The Shaping Machine

TECHNICAL PUBLICATION
THE SHAPING MACHINE

book together with The Drilling
Machine and The Grinding Machine forms
This
a triumvirate by Ian Bradley dealing with
machines used in the workshop which have

hitherto been neglected by writers. The
shaping machine has for some years
increased in popularity in both amateur and
professional workshops. In this book the
author gives an historical account of the
machine, followed by a general description,
then goes on to detail its components.
Various types of machine and their tools are
described and a later chapter deals with
additions to the machine. The book concludes with a description of
some
rep-
resentative machining operations.
2.00 net
ISBN 0 85242 323 3
in
UK
only
The
Shaping
Machine
Ian Bradley
MODEL & /ALLIED PUBLICATIONS
LTD.
MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS
LTD.
Book Division
Station
Road, Kings Langley
H ertfordshire,
1973
Model
&
England
Allied Publications Ltd.
First Published 1973
ISBN
85242 323
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
PERCY BROTHERS
LTD.,
THE HOTSPUR
PRESS,
MANCHESTER M60
1PB
CONTENTS
Contents
1
HISTORICAL ASPECTS AND GENERAL

DESCRIPTION
The Shaping Machine - General
The Main Casting
Description
The Ram
The Tool
9
Slide
The Clapper Box
10
The Knee and Work Table
11
Locking the Clapper Box
12
The
Self Act
HAND POWER MACHINES
*5
The Drummond Hand Bench Shaper

The Drummond Machine Vice
18
The Cowell Shaping Machine

The Clapper Box
21
The
21
Perfecto
Hand Shapers
POWER DRIVEN MACHINES

The
Perfecto Automatic Feed
24
Power Shaper
25
The Automatic Feed
25
Operating Speeds
27
The Acorn Tools

Adjusting the
7 in. Shaping
Ram
Stroke
Adjusting the Position of the
Automatic
Work Table Feed
Work Table Adjustment

Electric
Motor Drive
Machine
27
29
Ram
32
33
33
THE SHAPING MACHINE
SHAPING MACHINE TOOLS

5
35
The Roughing Out Tool
36
Keyway Cutting Tool
37
Surface Finishing Tools
38
Special Purpose Tools
39
Tool for External Key way Cutting
40
Tool for Cutting Internal Key ways
Tools for Sawing
42
ADDITIONS TO THE MACHINE
43
The Feed Screw Handle
44
Gib Strip Lock Screws
45
Automatic
The
The
The
The
Down Feed
for the
Tool Slide
Connecting Rod
Driving
46
47
Arm
48
Quadrant Gear
48
Quadrant Gear Bracket
49
Rack Bracket
The Ratchet Wheels and Accompanying

The Detent
51
Details
SERVICING THE TOOLS
53
53
54
Tungsten Carbide
55
Grinding and Honing
56
Grinding Swan-neck Tools
57
Grinding Wheels
58
Grinding Wheel Speeds
59
Grinding Tungsten Carbide Tools
59
INSTALLING THE MACHINE
61
Ferro Concrete as a Mounting for the Shaper
62
Levelling the Machine
64
Electrical Installation
65
Connecting Plugs Correctly
66
CONTENTS
8
MOUNTING THE WORK
67
The
68
Perfecto Vice
The Offen Vice
69
Parallels
75
Work
to the
Machine Table
Securing the Machine Vice
75
77
SOME REPRESENTATIVE MACHINE

OPERATIONS
Setting the
10
67
Holding the Work
Securing the
Machine Vice
78
79
Squaring the Ends of Shafts
80
Machining the Ends of Shafts
81
Cutting Keyways
84
Cutting Racks
85
Cutting Gear Teeth
89
V-Blocks
89
Machining T-slots
91
Shaping Machine Slides
91
THE LATHE AS SHAPING MACHINE
92
PREFACE
some years past the shaping machine has been finding
increasing popularity in both amateur and small professional
workshops. While the lathe itself has always had intensive treatment
from many writers, little information seems to have been forthcoming
about the shaping machine and its use.
for
In an attempt, therefore, to redress the imbalance the author

addresses this book primarily to the amateur reader, in the hope
that the professional
and value
worker
also will find
something of interest
in its pages.
Hungerford, Berkshire.
1972.
I.B.
THE SHAPING MACHINE
CHAPTER
Historical Aspects
and
General Description
at the beginning of the 19th century, the only way to produce a
flat surface other than by hand, was to mount the work in the
lathe, preferably bolted to the faceplate, and turn it; a cumbersome
business. Industrial needs soon led to the introduction of independent
machines that would do the work, the first of these being attributed
to Richard Roberts 1789-1864.
Roberts invention was really a planing machine designed to deal
with relatively large surfaces being followed by designs from
Matthew Murray (1814), Joseph Clement (1825) and others who
were gradually improving the machine. It was not until the Great
Exhibition of 1851, however, that the shaping machine, substantially as we now know it, was introduced in a collection of machine
tools such as had never been seen before. Both in design and finish
their quality was outstanding. The producer of these machines was
Joseph Whitworth, whose name and whose firm was to remain in
the forefront of engineering progress for the rest of the 19th century.
The Shaping Machine - General Description

The
machine is an iron casting supporting

slides in which a ram can move backwards and forwards, the ram
carrying a cutting tool to machine work mounted on a work table or
knee also attached to the main casting. The ram itself has a slide
that permits the tool point to be brought into contact with the work
surface and the depth of cut to be adjusted. These basic elements
basis of the shaping
are depicted in the illustration Fig.
1.
The Main Casting

For the most part the main casting provides a seating for the ram
and another for the knee supporting the work table. In addition,
when the unit is power-operated, the casting contains the mechanism used to drive the shaping machine, whilst the components
HISTORICAL ASPECTS AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION
TOOL
CLAPPER
that comprise the automatic feed for the
SLIDE
work
slide are bolted to the
outer surface of the main casting.
Ram
The
The main moving element
machine is the ram. This

carries the tool slide, moving in ways machined in the main casting
which is provided with a series of adjusting screws to enable any
shake in the ram itself to be taken up.
In the majority of power-driven machines both the stroke of the
ram and its position in relation to the work may be adjusted. When
in a shaping
the shaper has a variable speed
facility,
stroke adjustment
is
of
great importance. It will be apparent that, supposing a narrow wddth

7
component
is
being machined, one can cut
dowm
the length of the
embraces the work in hand. For example, let us

suppose the work is but a quarter of an inch wide. Then the stroke
of the ram would be set to f in., leaving an overlap of
in. each
side of the w ork, a setting that w ould probably allow the shaper to
be used at its maximum speed. This matter will be dealt with in
stroke until
it
just
greater detail later.
The Tool
At the end of the ram
tool slide.
This
directly
Slide
above the work table
is
fixed the
slide is similar to the top slide of a lathe in that
it
THE SHAPING MACHINE
10
may be set at an
way work may be cut
carries the cutting tool and, again like the top slide,
angle each side of the normal zero. In this
any angle within the machines capacity. In large machines

the tool slide may be powder operated.
The tool itself is mounted on the face of the slide in a special
down
to
fitment called the clapper box.
The Clapper Box

While the cutting tool in a shaping machine must be rigidly
mounted, it is essential for many purposes, that, on the return or noncutting stroke, the tool point should be relieved of load. This is the
function of the clapper box seen in a typical form dismantled in
Fig. 2. It consists of an assembly consisting of a box fitted with a
hinge pin, usually tapered so that any shake can be taken up, and a
clapper that hinges on the pin. The clapper is provided with a
seating for the tool, which in the example illustrated is held in place
by a pair of set screws. There is another form of tool holder used
with the clapper and this will be described in a later chapter.
In the illustration it will be observed that a curved slot is machined
in the backplate of the box. Its purpose is to permit the box to be
swung a few degrees either side of the vertical. This provision is
Fig. 3
Bench Shaper
circa 1912
necessary in order to prevent the tool from jamming on the return

stroke when machining overhanging work such as a machine slide.
screw passes through the slot into the body of the tool slide
and is used to clamp the box which pivots in the slide itself.
set
The Knee and Work Table

This
is
The knee
the second main slide assembly of a shaping machine.
on the main casting, a jack screw

being provided to control its movement. The knee also contains the
horizontal slide upon which the work table moves under the action
of a feedscrew. This feedscrew is the most important in all shaping
machines. Even in the simplest of machines this feedscrew is used
to move the work under the point of the tool, and, for the most part,
is made to work automatically.
There are two forms of shaping machine. In the first the w ork
travels on a moving table past a reciprocating tool, in the manner
already illustrated. In the second the w ork table is stationary, and it
is the ram assembly that moves along to allow the cutting tool to
cover the work surface. A typical example is the machine illustrated
in Fig. 3. This is a bench hand-pow ered shaper with a work capacity
9 in. by 9 in. Its maker is unknown but it appeared in many tool
merchants catalogues in the early part of this century and one
itself slides vertically
THE SHAPING MACHINE
12
was
some years from 1925 onwards.
in the authors possession for
In every way an excellent little machine it had no frills but all the
essential facilities were there and it was very comfortable to use.
One particular provision was a V-groove machined directly into the
work table. This was intended for the mounting of shafts so that
keyways could be cut in them.
Locking the Clapper Box

However, we must now return to further consideration of matters
concerning the clapper box. The particular example depicted in the
illustration Fig. 2, and known as the English pattern, has a tool holder
consisting of the clapper itself in which a square section hole to
receive the tool is machined. Because of this feature the usefulness of
the English clapper box is somewhat restricted and so has largely
given way, in the smaller machines at all events, to the American
pattern.
may
be seen in the accompanying illustration Fig. 4

the tool is held in a clamp resembling the type in common use on
American lathes. This comprises a lantern fitted with a set screw to
Here, as
hold the tool in place and a hardened steel washer through which
the lantern is passed and against w hich the back of the tool presses.
T
Fig. 5
Improvised method
Fig. 4
of locking the
American- type toolpost
Clapper Box
LOCKING
BOLT
Fig. 6
The
lantern
it
as
of locking the
of round section and
when passed through
so that,
back of
is
Permanent method
soon as the
set
is
screw
is
Clapper Box
shouldered
the clapper,
it
*3
is
at its
inboard end
pulled against the
tightened against the shank of
the tool.
be clear that this type of tool holder allows the tool itself
to be swung around to approach the work at any angle desired. For
It will
this reason, as in the case of the lathe, this type of tool holder has
come to be preferred.
As will presently appear
there are certain operations in the shaping
machine that call for the clapper box to be locked, and all relief to
the tool on the return stroke eliminated. In the case of the English
pattern clapper box, as with the American type, this can be done in
two ways. In the first, as an improvised measure, a short bolt with
nut can be introduced between the back of the tool at the top and the
face of the stationary member of the clapper box as shown diagrammatically in Fig.
5.
The second and permanent method is depicted in

the clapper is restrained from movement by a steel
across
its
face
and held
in place
by
Fig. 6.
Here
strip passing
a pair of screws tapped into the
linings of the box.
Where
is
the American pattern clapper box
a very simple matter. All that
the clapper in the
box
so that
is
it
required
is
is
concerned locking
it
a single screw, securing
cannot move.
The screw
is
passed
through the clapper into the back of the box in the manner depicted
by the
The
illustration Fig. 7.
position of the lock-screw as
shown
in the illustration
is
not
THE SHAPING MACHINE
most part, this location is dictated by the position

the lantern occupies on the clapper. As the lantern is usually set low
down on the clapper, there is then no room to put in the set screw
at its most efficient point. So a compromise position has to be
chosen, and this is the one shown in the diagram.
ideal, but, for the
The Self-Act
In order to machine a piece of work completely the work table
needs to be moved along, so that as it travels backward and forward,
the cutting tool can fully cover the work.
At the same time the
tool
needs to be fed to the work under controlled conditions. Both

these requirements must be met by properly designed machine
itself
slides.
In
many
large professional shaping
machines both of these
provided with an automatic feed, usually called The

