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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default Douglas Shaper Modifications

    This may be of interest to owners of the above machine.

    I always thought that the down feed screw and calibrated collar on the model of shaper that I have was close to useless. The lead screw was 1/2'' Whitworth. 0.0833" per revolution of the handle didn't make a lot of sense.

    I turned up a new 1/2" x 20 tpi leadscrew and a phosphor bronze nut to suit. I liked the feed dials on my little lathes so I made one to match. Unlike the lathe, which utilizes a thread to secure the non- rotating part of the collar, I simply bored out the tool head slide and installed a set screw to secure the collar.

    To install the bronze nut in the tool head base, I bored a blind hole into the face of the base to accommodate the nut and another blind hole, on the same centreline, from the rear for a 3/16" W cap screw which locks the nut in place.

    The collar is graduated in 0.001" increments and can be locked in position with a brass tipped thumb screw.

    The handle was located on lead screw shaft with a ill fitting axial dowel. I could have installed a radial taper pin, but chose the easier option of turning up a new tight fitting dowel.

    Another far more imortant improvement that I need to make is a lock for the down feed.

    Bob.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Nice work Bob. You and Hercus think alike. When they took over Douglas with their model 270 shaper, that's just what they did.

    Jordan

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default that's just what they did.

    Hi Jordan,

    As I found out after I had completed my modifications.

    I bought a new long lathe bed from Hercus last year, in an Ebay auction, and when I was discussing the transport of the thing with Steve Durden, I just happened to mention if they had any 270 parts laying around on a forgotten shelf, gathering dust.

    Given the 270's ancestory, I thought there may have been some interchangability.

    When the crate arrived with my new bed inside, I found these parts. Hercus beefed up the casting in the nut location to deal with the much larger lead screw. They don't fit the 11 inch Douglas.

    If you have a use for them and are prepared to pay for registered postage, they are yours for exactly what I paid Steve for them. Nothing. They were and are a gift.

    Bob.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    Sorry Jordan,

    There would be a price. How about posting some nice photos of your 270.
    Hercus did such a neat job when they got rid of the budgie cage of the Douglas' back.

    Bob.

  5. #5
    Dave J Guest

    Default

    Hi Bob,
    Don't want to seem like I am jumping in, but if Jordan doesn't want them I would be interested in paying for them.

    Dave


    Quote Originally Posted by Anorak Bob View Post
    Hi Jordan,

    As I found out after I had completed my modifications.

    I bought a new long lathe bed from Hercus last year, in an Ebay auction, and when I was discussing the transport of the thing with Steve Durden, I just happened to mention if they had any 270 parts laying around on a forgotten shelf, gathering dust.

    Given the 270's ancestory, I thought there may have been some interchangability.

    When the crate arrived with my new bed inside, I found these parts. Hercus beefed up the casting in the nut location to deal with the much larger lead screw. They don't fit the 11 inch Douglas.

    If you have a use for them and are prepared to pay for registered postage, they are yours for exactly what I paid Steve for them. Nothing. They were and are a gift.

    Bob.

  6. #6
    Dave J Guest

    Default

    Here you go Bob.
    http://www.woodworkforums.com/f189/g...hercus-120669/

    Dave


    Quote Originally Posted by Anorak Bob View Post
    Sorry Jordan,

    There would be a price. How about posting some nice photos of your 270.
    Hercus did such a neat job when they got rid of the budgie cage of the Douglas' back.

    Bob.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Thanks Bob, it's a deal.

    I posted some photos of it here: (near bottom of page)
    http://www.woodworkforums.com/f189/g...9/#post1182019

    It's still sitting there just as it arrived, not having had time to tidy it up and play with it yet.

    Here's a close up of some more differences from the earlier Douglas.
    I keep finding small improvements, for instance the tool post can take a bigger size toolbit holder, which is handy because I have one that'll just fit.

    There's also a couple of photos of my belt drive Douglas, showing minor improvements. One is a slightly better thrust pad for the belt adjuster, the other a bigger diameter thrust washer for the LH end of the cross slide traverse screw.

    A video of this in action is here: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8KR9ing0w]YouTube - Douglas Metal Shaper[/ame]

    Jordan

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    At least yours makes the same clanking sound as mine. Either they are both rooted or that's just the sound they make. Send me your address.

    Bob.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    At the risk of being totally ignorant, what can a shaper do that can't be done with a mill?

    I recall having to learn how to use one at Tech school, but that was a long, long time ago.

    Ken

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Anorak Bob View Post
    At least yours makes the same clanking sound as mine. Either they are both rooted or that's just the sound they make. Send me your address.

    Bob.
    There's a bit of wear on the trunnion block on mine. It's just noise - no harm to job.

    Jordan

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
    Age
    64
    Posts
    4,887

    Default

    Cutting internal keyways,splines,squares just to name a few.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    Jordan and Dave,

    I will take the head apart and snap a couple more photos to show the differences between the Douglas and the 270.

    Bob.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    Thanks PC,

    of course, keyways etc, I completely overlooked those processes, say no more.

    Ken

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default 11" versus 270

    Here you go. The 270 is the larger of the two.

    To mount the Hercus head on the Douglas ram, the spigot would need to be turned down and then about 5mm would need to be removed from the curved end of the tool head base to avoid impact with the shaper body.

    If you didn't already have them, you would need to make a new tool head slide to accommodate the larger lead screw, a graduated collar and ball crank. The ball crank is located with a Woodruff key .

    The threaded hole for the mounting stud is the same on both bases.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    Ken, What they can do better than a little mill, is remove metal quickly.

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