I used my Ammco shaper for the first time yesterday. I had a steel bracket that needed thinning down. I found I could only take very light cuts and the finish wasn't that great. I think there is wear in the ram which was allowing the cutter to move vertically. I tightened the gib strips and that improved things. I'll try again today, see if I can get a better finish. It was great to get it going, so quiet and you don't have to watch though you tend to.
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WTB 7 inch metal shaper, Atlas 7B, South bend or others
- Thread starter bobs7-62steamair
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Henry K
Well-Known Member
When approaching a problem like this I have found it helpful to eliminate likely possible variables first. Years ago, I ran into a machining problem. It turned out the "mystery steel" I was using - an unmarked machine shop cutoff-was the problem. I had tinkered with several other variables with no real improvement. I finally saw the guys in the shop machining some steel with no problems. I asked for a small piece and they gave one to me. I did a test cut on it and the problem disappeared. Another time I tried to drill bed frame steel. It was terrible. My suggestion, get a piece of aluminum from Lowes/Home Depot/etc. and see if the problem goes away. If so, undo the machine adjustments you made, get a good piece of steel or aluminum from (McMaster ?) and have fun machining not frustration.
Hi Henry, thanks for your reply. I solved the problem today and now have a very good finish. I did not have enough top rake on the tool. With about 10 degrees top and side rake the finish was transformed and the machine was making much easier work of it. I do know what the steel was - hot rolled mild steel angle. So just ordinary mild steel, not the easiest stuff to get a good finish on but it just suited the part I was making.
Henry K
Well-Known Member
Hi Rutzen, Here is a great story on how to do stuff on a shaper. Popular Mechanics Feb 1954.
It starts on page 234 and runs to page 239. Lots of info. This is the web link.
https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt8DAAAAMBAJ&q=shaper#v=onepage&q=shaper&f=falseHenry
It starts on page 234 and runs to page 239. Lots of info. This is the web link.
https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt8DAAAAMBAJ&q=shaper#v=onepage&q=shaper&f=falseHenry
There is a useful little booklet by South Bend called How to Run a Shaper - a companion to the ubiquitous How to Run a Lathe. I have encountered scanned copies on the internet, but I am not at all sure about whether they are violating the 1966 copyright.