Self- Act. In small machines, however, and with hand-powered
shapers in particular, the self &ct is confined to the lead screw of the
work table. The details of the mechanism necessary are given in the
chapters dealing with hand and power-driven machines, whilst an
slides are
automatic down-feed, that the author has

shaper, will be described in a later chapter.
fitted to his
own power
LOCK SCREW
CLAPPER
Fig. 7
BOX
Locking the Clapper Box with American Tool Post
HAND POWER MACHINES
CHAPTER
Hand Power Machines

for
many purposes
in;'
the small workshop a shaping machine
operated by hand will suffice quite well. In years gone by, as any
comprehensive tool catalogue of the time will confirm, there were

many hand shapers to choose from. A typical example, from the
catalogue of Richard Melluish dated 1912, is illustrated in Fig. 1.
The machine has a large cast base plate provided with T-slots
that are used to house the bolts securing the somewhat elimentary
machine vice seen in the illustration. The vice consists of a pair of
angle plates, one having a moving plate that can be used to grip any
work that needs machining. The angle plates can be turned through
90 degrees to the position shown, enabling work to be machined
against the standing jaw as and when required.
Fig.
Shaping Machine 1900-1912
THE SHAPING MACHINE
i6
Fig. 2
Amateur made hand -powered machine
Fig. 4
The Drummond Self-Act
HAND POWER MACHINES
*7
All slides were substantial having feed screws fitted with graduated
collars allowing accurate dimensional
machining to be undertaken.
Rough positional adjustment of the ram was, available and it w as
possible to select a range of operating leverages as may be seen from
an examination of the lever itself. This has three bushed holes to
accept the screwed pin attached to the ram. The operator could then
readily select a leverage, and thus a ram travel, suited to the work in
r
hand.
Many
machines were not fitted with automatic

the saddle, and the example illustrated was probably no
similar shaping
traverse to
exception.
The Tool
Slide and Clapper
Box have
all
the requirements for
machining angled and overhung work, while the tool holder was
designed to accept the short tool bits seen to the
left
of the illustra-
Independent angular adjustment of the clapper box is essential

if overhung w^ork, such as tool slides, is to be undertaken.
The little machine depicted in Fig. 2 has no such provision,
which is a pity, for though it does have an American type tool holder
this in itself is no substitute for a clapper box assembly that can be
swung over to deal with overhung machining when required.
tion.
Fig. 3
The Drummond Shaper
THE SHAPING MACHINE
i8
Fig. 5
The Drummond Shaper
(later version)
The Drummond Hand Bench Shaper
We
come, now, to a machine that proved to be a landmark in the

provision of shaping equipment suitable for use by the amateur or the
light engineering workshop. The shaper in question had a few minor
points of criticism, w hat machine has not, but there is little doubt
that the hand shaping machine once made by Drummond of Guildford was an outstanding and practical piece of equipment. Drummonds shaper, illustrated in Fig. 3, was, or is because there are
examples of the machine still in use, a fixed head hand shaper
T
developed on the lines of the powered tools then found in
machine shops. The body of the machine
is
many
box form casting

fastening the machine
a stiff
having a flange provided with bolt holes for
bench or the special cast iron stand once available.

The work table, some 6 in. long by 5 in. wide is carried on a knee
that has a vertical movement of 4! in. and is controlled by the feed
screw and handwheel seen at the front of the machine. The table
itself moves on a slideway machined from the knee casting, this
movement being imparted by a horizontally placed feed screw with
handwheel set in the body of the knee.
The feed screw can be actuated either by hand or by the reversible
ratchet and wheel that may be observed to the left of the table. The
ratchet itself is driven by a link attached to the striking mechanism
situated on the left-hand side of the shaper and therefore not observable in the illustration. The striker itself is mounted on the vertical
spindle carrying the main operating spindle and engages a pivoted
to the
HAND POWER MACHINES

fork to which the ratchet link
moved
is
attached.
The
striker is
clamped
to
engagement with the fork

by undoing a single lock screw. This arrangement serves also to
adjust the stroke of the striker and so controls, within limits, the
feed rate of the self-acting mechanism as a whole.
The mechanism of the Drummond Automatic Feed is depicted
the spindle and can be
diagrammatically in Fig.
4.
in or out of
The
feed screw
itself is fitted
with a
pad to inhibit reversal during the idle stroke of the self-act.

Early machines had tool slides fitted with English pattern tool
friction
holders. Later production, as illustrated in Fig. 5, introduced an

American-style toolpost having many advantages for the user. The
illustration also
that
Drummond
demonstrates one of the

stressed, this
is
facilities of their
the ability to
shaper
accommodate long
keyways or other machining operations, a

provision made possible by the box-like construction of the main
shafts for the cutting of
casting.
Neither the feed screw for the tool slide nor the work table feed
screw had index collars fitted to them. This was a somewhat inexplicable omission, not subsequently rectified, so far as the author is
aware.
The Drummond Machine Vice
The vice fitted to the shaper is of simple but robust construction.

The base is graduated so that angular settings of the vice can be
made. The moving jaw is fitted with a clamping screw to ensure that,
when the jaw has been set against the work and tightened by the
square thread screw passing through the lug at the end of the base,
the
work
itself
can be secured against any possible unwanted move-
ment.
We
have already seen that shaping machines are divided into two
and is part of the main

casting, and the others that have a ram slideway machined in a saddle
movable along the base member that forms the body of the shaper
itself. The Drummond is an example of the first type, whilst the
machine now to be described, made by E. W. Cowell of Watford,
falls into the latter class. We have said made by E. W. Cowell
classes; those in
which the ram
slide
is
fixed
but this
is
not strictly true because the firm in question only supplies
and certain heavy machined details outside the scope of the

amateur or small workshop, leaving such turning as remains within
castings
the capability of 3! in. centre lathe.

of the machine are as follows:
The
salient dimensional features
THE SHAPING MACHINE
20
Fig. 6
Maximum
size of
Size of table 6 in.
Feed of
by 6
in.
in.
height, table to tool point 5 in.
automatic feed provided has
from 0.0025
As
by 6
in.
tool slide 2 j in.
Maximum
The
work shaped 6
in. to
0.0125 i n
five
rates,
feed varying
be seen from the illustration Fig 6, the Cowell shaping

machine is one of great rigidity, weighing some 65 lb. when finished.
The
will
saddle supporting the
ram
machined from a heavy box-form

feed screw passes.
is
carried
casting,
on
a substantial slide
through which the saddle
single long bearing supports the feed screw,
the bearing housing being attached to the end of the box-casting as
A ratchet-and-wheel system
forming part of the selfact mechanism is located on the feed screw and is driven through
linkage from a lay shaft carried behind the main casting. The layshaft
is fitted with a toggle device controlled by a positionally adjustable
seen in Fig.
7.
striker fastened to a
machined face on the ram
are illustrated in Fig. 8.
itself.
These
details
HAND POWER MACHINES
21
The Glapper Box

The Clapper box
either side of the vertical. It is
toolpost that has
Cowell shaping machine swivels to

fitted with a lantern-type or American
fitted to the
many
advantages over the English pattern post.

The tool slide to which the clapper box is attached is provided with
an index collar and can itself be swivelled through 1 80 degrees. The
components in question may be

of the machine itself.
clearly seen in the general illustration
The Perfecto Hand Shapers

For those who,
need only a simple machine,

the Perfecto Engineering Company of Leicester have included just
such a shaper in their range of machine tools. The unit in question is
illustrated in Fig. 9. It has a 5 in. stroke and a work table 6 in. by 6 in.
with a height adjustment of 2 in. in relation to the machine as a
whole, being fastened to its apron and guided by a key engaging both
table and apron.
The bed of the shaper is of box form construction and is ribbed
for strength. The ram, also of box construction, has a full bearing
in the saddle at any position of the stroke, and is operated by a
quadrant gear engaging a rack fastened to it. The tool slide, fastened
to the end of the ram, swivels through 360 degrees and has a graduin the first instance,
Fig. 7
The Cowell
Self- Act
WlS:
.
*Xrx:
The Cowell
ated base plate enabling angular
The
clapper box
itself also
work
swivels
Self- Act
to be carried out accurately.
when
required for machining
overhung work.
Fig. 9
The
5* Perfecto
Shaper
HAND POWER MACHINES
Fig. 9 A
As
befits a
saddle,
all
fitted to the
The
5" Perfecto
very simple machine there
movement having
to
23
Hand Shaper
no automatic feed to the

be controlled by the handwheel
is
feed screw\
For those who
feel that
some form of automatic feed
is essential,
Perfecto Engineering have introduced a 5 in. shaper having this

facility. The machine itself is in fact the simple machine just des-
cribed fitted with a fixed automatic feed of 0.005 in f r eac ^ stroke

of the ram. The mechanism acts on the feed screw and is operated
*
by adjustable strikers set on the side of the ram. (See Fig. 9A).
A machine of somewhat greater capacity is the 7 in. shaper. The
machine has all the family attributes of the Perfecto shaper previously
described. In this larger shaper the work table has T-slots which
allow more versatility in the mounting of work, though has no
greater surface area than the work tables fitted to the other Perfecto
shapers.
THE SHAPING MACHINE
24
CHAPTER
Power-Driven Machines
whilst hand- powered shapers may
the small workshop, there
suffice for
many
operations in
doubt that an electrically-driven

machine has many advantages. Apart from doing away with muscular
energy, it enables the user to set the machine in motion so that it
can proceed wdth a shaping operation while he, if necessary, gets on
with other work about the shop. In the past there have been several
small powered bench machines available. Today, however, their
numbers are much reduced so at least one of the machines to be
reviewed is only likely to be found on the second-hand market.
The shaping machine depicted in Fig. i appeared in several tool
merchants catalogues during the period 1910-1912. It was intended
for use on the bench in fitting shops, or anywhere else if thought
convenient, as a rather
Fig.
is little
more rapid and accurate means of carrying
Powered Shaping Machines 19^0-1912
POWER-DRIVEN MACHINES
out work usually performed with a hand
ram
file.
It is
^5
of a type in which
moving along a box bed similar to that

used in the Cowell and Perfecto hand shapers. The machine was
intended to be driven from lineshafting, the flywheel to the left of
the
slides are in a saddle
the bed acting as a pulley.
engaged or dis-engaged
The
drive through a dog-clutch could be
be means of the lever, also seen at the

left of the bed. Automatic reversible feed was provided and both the
stroke of the ram and its position in relation to the work itself could
be adjusted in order to secure the most efficient working.
at will
The Perfecto Automatic Feed Power Shaper

