut. Good for a lot more than just flat surfaces and keyways too. Looks like it weighs between 3-4 tons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamptroll Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 having used one before I would buy it. There are many creative things you can do with it. Tooling is cheap and the learning curve is fast I want to start by saying I'm not a machinist, but want to start as a hobbyist. There is a old shaper on a local classified site, and i was wondering would it be worth the trouble to get this or is this considered obsolete. Maybe put time and money into a milling and lathe machine? This is the link. Ksl.com Thanks for any input. Chad J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I'd buy it though I'd rather have one a little larger and newer I'd still be thrilled with that one. There are all kinds of things they're good for and many things they do better than a mill. On the other hand if you don't have the basic machineshop skills necessary to operate one you might be better off taking a college metal shop extension class. You not only get to gain the skills you get access to the tools and machinery without having to buy them. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Shapers are great tools and typically don't pull much HP for the work they do. I have a Bridgeport but am still looking for a shaper so I can cut gears and other parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 It is a bit high $$$ in my estimation for that vintage. I have a newer (60's?)16" G&E that is in great shape which I picked up for $350 at a machine shop auction. It doesn't have a universal table, which can come in very handy at times. I also don't see an outboard table support. Hard to tell condition without actually running it, and looking it over in person. The side door will give you access to internal gearing inorder to inspect it. As with any machine tool you want the least backlash as possible in the screws, and ways. Tooling is basic HSS toolbits. They are nice for roughing down rough material like castings, and forgings. Dovetails are also easily done with less expensive tooling. When doing internal work a jack is put against the clapper box to keep it from moving. He doesn't mention the size of that unit. I also don't see it marked on the tags. Mine is a 16" which means it can machine a 16" cube. Bigger items can be done with offset tooling, and other creative ways of holding the part. Some shops still seek out shapers for big internal keyways, as they can usually buy a shaper for what one large keyway broach would cost. A 16" shaper runs around 3,500#. A friend just walked away fromm a 24" hydraulic shaper that was given to him a few years ago. The last one I saw, sold at an auction a few months ago , was a 20" Cincinatti. It was newer than that one by a few decades, and it fetched around $500. Look up shapers under used machinery dealers, and you will see that they generally go pretty cheap. A lot of times they are just scrapped, due to the low demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Thanks for the comments, I'll have to travel up there to check it out. Thanks again Chad J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpotter Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 I have the shop that harold was talking about and I use my cincinatti 20 inch all the time it can take off more metal than a BP any day it wont drill a hole though. I used mine to plain off a piece of hotroll plate for my forging press it leaves a great finish. I have video of it on you tube my channel is rivett lathe or potterusa I dont know how to link it but there are some good shots of the shaper. 500 bucks is not to bad if it runs and you dont have to ship it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Way back in the rec.crafts.metalworking days there was a fellow who said his shaper was a real money maker for his shop---he could buy the nastiest pitted *cheapest* scrap and set it up on the shaper and let it go with no supervision and end up with beautiful stock for what he was doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 Last Wednesday I went up to garland, about an hour and half away. looked it over and it turned out to be a 17" shaper so i decided to take it. the shop there was an old metal working / blacksmith shop. Dan ( the present owner) said that it had been through three different shop owners. so it had been there for some time. There was some pretty cool old tools in there like a metal lathe, Champion forge and blower drill press to name a few. cool thing was that all of these had ran off of an old pulley system. they were saying awhile back, they remembered the pulley system still up. but unfortunately it was not there for me to see. Now I need to clean out the barn/ shop so i can get in from outside. Holy crap balls! That thing is heavy! it was everything the back hoe could do to lift it out of the trailer! finally just lifted and then drove out from underneath it! and it sits. same spot, until i build a gantry or something to rig off of. Ahhh Hobbies.... Love It! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Tell me how you like your shaper, ... after the first smokin' hot chip flys across the shop, and down your collar. Enjoy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Every machine shop I have been in has some plywood boards hinged together that they can stand up at suitable locations to help prevent the hot chips from going everywhere. The ones in the school shop were 3 pieces of 1/2inch plywood, 8 ft long and 16 inches wide hinged together like a tri-fold privacy blind. When doing some projects the mills would be almost entirely enclosed to prevent the chips from going everywhere. May not be perfect proof against getting a hot chip in the shirt, but it helps. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I have mine so they are tossed in the corner, doesn't keep em from sticking to your boots though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
progun3400 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Howdy gents. If you haven't viewed them, I highly suggest taking a look at Kevin's videos on youtube. Very cool old school machine shop. Kevin, I absolutely enjoyed the last stake maker & forwarded it to several friends that enjoyed it as well. Most excellent job to you & your nephew for the awesome work. I have a small hobby shop that's comprised of mostly vintage tools. Take care, Paul I have the shop that harold was talking about and I use my cincinatti 20 inch all the time it can take off more metal than a BP any day it wont drill a hole though. I used mine to plain off a piece of hotroll plate for my forging press it leaves a great finish. I have video of it on you tube my channel is rivett lathe or potterusa I dont know how to link it but there are some good shots of the shaper. 500 bucks is not to bad if it runs and you dont have to ship it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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