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Thread: Why do I need a shaper
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30th Mar 2021, 08:06 PM #1Golden Member
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Why do I need a shaper
Hello all
I know very little about shapers. I currently have a 11"X60" lathe and a HM46 style mill. I knew a bit about lathes and mills and had an idea what I would use them for. Now I have them I wonder how I made anything without them.
I like the look of shapers and they seem less frantic than say a mill. I have a large vintage power hacksaw and prefer it to a bandsaw.
My question is essentially, what can a shaper do that I can't do on my lathe and mill? Or what does a shaper do better than the lathe and mill?
Please educate me. As I am getting older I am discovering more and more that a lot of the older tools or methods are better suited to the home workshop, or that just may be my perception. I want to enjoy what I am making and not looking to turn out a dozen items a day like a business.
Thanks
Steve
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30th Mar 2021, 08:15 PM #2
I couldn't do without my shapers for internal keyways mainly, then to flatten a block of steel with a few dollar peice of HSS that can be resharpened over and over again, much cheaper than the mill and set and forget type of thing.
A few years ago I ever mounted a bench grinder to it and surface ground some steel which worked successfully.
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30th Mar 2021, 08:22 PM #3
Basic manual
https://www.liberatedmanuals.com/TM-...0-14-and-P.pdf
https://www.liberatedmanuals.com/TM-...1-14-and-P.pdf
There is a Shaper USB stick somewhere that was being shared by the forum members, the stick has many manuals and other good shaper info.
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30th Mar 2021, 08:26 PM #4Most Valued Member
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The short answer is if you have a mill you don’t really need a shaper (pretty certain there’s a couple of people that’ll disagree with me though).
A shaper is much cheaper on tooling, a mill needs a tool for just about everything, a shaper has a hand ground tool and some set up time. Dovetails are a classic example, on a mill you buy an expensive cutter, on a shaper you grind a HSS blank to suit and tilt either the work or the tool holder.
I’ve thus far avoided the hype and resisted the temptation, although I have to admit I find the noise they make on longer cuts somewhat hypnotic.
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30th Mar 2021, 08:50 PM #5Mechanical Butcher
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A mill can do everything a shaper can do, as long as it has a slotting attachment.
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31st Mar 2021, 02:32 AM #6Diamond Member
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Was that 'need' or 'want'?
With your lathe and mill you don't need a shaper.
Wanting a shaper because they are old school, fascinating to watch and make wonderful rhythmic noises is very understandable.
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31st Mar 2021, 08:24 AM #7Senior Member
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31st Mar 2021, 10:25 PM #8
I've done several jobs in the last few years since re setting up shop where the shaper has paid for itself doing blind internal keyways.
Way cheaper than buying brouch's for each job and would be a pain to do blind keyways I guess, as I don't own any.
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31st Mar 2021, 11:50 PM #9
more
This guy is very good
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCd...qO7WZLA/videos
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1st Apr 2021, 01:48 PM #10Golden Member
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1st Apr 2021, 01:56 PM #11Most Valued Member
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You can tilt the head 45 degrees and the rotate the vice 45 degrees and use an end mill to cut vee notches. https://youtu.be/GzKnpJ0rCiE
A shaper is quite probably more convenient as I can set the table feed up to .150" per stroke on mine which would take care of the relevant groove spacings.
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1st Apr 2021, 08:45 PM #12Golden Member
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Thanks to all those that have replied. If a shaper and I cross paths one day it may very end up in my shed, if it is meant to be.
It looks like I don't "need" one but I think I would enjoy using one and that's what it is all about.
Steve
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1st Apr 2021, 10:02 PM #13Golden Member
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You would be twiddling the handwheels of both axes of the mill between each groove. A very unrewarding use of time.
The shaper will do this completely automatically without error. It's probably one of the very few things that is many times faster on a shaper than a manual mill.
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1st Apr 2021, 11:50 PM #14Diamond Member
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2nd Apr 2021, 11:34 PM #15Most Valued Member
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