This machine, in common with the companys hand-operated
shapers is made in two sizes, namely 5 in. and
7 in. Indeed the
powered version was developed
from the hand-operated

machines, as will be appreciated when examining Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.
These show opposite sides of the 5 in. and 7 in. machines respectively.
Many of the components used are common to both the hand and
directly
power-driven shapers, but the latter have a somewhat different

automatic feed which is variable and can be adjusted to suit the work
in hand.
The ram
is
driven from a disc crank formed from the large gear
wheel seen in the second
This wheel is carried by the

cast gear case in which it has a bearing and is driven by a pinion
housed in the case and sliding along the drive shaft mounted behind
the bed of the machine. This shaft has a keyway running its full
length and imparts the drive to the pinion through a key engaging
this key way.
The
illustration.
secured to the saddle of the ram which is

provided w ith a T-slotted member attached to its left-hand side.
The connecting rod is secured at one end to a gudgeon pin positiongear case
itself is
ally adjustable in the T-slot
and
crank pin, also

adjustable for position, in the large gear wheel. In this w ay not only
can the stroke of the ram be regulated, but the position of the tool
at the other to a
point
itself
can be set suitably in relation to the
w ork.
7
The Automatic Feed

In contradistinction to the hand-pow-ered machines made by
Perfecto the self-act or automatic feed is variable. It is operated by
an eccentric forming part of the spindle supporting the large gear

wheel.
The
necessary
movement
mechanism, located
in the well of the box bed, is by means of a cranked connecting rod
attached to the eccentric and the self-act quadrant arm respectively.
to the self-act
2J
Operating Speeds
Three rates of speed are
per minute derived from
These
and 80 strokes
a three-step V-belt pulley connected by
belting to a pulley attached to the shaft of an electric motor running
at 1,425 r.p.m. A suitable pulley for the motor would seem to be
in.
available.
are 60, 70
diameter.
The Acorn Tools 7 -in. Shaping Machine

The
operators
Handbook supplied with
the machine in a foreword
to the general operating instructions says:
This 7
in.
shaper has
been introduced in response to an insistent demand for a small precision-built machine. It is suitable for both high output with arduous
production runs, and for precision work in the tool room.
It is on this last criterion that the author can speak, for not only
has he an Acorn Tools shaper himself, but many years ago he
specified one of these tools for inclusion in the plant required for
the specialist workshop which was run by him in one of our larger
aircraft factories. It was used by qualified tradesmen and apprentices
alike, and the millwrights dropped the machine when the author
moved it to another shop under his control; but, despite working
under conditions sometimes not of the best, this tool has never given
anv mechanical trouble and, so far as is known, still continues to
preserve
its
accuracy.
Fig. 4
Acorn Tools
7"
Powered Shaper
THE SHAPING MACHINE
28
Fig.
The machine
4A Acorn Tools
itself is virtually a
7"
Powered Shaper
scaled
down model
of a shaper of
the type illustrated in the Frontispiece of this book.
exception of automatic feed to the tool
slide,
and
With
this has since
the
been
added by the author, the Acorn Tools shaping machine illustrated

in Fig. 4, has all the facilities offered by a large shaper.
The mechanism of the Acorn Tools shaper follows the basic lines
laid down long ago for machines having a fixed ram slide and a
moving work table.
The ram
is
29
driven by what amounts to a disc crank operating a
rocking lever attached at one end to the main casting of the machine
and at the other end to the ram itself. The disc crank has a ring
gear machined on
can be driven from a layshaft set at the rear of the machine and carried in bearings in its main
frame. Attached to the layshaft is a 4-step pulley driven through
by the
belting
its
periphery so that
electric
it
motor carried on
mounting behind the
shaper.
Adjusting the
The
Ram
Stroke
parts referred to can be seen in the diagram Fig.
overhung with its hub supported in tapered

and is provided with a sliding block and pin, the
is
thrust block in the

position
ram
lever.
sliding block
roller
latter
is
bearings,
engaging a
adjustable for
from outside the machine by turning the ram adjusting
shaft that passes through the

carries a
The
The crank
5.
hub supporting the
skew gear that engages
crank. This shaft
a corresponding gear
mounted on
THE SHAPING MACHINE
Acorn Tools Disc Crank
Fig. 6
the
ram
adjusting screw.
in the sliding block, so
The screw passes

any movement of
into a nut with pin set
the adjusting screw
reflected in a corresponding re-positioning of the block
is
and thus the
stroke of the ram.
Adjusting the Position of the
As
Ram
well as being in a position to adjust the length of the
ram
be possible to set the position of the ram, and

with it the toolpoint, in relation to the work itself. In the Acorn Tools
shaper this adjustment is effected by the mechanism depicted in the
stroke,
it
must
also
abutting the
ram
The
itself,
block attached to the
ram
drive lever,
and
has a female square thread machined in
it.
This thread accommodates the ram adjusting feed screw which
Fig. 7
Acorn Tools Crankshaft
THE SHAPING MACHINE
32
passes into this thread and
formed
supported
is
at its outer
end by
a bearing
in the tail of the ram.
The feedscrew
mounted upon
has a bevel gear
it,
this
engages a
corresponding gear machined on a stub shaft passing through the

ram. So, when a handle is applied to the stub shaft, and is turned
been unclamped, the tool point position can be

the work in hand.
after the block has
adjusted to suit
In practice the stroke of the ram
so adjusted that the point of
is
the tool bridges or covers the work in hand, whilst the position of
the tool point itself
of an inch at each
is
set so that
it
clears the
end of the rams
work by about
a quarter
stroke.
Automatic Work Table Feed
common
with most small shaping machines the ratchet feed

for the work table is driven directly from the shapers crankshaft. In
In
the case of the Acorn Tools machine the
mechanism
contained in
is
two small gearboxes, one forming part of the crankshaft bearing

housing the other being attached to the horizontal cross
rail
upon
which the work table slides. The reversible ratchet is located in

this gearbox and is driven from the disc crank projecting from the
box on the crankshaft bearing housing. The stroke of this crank can
be adjusted by altering the position of the crank pin. The pin takes
the form of a stud passing through a T-slot machined in the crank
and engaging a block that slides in the slot. When the stud is slackened the block may be moved along the slot thus altering the stroke
and so adjusting the feed of the work table. The parts of the mechanism are seen in the illustration Fig. 9.
In use, as the disc crank turns, the connecting rod pulls the ratchet
case backwards and forwards so turning a ratchet w}ieel inside the
case.
There
is
a gear attached to the ratchet wheel; this engages a
pinion mounted on the cross slide feed screw which turns either
clockwise or anti-clockwise according to the direction set by the
ratchet control lever.
Work Table Adjustment

In addition to the
tool slide itself,
it is
down
feed for the tool point provided by the
sometimes advisable
table elevating gear in order to set the
position for machining.
The
work
to
make use
itself in
of the
work
the best possible
elevator fitted to the
Acorn Tools,
from a short shaft projecting

from the side of the machine by means of skew gears affixed to the
shafts themselves. A key is used common to the vice, the ram position
shaper
is
a vertical feed screw actuated
33
adjustment and the elevator itself. At all times after any adjustment
has been made the thrust jack affixed to the work table must be re-set.
The
and
jack slides in a lug cast at the front of the box form

is
secured by a collar lock in the lug.
The jack has
work
table
a cast iron foot
on a machined surface formed on the base plate of the

shaping machine, and on this the foot slides as the work table moves
along under the tool point. The jack and its location can be seen in
that rests
the illustration Fig. 4 A.
Electric
Motor Drive
Acorn Tools shaper is mounted on a

bracket assembly bolted to the back of the machines main frame.
The platform to which the motor is fastened swings in this bracket
enabling belt tension between the motor and the countershaft, also
secured to the back of the main frame, to be adjusted.
The countershaft itself is carried in a pair of roller races mounted
The motor
that drives the
hanger that swings in the hinge member at the back of the

frame. The hanger is controlled by a lever. Lifting the lever allows
the whole countershaft to swing upward and put tension on the belts
in a
between the motor and the countershaft and the countershaft and
shaper crankshaft respectively. The countershaft and the layshaft
transmitting power to the crankshaft are each provided with a
4-step pulley. This combination gives the approximate cutting speeds
set out in the accompanying table:
Fig. 10
Acorn Tools Shaper Belt Layout
THE SHAPING MACHINE
34
Belt Position
Stroke
in.
in.
12
18
28
3 in -
10
16
26
in.
-
14
16
24
28
in.
20
in.
24
34
38
34
42
52
60
42
56
72
86
5 in
The
IOO
cutting speeds available are expressed in feet per minute
and are given
in the four vertical
columns of the
list.
Suitable cutting
speeds for various materials are listed below:
Aluminium
oo
ioo
80
80
i
Brass
Bronze
Zinc
Cast Iron
40
Mild Steel
40
Carbon Steel 30
Plastics
100
However, in order
particularly
to Il6
feet per
to Il6
yy
yy
yy
to IOO
yy
yy
y y
to IOO
yy
yy
yy
y y
yy
y y
to
to
yy
y y
yy
to
40
yy
yy
y y
to 116
yy
yy
yy
to avoid vibration
when long ram
minute
some compromise
it
is
best to considerably reduce
speed unless commercial considerations make
The amateur need
it
necessary to work
never hurry in his work so perhaps for him,
as for the author, the best general belt setting is
Nevertheless,
that this
The
is
any increase
only set
when
the
in
speed seems desirable
ram
in the
it is
list.
suggested
strokes are short'.
belt-and-pulley layout for the Acorn Tools shaper
trated in Fig.
The
if
essential
strokes are involved. In the interests of
comfortable working, therefore,

fast.
is
is illus-
9.
an extra component provided to accommodate

a brake pad attached to the control lever. When this is lowered the
brake pad comes into contact with the pulley and stops the machine.
pulley
is
CHAPTER
35
Shaping Machine Tools

WE
consider the various tools that can be used in a shaping

machine it is necessary to understand the principle on which these
tools should operate. If we take a swan-necked tool of the type
illustrated in Fig. i and mount its point on the centre line of work
in a lathe, any spring in the tool itself will tend to unwind the tool
when load is applied. But in the lathe this effect is not detrimental
since the point of the tool will back away from the work surface and
no dig in will occur,
before
Fig.
Swan -neck
tool
mounted on the
lathe top slide
THE SHAPING MACHINE
36
Tool for Roughing out
Fig. 3
If
we
Tool for Roughing out
Fig. 4
look at the diagram
in
Fig.
which
illustrates
cranked lathe tool set on the tool slide, we see that the point is well
in front of the fulcrum centre S\ Thus, when load is applied to
it the point of the tool will tend to describe the arc AB and will
dig in. If, on the other hand, the tool is shaped as seen at B no
digging in can take place because its point will describe an arc
AB
edge away from the work surface.

Therefore, when the use of swan-necked or cranked tools is contemplated these points should be borne in mind. In any event such
tools must be made amply strong, in which case, when lightly loaded,
the position of the tool point is not of such great significance. This
being so it is possible to make use of many of the cutting tools normally employed in the lathe. In practice, for normal work, a very
few basic tool shapes will suffice. These are a tool for roughing out,
lifting the cutting
and right-hand, that will serve for the

machining of shoulders and any overhung work such as machine
slides, a tool for cutting keyways and finally a spring tool for surface
a pair of knife tools left-hand
finishing.
The Roughing Out Tool
The type
of tool the author prefers to use for this
in Fig. 3 and also in Fig. 4

tool are given.
A similar
tool,
where the angles
but one that
it is
work
is
illustrated
for a general
offset so that
it is
purpose
able to machine
a vertical surface without the shank fouling the work,
is
illustrated
in Fig. 5. Tools of this nature can be obtained either right or left
handed and may well take the place of the knife tools previously
mentioned; unless, of course, the work in hand is the machining of

slide ways.
In
this case the
the base of the slide
shown
cut
is
when
nose of the tool

at
is
37
not well fitted to clear
the bottom of the slideway.
The
tool
however, a rounded base to the

needed then the point of the tool can be ground to the form
will cut a sharp corner.
depicted in Fig.
If,
6.
Key way Gutting Tool
The form
of tool used for cutting an external
the parting tool employed in a lathe. It
is
ground
keyway
is
akin to
to the shape
shown
width being controlled to some extent

by the size of the keyway to be cut and the rigidity or otherwise of
the machine it is proposed to employ for the purpose. When the
keyway is wide and the shaping machine somewhat lacking in
robustness then it pays to form the key way in two cuts. For internal
in the illustration Fig. 7, the
same tool form suffices, but the procedure is a little

specialised and will be dealt with in a later chapter where the subject
of cutting keyways both external and internal will be fully covered.
cutting the
Roughing out
Offset Roughing Tool for round corners
7 Tool for cutting external keyways
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig.
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Offset tool for
Tool for finishing surfaces

Tool for finishing surfaces
THE SHAPING MACHINE
38
Surface Finishing Tools
The surface finish produced by a roughing tool may well suffice

for much of the work undertaken in the shaper. On the other hand
there are times when a smooth finish must be produced and it is
then that the tools illustrated in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 can be used with
advantage. Both are scraping tools, intended for taking off no more
f me tal at a pass. The first tool depicted
than 0.002 in. to 0.003
is
similar to a spring tool sometimes used for finishing
lathe.
In fact that
is just
what
it is.
w ork
r
in the
When used in the shaping machine
how ever, the cutting edge needs to be very slightly curved in the
manner seen in the diagram Fig. 9. Some consider that the clapper
box should be locked when a finishing tool is in use. As this is a
r
provision advisable in other shaping operations, the various w^ays of

locking the clapper box will be described in a later chapter.
Clearance and rake angles given for the various tools described
machining of cast iron and

For brass, of course, no top rake is
are suitable for general purposes in the

steel
including stainless
steel.
needed but the clearances can be retained as shown in all cases.

Light alloys will take considerably more top rake than the general
tools depicted, but even these have been found to give good service.
For those readers who wish for more advice on this subject perhaps
we may recommend 'Lathe and Shaping Machine Tools published
by Model and Allied Publications Ltd. where full information may
be obtained.
Fig. 9 A
Group
of
Shaping Machine Tools
Fig. 10
39
Tool for holding round tool bits
Special Purpose Tools
So
far
we have considered
one-piece tools, that
is
tools having
made from a single piece of tool

possible to make a simple shank fitted
the cutting portion and the shank

steel.
It is,
however, quite
with a head that will accept round tool steel; this can be ground to
the shape required, and held in the finished tool at any angle desired.
The
device illustrated in Fig. io
an example, it consists of a
shank (i) carrying a drawbolt (2) that passes through the sleeve (3).
The tool bit seen in the illustration passes through both the sleeve
and the draw bolt and is gripped between them by the tension
applied by the nut (4). In the interests of good design a washer (5) is
interposed between the face of the shank and the nut. The shank of
the particular tool illustrated in Fig. 11 at A was made from an
old bicycle crank machined to the dimensions given in the accompanying detailed drawings. Many of those readers interested in
making
is
no doubt, be able to do so without further

instruction. Those who do need further help will find it in the book
this tool will,
already referred
In passing
its
it
to.
may be worth
noting that the tool in question carries
cutter bit well behind the point of spring referred to at the
beginning of the chapter.
To
this
end the shank
is
mounted
in the
THE SHAPING MACHINE
40
Fig. 12
(A) Parting Tool Holder
(B) Tool for cutting internal keyways
Fig. 11
(A)
(B)
Tool Holder made from a cycle crank

Holder for small square tool bits
clapper box with the lock nut of the cutter head facing forwards.
For those whose work

holder seen
at
of a
is
somewhat
delicate nature the tool
may be used with advantage. It accomsuch as may be bought at reputable tool
in Fig. 11
modates standard tool bits

merchants. So half-a-dozen such bits ground to forms suitable for
the work normally undertaken, may likely fill the requirements of
the user.
Such tool holders are

and are easily adapted
substantial, being
to
fit
made from
steel forgings
box of the shaping

needed this should not
into the clapper
machine. If modification to the holder is

involve cutting its shank to less than half-an-inch, in cross section
or the device as a whole
may
be unduly weakened.
/
Tool for External Keyway Gutting
The
tool illustrated in Fig. 12 is in fact a lathe parting tool pro-
vided with a detachable blade. Such a tool is useful for cutting

external keyways but the blade itself must not be extended too far
or the lack of rigidity possessed by it will probably spoil the work.
The method
of centring such a tool in relation to the
be explained in a
work
itself will
later chapter.
Tool for Gutting Internal Keyways
The shaping machine
is
well fitted to cut internal keyways pro-
vided that suitable tools are provided for the purpose. One such
device is illustrated in Fig. 13. It consists of a shank A to which is
attached a circular cutter bar B.
The
cutter itself
is
ground
to
Details of Small
Sawing Tool
CLAMP SCREWS
2 B.A.
SAW BLADE
HOLDER
H.S.S.
BLADE
Fig. 14
Small Sawing Tool
Fig. 15
Large Tool for
Sawing
THE SHAPING MACHINE
42
form shown
diagram Fig. 7 and is held in place by the

set screw seen at the right-hand end of the bar. The lock nut at the
opposite end permits the bar to be turned so that the cutter may
approach the work at any angle desired. In the illustration the cutter
is seen facing forwards. In use this is not so since the device needs
to be pulled through the w ork on the back stroke of the shaping
machine. This action requires the clapper box to be locked in order
to prevent the tool from lifting in the normal manner on the return
the
in the
stroke.
Tools for Sawing
Many
making certain components, a

sawing operation was required. At the time, and with the equipment
then available, the shaping machine w as considered to be the best
medium for carrying out the work in a simple manner. Accordingly,
the simple small tool depicted in Fig. 14 was evolved. The body of
years ago, in the course of
the device
holder
is
is split
the holder for boring tools used in the lathe. This

axially
by
a saw cut
r
screws which normally serve to
The
and
make
is fitted
w ith
r
a pair of pinch
the holder grip the boring tool.
sawcut, however, can be used to grip a short length of hacksaw
blade that
may be
in the clapper
found
to
applied to the work once the holder has been set
box and the machine
set in motion.
be quite successful in practice. So
much
This device was
so, in fact, that
the
enlarged version illustrated in Fig. 15 was developed to deal with

work needing a tool with rather greater capacity.
Fig. 13
Small Sawing Tool with work
CHAPTER
Additions
to
the
43
Machine
as a result of keeping a machine tool specifically designed for the
amateur to an acceptable price level, there are often a few, perhaps

minor, shortcomings that are usually within the capabilities of its
owner to put right. The shaping machine is no exception. Here
some of the improvements that can be carried out concern the tool
slide itself.
In Fig.
workshop
and these
the tool slide of the Acorn Tools shaper in the authors
Three modifications have been made to it,

examples that may be applied to other makes
is illustrated.
will serve as
of machine.
Fig.
Acorn Tools Shaper Tool Slide
THE SHAPING MACHINE

Fig. 2
Original Feed Screw Handle
The Feed Screw Handle

The handle
which came with the shaper is

has been set alongside the component
for the feed screw
illustrated in Fig. 2.
A 3-in. rule
in order that the reader
Fig. 3
may
the
more
readily assess
Modified Feed Screw Handle
its size.
From
this estimation
45
appear that the effective leverage is

very small since the centre line of the handle is not much more than
it
will readily
ij in. from the centre of the feed screw.
Such
a figure
working so the modified handle,

and detailed in Fig. 3, was made and
insufficient for comfortable
trated at
to the feed
leverage, as
in Fig.
screw
may
is
itself.
The new handle
has a
much
really
illus-
fitted
increased
be seen from the drawing, thus giving the operator
The few parts needed
made. The keyway

in both the lever and distance piece can be formed either by filing
or by a machining operation using the lathe itself as a shaper.
greater comfort.
are readily
Gib Strip Lock Screws
As will be seen the tool
slide is
provided with a
number of adjusting
screws that bear on the gib strip and remove any shake in the slide
may arise. A word or two here, on the subject of these adjusting

screws may not be out of place. Fig. 4 depicts diagrammatically a
pair of adjusting screws making contact with a gib strip. At A is
that
sometimes encountered, fortunately only rarely, where a

dog-ended set screw has been used. Now the adjusting screws have
a dual role to play; not only must they be capable of taking up
slack but they must also restrain the gib itself so the strip is dimpled
and the point of the screw pointed so that it can enter the dimple as
depicted at B.
It is a good practice to provide one or more lock screws independent of those used for adjusting purposes. This avoids disturbing
the gib strip adjustment and ensures that once the depth of cut has
been set it will stay put. A pair of lock screws may be seen in
Fig. 1 at B with details of a suitable design in the illustration
a condition
THE SHAPING MACHINE
46
be noted the distance pieces have not been

shown. They do not have any real technical significance, but do,
Fig. 5, where,
make
perhaps,
if (as it
it
will
a contribution in the course of tidiness, particularly
should be) the slide
counterbored slightly to receive them.
is
book various methods of locking the clapper box

have been described. One of these concerned a clapper fitted with
an American type of tool post. It may be of interest to refer to Fig. 1
where the cap screw locking the clapper may be seen at
Earlier in the
Automatic
Down
Feed for the Tool Slide
Very few small power- driven shaping machines are

automatic feed to the tool
work
for
table, or in
much
of the
slide.
fitted
with an
Whilst automatic traverse to the
some makes of machine the ram
slide,
w ork
doubt that much
undertaken, there
is little
may
suffice
be had from a tool slide having automatic feed.

The 7-in. Acorn Tools machine in the authors workshop has now
been fitted with such a device which has much increased the general
capability of a single-handed shop where two different machines
gain
is
to
are often in
work
at the
As modified the
same
time.
turned by a pawl-andratchet system driven by the mechanism depicted in Fig. 6. This

Fig. 6
tool slide feed screw
General Arrangement
of the
is
automatic down feed for the shaping
machine
47
consists of a length of rack, 20 diametral pitch, fixed to a bracket
mounted on top of the ram
slide gib strip, three of the original gib
screws being used for the purpose of securing the bracket.

rack engages a quadrant gear cut from a 100 tooth change wheel
strip set
The
and on
this gear is
fixed to the
arm. In this
mounted
a driving
arm
slotted so that a ball joint
end of the connecting rod can be adjusted
way
radially in the
a fine or coarse feed can be selected at will, varying
from 0.003 m t0 - 0I 2 in- according to the number of teeth on the

ratchet wheel that are gathered by the pawl. The quadrant gear
itself is mounted on a stud carried by a bracket clamped to the ram
-
position lock plate.
The Connecting Rod

The rod
with ball joints at each end, and has a clamping

device at the centre, similar to that of a collet chuck. The reason for
fitted
this provision is that
when
adjusting the position of the
ram
it
often be necessary to vary the length of the connecting rod.
assembly
is
depicted in Fig.
7.
may
The
THE SHAPING MACHINE
48
r
/
Fig. 7 A
The
fitted
'
'
The Connecting Rod Stroke Adjustment Lock
each end of the rod are of a type sometimes

to carburetter controls on motor cars. That at the feedscrew
ball joints at
end of the rod

other
'
"
is
is
fixed to the ratchet-and-pawl
mechanism
whilst the
provided with the adjustment lock illustrated in Fig. 7A.
This consists of the parts depicted, the shoulder nut and distance
piece forming a clamp for the driving arm that is operated by the
ball itself. The ball has two flats machined upon its shank, so that a
spanner can be used to turn it when the ball joint needs adjustment
on the driving arm. For convenience sake a small ring spanner has
been made and permanently attached to the ball and secured by the
taper pin seen in the illustration.
The Driving
This part
is
Arm
attached to the quadrant gear and
mounted on an
axial
extension to that gear, so designed as to enable the ball joint to be

set
on
either side of the
arm and clamped there. Changing the
an important provision when

over steeply in relation to its normal
of the ball from one side to the other

the tool slide needs to be set
position
is
upright position.
The Quadrant Gear
The
pitch a
100T change wheel of 20 diametral

wheel obtainable from Myford Ltd. in fact. As a maximum
gear
is
cut from a standard
49
ram movement
of 7 in. has to be catered for, half the wheel has to

be used in order to engage the 8-in. long rack. For those w ho may be
T
contemplating applying the modification being described to another

make of shaping machine, it may be as well to indicate the manner in
which the number of gear teeth required

of teeth
The
is
is
calculated
The number
arrived at in this way.
circular pitch (that is the centre of one tooth to the centre
of the next) of a gear of
metral pitch
is
diametral pitch
divided by 3.1416
so, in this case,
w hen
T
the dia-
the pitch
is:
3- I 4 1
Therefore, in order to obtain the

in.
given
- 0.157
20
20 D.P. rack 8
is
long the
number
maximum engagement
for a
of teeth in the quadrant gear
will be:
^50
teeth approximately
The Quadrant Gear Bracket

When designing the automatic down feed for
shaping machine
it
was deemed unwise
to drill
the
Acorn Tools
any new holes in the
lO
THE SHAPING MACHINE
castings or parts of the shaper
carrying the quadrant gear
is
itself.
clamped
the positional adjustment for the

Fig. 9
ram
For
this reason the bracket
to the block
itself.
forming part of
Fortunately, the block
Bracket for the Rack
51
already has two holes 2BA. Normally these are used to house screws
provided for securing the indicator pointer that shows the length
of stroke that the ram has been set to make. However, in this instance
these holes serve well for the attachment of the back plate of the
quadrant gear bracket as seen in the
The two
restrained
screw s only secure the bracket plate and these are
by
a pair of tubular distance pieces seen in the sketch. In
way, the bracket and backplate are kept from tipping inwards.
The distance pieces are made a few thousandths-of-an-inch less
than the width of the block itself, thus providing a positive grip on
the block by the two plates forming the main components of the
this
quadrant gear bracket.
Rack Bracket
The
bracket carrying the rack illustrated in Fig.
length of i-in. angle iron.
As has
9, is
already been shown,
cut from a
it is
mounted

on the ram gib
the gib strip
strip
and
is
53
secured by three of the screws that secure
itself.
The Ratchet Wheels and Accompanying

The wheel
0.003 m The
Details
has 30 teeth or notches, each notch moving the tool
arm
below this wheel and is retained in

place by a washer set above the nut controlling the end-float of the
feed screw. The ratchet itself is mounted on the arm and is a selfcontained unit consisting of a plunger and spring carried in a housing.
In service, the plunger is withdrawn from contact with the ratchet
wheel by turning the ball screwed to the end of the plunger spindle.
An assembly of the ratchet and ratchet wheel may be seen in the
-
ratchet
is
sited
illustration Fig. io.
The Detent
The
very
feed screw of the tool slide on the Acorn Tools shaper works
easily,
so
it
has been found necessary to provide a spring-
whose purpose
wheel from
reversing direction each time the ratchet itself moves back to collect
another tooth on the wheel. The arrangement of this detent are
depicted in the assembly drawing Fig. 11, where the components of
the fitment may be seen. The detent arm is pivoted and is supported
by a stud attached to a small base plate. This plate also forms an
anchorage point for one end of the control spring, the other being
attached to the detent itself. In order to clear the ratchet wheel, the
spring needs to be carried below the plate; extended anchorages are
controlled detent
is
to prevent the ratchet
therefore attached to the detent as well as to the plate
detent unit as a whole
is
itself.
The
attached to a pillar forming an extension of
the hexagon screw holding the tool slide bearing plate in place.
screwed to the detent itself to enable it to

be swung quickly in or out of contact with the ratchet wheel as
required. The complete equipment is seen mounted on the shaping
small ball-ended lever
machine
in Figs. 12
is
and
13.
THE SHAPING MACHINE
54
CHAPTER
Servicing the Tools

as
with any other machine
is
subjected to conditions generating
used
with it is of the utmost importance. No good work can be produced
on a machine whose tools are blunt, so the shaper is no exception to
the necessity for keeping them in good fettle.
In the previous chapter the various types of tool for use with the
shaper have been discussed, but nothing has been said as to the
various materials from which they can be produced.
As has been seen, many of the tools applicable to lathe work
can be used in a shaper so a whole battery of special equipment
designed specifically for it is really not needed.
In the past commercially produced sets of lathe tools tended to
be made from carbon steel, a material of fair durability and capable
of easy forming, hardening and tempering generally by the machine
operator himself. However, its inability to remain sharp for long
periods and its proneness to lose its temper when the cutting edge
tools the condition of the cutters
much
heat, has led almost
universally to the adoption of high-speed steel for the
necessary cutting tools.
Fig.
The Tungsten Carbide Tool
making of the
SERVICING THE TOOLS
Fig. 2
The
Electric Grinder with
55
Angular Rest
use of high-speed steel has ruled out the operator as the
producer of the tool itself, since he has neither the knowledge

nor the equipment to do so. However, he can be expected to keep it
sharp once handed to him, a matter to which we shall presently refer.
The carbon steel tool, on the other hand, although it suffers from
the limitations that have been mentioned, can, as has been said
earlier be formed by the operator himself when needed.
Both carbon and high-speed steel tools are satisfactory when
machining drawn or rolled materials. When it comes to dealing with
castings, however, the surface sand inclusion or in the case of cast
iron, the chill spots (that is local hardening) often encountered
immediately destroy the sharp edge of tools made from either carbon
initial
or high-speed steel. It
is
then that tungsten carbide can be employed
with advantage to remove the surface material from the castings.
Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide
is
a sintered product of great hardness capable
of cutting through the surface of a casting without losing the edge
made from
The
most part
shapes that are themselves grafted on to steel
sharpness of any tool
it.
carbide, for the
formed into tool

shanks by a brazing process. In this way the minimum of expensive
material is used and the tool as a whole is given adequate mechanical
strength. The arrangement is depicted in the illustration Fig. i.
The brazed joint can be made by a simple silver soldering process
is
THE SHAPING MACHINE
56
and this is usually adequate for most of the operations carried out
by the amateur and in the small professional workshop. But it must
be remembered that like many another metal cutting machine, the
shaper operates with a series of interrupted cuts, that
load on the tool
stroke
and then
itself is
is
applied at
its
relieved suddenly
maximum
when
the
is
to say the
during the cutting
ram
reverses.
This
action tends to break the brazed joint, and has led industry to experi-
ment wdth improved methods of brazing designed to prevent the

carbide tips from detaching themselves under conditions that might
prove dangerous.
Nevertheless, the owner of a shaping machine would be well
advised to provide himself with at least one carbide tipped tool for
use in the
initial stages
of machining a casting.
Other composite-material tools such as stellite are intended for

heavy machining and are not likely to be of much import to the
amateur user.
Grinding and Honing

Sharpening the tools for the shaping machine can be carried out in
two ways. Firstly, when the tool is seriously blunted it must be reground on a suitable abrasive wheel. Secondly, if the cutting edge
has become dulled, the tool can often be restored to its former
efficiency by simply honing the cutting edge with a hand stone, a
practice that can be employed with advantage following the grinding
operation.
The
information contained in Chapter
IV
relating to the various
types of tool in use includes the angles to which the tools should be
ground
in order to obtain
maximum
serviceability. In industry the
angles are often imparted free hand. Whilst the professional worker
can often achieve success in this respect, the amateur needs some
For the most part the tool rests fitted to

grinding machines are fixed. This limits their versatility and involves
the user canting the tool during the grinding operation and judging
the angle by eye as he does so.
However, this difficulty can be remedied if the tool rests are made
so that they can be fitted at any angle required. The fitting of an
angular rest to a tool grinding machine is work for the user himself
for there seem to be no commercial examples available.
An electric bench grinder with an angular rest is illustrated in
Fig. 2. As will be seen, the table of the rest, which supports the
tool during the grinding process, can be set and locked at the required
angle for servicing the tool in need of treatment. Tools are ground on
assistance in the matter.
SERVICING THE TOOLS
57
the side of the wheel, either side being used according to the handling
of the tool, and the rake or clearance angles to be imparted to
diagrammatic example to
illustrate the
method
is
given in Fig.
it.
3.
Grinding Swan -neck Tools

Tools that are straight-shanked are placed directly on the table of
the rest. Swan-neck tools, however, do present some little difficulty
but this is easily resolved if the procedure depicted in Fig. 4 is
employed.
Here, the tool is supported on a packing piece so that the swan
neck can clear the surface of the table itself. A loose packing piece
will serve if only the odd tool needs grinding; should there be a
number of tools to deal with, however, it would be advisable to
make the packing a fixture that can be removed or replaced as
necessary.
have been observed that the tool needs to be ground on

one side of the wheel or the other according to the tools handling. If
much tool servicing is likely to be undertaken then an angular rest of
the type illustrated in Fig. 5 may be found convenient. The conIt will
form of
be apparent from the illustration

w here it will be seen that there are in effect two separate angular
rests that may be set and locked at the requisite angles. In this way
struction of this
rest will
re-adjustment of the grinding rest to accommodate handed tools

avoided.
is
THE SHAPING MACHINE
5
It
is
somewhat
pointless to provide working drawings for the
device as detail dimensions will obviously depend on the particular
grinder involved in the application.
Grinding Wheels
Recommendations on the
class of grinding
wheel to be employed
for tool grinding
have been given elsewhere in the past notably in

Lathe and Shaping Machine Tools The Novices Workshop and The
,
Amateurs Workshop all published by Model & Allied Press Limited.

However, to recapitulate some of the advice given in these
,
manuals,
if
possible a pair of grinding wheels should be provided;
one for rough grinding and forming when needed, the other for
finishing.
For roughing out
a 60 grit
w heel
r
is
commonly employed, whilst

wheel composed of abrasive
on a
grains designated 8 3 grit. If the workshop is normally involved in
the turning of small and delicate components then a ioo grit wheel
may be advisable.
finish grinding is best carried out
Fig. 5
Modified Angular Grinding Rest
SERVICING THE TOOLS
Fig.
5A
Showing the construction
59
of the Rest
Grinding Wheel Speeds

In the small workshop the grinding wheels are usually mounted
on the spindle of a bench machine running at 3,500 r.p.m., the
correct speed for wheels of 6 in. diameter and giving to them a cutting
rate of 5,500 surface feet per minute approximately, this being the
rate commonly recognised as being the most efficient for all general
purposes.
For those who use or contemplate using wheels of a diameter

differing from the example given above, the following table may be of
interest:
Wheel
dia. in
inches
Speed r.p.m.
6,000
45
3,500
2,200
10
i,75
Grinding Tungsten Carbide Tools

Carbide tools cannot be properly ground on the abrasive wheels
normally used with off-hand grinding machines. They can, however,
be sharpened with an abrasive wheel known as a green grit wheel.
THE SHAPING MACHINE
6o
used for rough grinding, and is

followed by a diamond impregnated wheel to impart the fine edge
necessary for some work. Nevertheless, the green grit wheel, if well
lubricated with a thin mineral oil, will provide a sufficiently keen
Industrially a wheel of this type
is
edge for dealing with work in the small workshop.

When grinding tungsten carbide tools one should remember that
the material itself has little mechanical strength. Therefore on no
account should these tools be ground on the rim of the wheel since
grinding in this way produces undercutting that weakens the cutting
edge.
The
friability of the carbide material
makes
a special grinding
which the direction of the wheel is downwards toward the cutting edge and NOT away from it. To achieve
this requirement a cup wheel needs to be used, with a hinged tool
rest set across the face of the wheel and a driving motor that can be
reversed. In this way the tool can be presented in such a way that
the wheel always cuts downwards. A typical grinder used for sertechnique
essential, in
vicing carbide tools
is
illustrated in Fig. 6.
Fig. 6
Fig.
6A
Grinder for Carbide Tools
Showing the Angular Adjustment
for the
Grinding Rest
CHAPTER
Machine
Installing the
whether the shaper
6l
hand or machine powered, it is essential

that the stand prepared for it is strong and capable of holding the
machine firmly. This requirement is particularly important in the
case of hand-powered machines where a firm foundation will make
all the difference between being able to take a heavy cut and being
reduced to
light
is
working only.
When Drummond
Brothers were in production with their shaping
machine it was possible to obtain a heavy cast iron stand for it. This
stand was so designed that the column supporting the machine was
set well back on a footing of quite large area. In this way the stand
itself
could cope with
all
the forces normally acting in a shaping
operation, and the foundation bolts,
the machine in place.
if
used, merely served to retain
The Drummond
pedestal could be obtained
two heights, one for working standing up the other for operating
the machine sitting down.
This was an important alternative provision, and one that had a
profound bearing on the installation generally. Before mounting the
shaper then, one must first decide if it is to be used with the operator
standing or, alternatively, with him sitting. For the first position a
mounting on a work bench of normal height is, for the most part,
quite satisfactory. To obtain a comfortable working height when
sitting however, it is possible to make a 'dummy run with the
machine set up on a wooden box and packed up till the situation is
satisfactory. A firm mounting can then be constructed to suit the
conditions so found. Wooden benching to support machines should
at all times be amply strong and well braced. If the bench is free
standing the legs should be made from 4-in. square material and the
top from 9 in. by 2 in. deal planking. The framing, tenoned into
the leg mortices, should be from if in. to 2 in. thick to allow ample
room for the wooden keys that hold the frame together, as depicted
in
in the illustration Fig.
1.
The upper members of the bench can be made deeper with

advantage. They should be set flush with the top of the legs to allow
THE SHAPING MACHINE
62
Fig.
Detail of
Bench Lower Members
the bench top to be screwed to them.
The arrangement
is
illustrated
in Fig. 2.
members are to be tenoned these will need to be

staggered as depicted at A and B in Fig. 2. It is probably best to
peg the cross members in a short tenon and to confine detachable
tenons to the longitudinal members only.
If all horizontal
Ferro Concrete as a Mounting for the Shaper
The heading
for this part of the chapter
may come
as a surprise to

many
readers.
The
author can assure them, however, that
63
it is
a very
problem of providing adequate support for

a shaping machine, having been used by him to mount the shaper
illustrated in Chapter I, Fig. i. Obviously a ferro-concrete stand
can only be used when the floor of the workshop itself is also made
of concrete, or one is prepared to construct a special foundation for
practical solution to the
the stand.
Assuming
that the floor
is
made
of concrete then the sur-
up by chipping with a cold chisel, this

will provide a key for the new concrete. Next a simple re-inforced
structure of iron pipe or old angle iron will have to be set up and
shuttering assembled to hold the newly poured concrete. The method
face needs first to be broken
is
depicted in the illustration Fig.
The
stand can be tapered as
according to
taste.
3.
shown
in the sketch, or parallel sided
simple template must be prepared to hold
the machine fixing bolts. This
is
nailed to the top of the shuttering
but need not be put in place till the last few inches of concrete are to
be poured and tamped down. The template will, of course, have
provision for doing so.
The
fixing bolts should have square plates about 2 in.
welded or brazed
lifting
it
in.
them; these will prevent the bolts turning or

when the shaping machine itself is set in place.
to
If care is taken to see that the top of the shuttering is

level
by 2
can be used for trowelling
off.
This
square and
will save a deal of subse-
quent work in setting the shaper itself level.

Do not on any account be in a hurry to mount the machine, but
MACHINE
FIXING BOLTS
THE SHAPING MACHINE
64
Fig. 3 A
Ferro Concrete stands in the authors workshop
allow the cement to dry thoroughly before doing so.
The
shuttering
can then be taken away and the column rendered wdth fine concrete
(cement and sharp sand only in the ratio of three of sand to one of
cement)
Two
if this is
thought desirable.
workshop owned by the author

some 40 years ago are seen in the illustration Fig. 3A. These stands
were constructed by the methods just described and must be
considered both neat and effective.
ferro concrete stands in a
Levelling the Machine

It is
always advisable to make sure that the shaping machine
set perfectly level
on whatever mounting
is
provided for
it.
is
Industry
always takes great pains to make sure that the machine tools in their
possession are installed in a level condition; with this proviso satisfied
it is
then possible to set work true on the selected machine by means
of a spirit level only.
A shaping machine is the type of tool that can usefully be operated

in this way, so the small
workshop would do well
shaper installed in the shop

table of the
machine needs
diagrammatically in Fig.
is
perfectly level.
to
any
Accordingly the work
to see that
be tested in the manner depicted
4.
Packing can then be placed under the machine at any points

necessary to render it level. The holding down bolts can then be
tightened and a further check made to see if the work table remains

level; if not,
made
further remedial methods
until the
machine
is
found
to
65
and checks will have

be accurately mounted.
to be
Electrical Installation
While hand-powered shapers, perhaps, need only

system
for
comfortable
their
working,
an
a local lighting
electrically-powered
shock proof wiring system for safety. Modern

self-contained shaping machines, such as those already described,
machine requires
have their driving motors and the attendant switch gear built into
or made part of the main framework as a whole. Accordingly the
the machine itself needs to be properly earthed so that it can be
operated in complete safety.
In the small workshop, where at most two or three tools are in
use at any one time, the electrical supply for the most part will be
This can be fed to

any machine involved through a system of plugs and sockets placed
strategically under the benches supporting the machines themselves.
In the past there has, unfortunately, been some confusion in the
colour marking of electrical cables, particularly those fitted to
equipment coming from abroad. In a bid to end the disparity, agreement has been reached with the European countries to standardise
colours for the live, neutral and earth wires comprising the flex
single phase alternating current at 230-240 volts.
Fig. 4
Levelling the Shaping Machine
THE SHAPING MACHINE
66
New
Old Colours
Colours
Green Yellow
to Earth
Brown to
Live
Blue to
Neutral
Diagram
Fig. 5
of old
and new wiring colours and plug connections
cables available for use with portable

appliances.
As an
equipment such
as
household
aid to the recognition of the identification colouring
by the
British Government showing the correct cable connections to any
plugs to be used. It is assumed of course that the wiring to the
sockets themselves will, as they should be, have been made by a
of the individual wires themselves, a leaflet has been issued
qualified electrician.
In Fig.
5,
the diagram issued by the
Government
is
reproduced.
Here the old colouring is given together with the alternative markings
on the plugs themselves. By comparison the new cable colours are
shown and also the new simplified marking for the plug connecting
pins.
Connecting Plugs Correctly
The
following directions should be followed
when making con-
nections from electrical apparatus:

(1)
Make any
connections in accordance with Fig.
connecting screws are

(2) If
and see
all
tight.
any other colours appear in the cable connected to the
apparatus, consult a qualified electrician before attaching a

plug.
(3)
Never use
(4)
Do
a two-pin plug to connect to a three-way flex.
not use the earth terminal
when connecting
a two-wire
flex to a three-pin plug.

(5) If the
apparatus
is
metal-cased, or has a motor built into
it
in
accordance with some light machine tools, a three-wire flex

should be used connected to a three-pin plug. The only
exception to this requirement is when the apparatus is marked
[nj
which denotes that
require to be earthed.
it is
double insulated and so does not
MOUNTING THE WORK
CHAPTER
67
Mounting the Work

experience in using a shaping machine will very soon reveal that
it is
a tool of
much
versatility,
and that some work, which
at first
might be thought unsuitable to its abilities, is well within the

scope of the performance of any well-designed shaper.
So much can be done with the tool that it is manifestly impossible,
in a short space, to list and describe in some detail all the varying
operations of which the machine is capable. However, in dealing
with some of the standard jobs, with perhaps in addition, a few of
the more unconventional ones, it is hoped that the reader, when he
comes to use his shaping machine, will be in a better position to
exploit its potential more fully. But first of all the subject of holding
the work on the machine must be considered.
sight
Holding the
As, for the most part,
many
Work
of the jobs undertaken in the shaping
machine by amateurs involve small components, holding them is

usually a matter of gripping the parts in an accurate machine vice.
Makers of power-driven shapers appear to consider that the provision
of an accurate vice is an essential prerequisite to the satisfactory
working of their tools, so take steps to see that the equipment
includes an accurate vice designed specifically to fit their particular
machine.
very good example of a purpose-made vice
shaper in the authors workshop. This
The
is
is
that fitted to the
depicted in the illustration
mounted on a base plate (18) that can be

secured to the work table by means of four T-slot bolts. A key (20)
is secured to the underside of the base engaging a keyivay machined
Fig.
1.
vice itself
is
with the middle T-slot of the table itself.

In this way the vice has a datum that wall ensure accurate replacement when for any reason, the vice is removed from the table.
in
it
as ivell as registering
standing jaw of the vice (16) swivels on the base and i6

secured to it by bolts (22) set in a circular T-slot machined in the
The
base.
THE SHAPING MACHINE
68
The
on the fixed jaw and is secured by a

pair of clamps held in place by screws (8). One of the more important
considerations in any machine vice is that the faces of the standing
and moving jaws should remain perfectly parallel when work is
clamped in place. The moving jaw must therefore be free to slide
but must not lift when clamping pressure is applied to it. In the
Acorn Tools vice peel-off shims (6) are provided to make any necessary adjustment, to the clamps and to ensure that the jaw remains
firm and does not lift.
The feed screw (9) for the moving jaw has a square thread and is
provided with end float adjustment. It passes through the feed-screw
support plate (11) and is supported at the opposite end to the plate
by the casting of the vice itself. In conclusion, a word about the jaw
linings (3) and (17). These have smooth faces as befits equipment
sliding
jaw
(3) slides
intended for holding partly finished work.
from unhardened
The
linings are
made
steel.
The Perfecto Vice
The
vice
made
for the Perfecto shaper is illustrated in Fig. 2.
This vice has a jaw width of
The
base
is
3 in.
designed for clamping directly to the work table
Fig. 2
The Perfecto Machine Vice
MOUNTING THE WORK

itself
using dogs.
The
69
jaw moves on a V-slide provided with

the jaw can be eliminated by tightening
sliding
a gib strip, so any shake in
the gib strip adjusting screws.
The Offen Vice

The vice seen in the illustration Fig. 3 is
made expressly for toolmakers. It is intended
component
for use on any machine
tool to which it can be attached satisfactorily, and to this end is
provided with slots all round the base to accommodate any clamping
device that may be available. The base is machined from a solid
block of steel that is subsequently hardened and ground on all faces
20
Fig.
The Acorn Tools Shaper Vice
25-
a precision
THE SHAPING MACHINE
Fig. 3
to ensure the
maximum
The Offen Toolmakers Vice

possible accuracy.
The moving jaw
slides
on an angled and detachable tenon fitted at the factory to close

limits that ensure the moving jaw will not lift when work is clamped
within the vice.
clamp screw
The Offen
mounting
One
interesting point
is
the protector fitted to the
itself.
vice,
being of solid construction,
is
ideally suited for
with the shaping machine itself

Securing it in this way enables the user to machine small components
gripped in the vice often rather more conveniently than by conventional methods.
in the actual vice supplied
MOUNTING THE WORK
71
Fig. 4
Underside
Fig.
of the
Myford Vice
4A
The Myford Machine Vice
The
Eclipse vice
for use in the
made by James
Neill of Sheffield
is
also suitable
manner described above.
For the small shaping machine the inexpensive but thoroughly

practical machine vice marketed by the Myford Engineering Company can be recommended. It was designed for use with the milling
slides supplied by that company, and is of substantial but simple
construction in pursuance of the policy for the production of practical
but reasonably priced fitments. The details of the Myford machine
vice will be apparent from an inspection of the illustration Fig. 4.
As it is sometimes possible to obtain suitable machine vices at
second-hand, it may not be out of place, at this point, to consider
how
they
may be checked
for accuracy. In the first instance
any
second-hand vice being considered for inclusion in the shapers

equipment should first be examined visually. If it exhibits signs of
maltreatment and a generally battered air, the would be purchaser is
advised to reject the vice out of hand unless he feels that provided
the vice is still accurate it could be restored easily from the appearance point of view.
Assuming
that the vice
may now proceed
on
to check
offer passes this first visual test

it
for the
depicted diagrammatically in Fig.
5.
common
In the
faults
first
listed
one
and
place, excessive
shake between the feedscrew and the thread in which it works will
betoken many hours in service. Restoration, here, could well be
outside the capabilities of the prospective buyer.
(1).
THE SHAPING MACHINE
72
(2)
The
standing jaw
is
out of square with the base of the vice.
MOUNTING THE WORK

(3)
The upper
parallel
(4)
73
which work may rest is not

with the bases under surface. This fault may occur in
surface of the base on
two places.
There is excessive lift in the moving jaw. A caveat, however,
must be entered here. In severe cases the fault depicted at (2)
can usually be detected by applying a precision square to the
jaw and measuring with a feeler gauge any gap that is revealed
between the blade of the square and the jaw face. If error is
still suspected it will be necessary to institute a more critical
examination.
The
set
up and
the equipment needed to carry out the test
depicted diagrammatically in Fig.
6.
vice of
known
accuracy
is
is
on the surface plate and a ground parallel gripped in its jaws.

The vice to be tested is set on this parallel which it is made to grip,
a roller being clamped between the vice's moving jaw and the
parallel itself. This procedure ensures that the moving jaw cannot
take charge and throw the vice base out of square with the steel
parallel. When this set-up has been completed a dial indicator is
applied to the base at the points A, B, C and D. It does not signify
if the vice has been set true laterally or not. Provided an indicator
reading at (A) is the same as that at (B), and conversely a reading at
(C) equals that at (D), then the standing jaw can be considered to
be square with the base. The fault (3) can be readily detected by
applying an indicator to the upper surface of the base as demonset
strated in Fig. 7.
An
identical indicator reading at all four points
the accuracy of the vice.
would confirm
the shaping machine
74
Excessive
when
lift
of the
a test piece
is
moving jaws,
fault (4), is easily detectable

placed within the jaws and gripped firmly. Any
can then be estimated by eye. However, a word about the caveat

referred to earlier. There are some vices that have means of holding
lift
down
cannot lift. The vice once fitted to

the Drummond shaper is an example in point. The moving jaw is
slotted and is supplied with a lock consisting of a hexagon-headed
screw passing through the jaw into the base of the vice as depicted
their
moving jaw
so that
it
in the illustration Fig. 8.
This arrangement also takes care of any inequality there may be

in the abutment of the faces of the vice jaws themselves. Indeed, it
allows work that is not parallel to be gripped firmly.
Fig. 9
The use
PARALLELS
of parallels in the
machine
^^^l-^-WORK
vice
MOUNTING THE WORK
r
/
Parallels
W ork to be machined
is
often too shallow to be supported directly
on the base of the vice and has to be raised so that it projects above
the vice jaws. This is the function of the parallels whose name heads
this paragraph. They are lengths of hardened steel of varying crosssectional measurement that can be set, usually in pairs, on the base
of the vice, so that any work resting on these parallels projects above
the vice jaws, as seen in Fig.
As shown
9.
in this illustration,
it
is
advisable to place strips of
paper on the parallels before setting the work in position. In this

way, by pulling the strips, one can check whether the work is seating
correctly. If not it can be tapped down with a lead or raw hide
hammer
remain firm. This procedure is carried

out, of course, with the work gripped firmly between the vice jaws.
As to the parallels themselves, these can conveniently take the
form of the ground steel toolbits obtainable from many merchants.
These bits have a wide range of size, both in length and in cross
section, and appear to be made to close limits of accuracy which fits
them admirably for much of the work undertaken in the shaping
until the paper strips
machine.
Securing the
Work
to the
Machine Table
In addition to holding work in the vice
mount some
parts directly on the
work
it
table
is
often necessary to
itself.
For
this
purpose
provided with either slots or T-slots, or sometimes a

combination of both, through which or into which, bolts are passed
to secure the component being machined. T-slots are machined from
the table
is
solid material, sufficient metal being allowed in the casting in order
to carry this out satisfactorily.
applied to small machine tools
The dimensions
is
of a typical slot as
depicted in Fig. 10. Slots machined
have adequate mechanical strength,

though some fall short in this respect; nevertheless, it pays to take
some elementary precautions to ensure that the slots remain un-
to these proportions usually
damaged when pressure is applied to the T-slots bolts. The bolts are
commonly machined from bar material with heads large enough to
provide an adequate contact area with the underside of the T-slot,
without which damage to the
slot
could easily occur. However
it is
well to initiate action that will help to eliminate any possible trouble.
be secured in the manner

T-slot breakage cannot possibly take place
If work, or a vice for example, can
depicted at (A) in Fig. 11,

because the wings of the slot are help
whereas
at (B) the
metal
is
down by
unsupported and
is
work itself;
being pulled up locally
the
THE SHAPING MACHINE
76
Fig. 11
against
Securing the T-slot
POINTS OF FRACTURE
damage
by the head of the
bolt.
The same
illustrated at (A) in Fig. 12.
Here
possible source of
a strap is holding
down
damage
is
the work-
but the T-slots are unprotected so there is every chance that

both will be damaged. However, all risk of fracture can be removed
by fitting collars over the bolts and holding these collars down with
the nuts seen in the illustration. The metal between the heads of the
bolts and the collars is then in compression and cannot possibly
be damaged.
piece,
Fig. 12
Possible cause of T-slot damage'
Supporting
Work
collars
MOUNTING THE WORK
77
As an
alternative to bolts the devices illustrated in Fig. 13 are

sometimes applicable. At (iV) an ordinary hexagon-head screw is
used in conjunction with a square nut placed in the T-slot. But care
needs to be taken to see that the screw does not foul the base of the
slot, and that there is clearance here when the work is made secure.
A better arrangement which spreads the load on the slot to a
greater degree is depicted at (B). The hexagon screw remains but
the square nut has given place to a block having considerable contact
area and a threaded portion of greater length. These blocks can be
of any convenient dimensions, and are often made to take more than
one screw. They are very suitable for use in somewhat fragile Tslots and are readily machined in the shaper itself.
Securing the Machine Vice
The
supplied by the makers of the shaping
fitting of the vice
machine
itself will
have been seen to by
its
manufacturers.
It is
the
fitment of the smaller vices referred to earlier in the chapter that call
for a
little
comment. For the most part they
with or without
machined
slots for the
are provided with wings,
acceptance of bolts, or have slots
in their bases so that the noses of dogs or
clamps
may be
applied to them.
When
clamps are used
it
may be
employ the fitment

be evident from the
possible to
components will
illustration, but it must be emphasised that the fulcrum screw needs
to be used head down, otherwise the point of the screw may well
indent the work table as soon as pressure is applied by the T-bolt
lock nut. Fittings of this type are of course used in multiple units.
illustrated in
Fig.
14.
Its
THE SHAPING MACHINE
CHAPTER
Some Representative Machine

Operations
AS has
already been
said,
it
is
manifestly impossible to detail the
procedure for every possible machining operation that can be performed in the shaping machine. In this chapter, therefore, it is
proposed to deal with some operations that are representative of the
many machining techniques that may be employed.

As much of the work undertaken involves the use
Fig.
Checking the Vice
of the machine
SOME REPRESENTATIVE MACHINE OPERATIONS
Fig. 2
vice,
it
Dial Indicator
79
Clamp
of the utmost importance to ensure that this fitment
is
set accurately in relation to the ram.
When
the vice assembly
is
is
tenon formed
on its base to assist in rapid accurate replacement when needed, the
makers sometimes leave the engraving of the zero lines on the graduof the type fitted to the
Acorn Tools shaper, and has
ated base to the eventual user of the shaping machine.
Setting the
The checking and
setting
is
Machine Vice
carried out with a dial test indicator
applied to the standing jaw of the vice, the indicator
mounted on the shaping machine ram. In one

indicator
is
being
place the foot of the
passed across the face of the vice jaw by moving the
ram by hand;
in the other the
table cross slide
movement
itself
is
ram remains
stationary whilst the
work
operated again by hand, to provide the necessary
of the vice jaw past the indicator foot. These proce-
dures are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. i.

The dial indicator can most conveniently be attached to the toolpost or even,
by means of
a simple
and
easily
made clamp,
directly
A typical
clamp of this kind is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Its make-up will be evident from this illustration. The body (A)
is fitted with a spigot (B) and a clamp screw (C). The spigot serves
as a support for any ancillary fittings needed to secure the dial
indicator itself. The parts are easily made from the details given in
to the tool itself.
Fig- 3 An alternative
means of mounting the
dial indicator is
in Fig. 4.
Here the Eclipse magnetic base
is
depicted
seen supporting the
THE SHAPING MACHINE
8o
instrument which
machine vice
is
being used to carry out the setting of the
illustrated at (A) in Fig.
i.
The magnetic
base
is
device provided with a powerful magnet system that can be switched
by means of the button seen in Fig. 5 at the centre of the

base itself. The Eclipse equipment is perhaps too costly, and may
be overlarge, for use on the smaller shaping machines in w hich we
are primarily concerned. However, one of the powerful pot magnets,
also made by Eclipse, is quite suitable as an inexpensive substitute
for the larger magnetic base. These magnets have a tapped hole in
their upper surface, the authors example is threaded No. O.B.A.,
and into this hole can be set a spindle of the correct size to accommodate the clamp fittings commonly supplied for use wjth a dial
indicator. As has been said, the magnets are very powerful. The
largest being only 1 in. diameter, they take up little room so can be
used on quite a small flat surface. A typical indicator mounting using
a pot magnet is illustrated in Fig. 6. Having considered the matter of
setting the machine vice accurately we may now proceed to the
on and
off
description of various machining operations.
Squaring the Ends of Shafts

It is often necessary to machine flat surfaces on the end of a
shaft either to allow a spanner to be used on it or to provide a seating
for a handle with which to turn the shaft. The work is held in the
vice, having been first set level on parallels if necessary. Two dimensions need to be maintained; these are,
first,
the length of the
flat
8l
and secondly the measurement across the square itself.

Provided some form of stop can be contrived, the index on the
table feed screw can be used to preserve uniformity in the machined
length. If not the shaft should be coated with blue marking fluid
and marked off to show the limits of the machining. The set up is
illustrated in Fig. 7. The amount of down feed needed to cut the
finished squre to the right size is put on by the tool slide feed screw.
D-A
This amount is calculated from the formula t =
surfaces
Where
is
the diameter of the shaft and
shown
is
the dimension of
diagram Fig. 8. If the shaft is

large it is unlikely that the machining of any one flat surface can be
performed at a single cut. Two or more passes will normally be
required to complete one flat. After the first flat surface has been
shaped the shaft can be turned and set in the correct position for
machining the next flat by means of set square applied to the first
flat. This procedure is followed until all the work has been comthe finished square as
in the
pleted.
Machining the Ends
One
of Shafts
has sometimes to shape the ends of a shaft in order to form a
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Using the Eclipse Magnetic Base
The Eclipse Magnetic Base
82
dog that will fit into a corresponding slot in some other components.
An example in point is depicted diagrammatically in Fig. 9. If the
male component is very short it may be set up in the vice, gripped in
an accurate V-block to ensure that it is upright, and machined with
what amounts to a parting tool and so can cut on both side faces.
Some shaping machines have provision for mounting the vice on
Fig. 6
Indicator mounting
using a pot magnet
Fig. 7
Set up for machining
squares on shafts
Gutting a key in a
gearwheel
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
this facility.
a side
work
table, the
So when the work
mounted
Acorn Tools shaper

is
over long
it
example has
may need holding in
for
vice.
D
If the
keyway cutter
Centring the keyway cutter
(A) Setting the

(B)
the side of the
83
dimensions
shown
in Fig. 9 are
maintained the dog
be formed centrally at the end of the shaft. When actually

carrying out machining of this character, however, the author, for
the most part, leaves an extra o.oio in. on each side of the dog to be
will
finally
removed with
When much
a final cut controlled
by
tool slide feed screw.
material needs removal a pair of roughing out tools,
one right-hand and the other left-hand, will have to be used before
the tool actually depicted in Fig. 9 is brought into play.
Fig.
10A
Set up for cutting an internal key way
THE SHAPING MACHINE
84
Cutting Keyways
The
shaper can be used for the cutting of keyways, both internal
and external. The operation illustrated in Fig. io is the cutting of a

keyway in a small gearwheel. The tool is shown being pushed through
the work, whereas the author prefers to pull
this
is
way
it
through, because in
there can be no possibility of a dig-in. This arrangement
depicted diagrammatically in the illustration Fig. roA.
Small keyways are cut by a tool ground to the width of the actual
keyway required and fed into the work to the correct depth by the
tool slide. In a light machine a wide keyway would need to be
formed
It is
in
two or more
cuts.
always essential to make sure that the keyway
is
machined
While this proviso is not difficult to maintain

when external keyways are involved, it is not so simple to set the
centrally in the work.
tool centrally
when
cutting an internal keyway.
Fig. 12
Run-outs
for external
When
keyways
this process
85
being carried out the keyway must first be marked off. If this work
is performed accurately the tool can be aligned with the lines of the
marking off once the work itself has been set truly in the vice. The
is
procedure
well to scribe centre lines
It is
or a square
work
illustrated in Fig.
is
is
mounted on the
at (A).
on the work
tool can
The
When
required reading
calculation depicted in the diagram Fig.
its
gauge
cutting external
be centred by means of a reading taken with the
cross feed index dial.
Assuming
A surface
vice can then be used to ensure that the
then secured in the vice accurately.
keyways the
itself.
obtained from the
is
at (B).
work
that the tool has been aligned with the
as
shown by
dotted outline, in order to place the toolpoint centrally over the
work
it
must be moved
keyway ^
in.
22
distance^-
for a
Let us suppose a
width has to be cut with a tool of similar width
shaft \ in. dia. then
222
= 0.250"
= 0.212"
-f-
in a
I2 ~*
0.062"
This movement is imparted by the work table feed screw, as has

been said, and is measured by its index dial which is first set at zero
after the side of the tool has been aligned with the work itself in the
manner already
described.
After the tool has been centralised
brought into contact with

the work, the index collar on the tool slide is then set at zero so
that the amount of down feed required to machine the keyway to full
depth can be read off directly.
When internal keyways are being cut, the tool, for the most part,
has a clear passage through the work. Where external keyways are
it is
concerned this facility is not always available: it is therefore necessary

to provide a run out for the tool point, either by drilling a shallow
hole in the work as depicted at (A) in Fig. 12 or by machining an
undercut in the shaft as illustrated at (B). The drilled hole should
be slightly larger than the width of the keyway and somewhat
deeper than its depth. The ram must be set both for position and
stroke to make sure that the point of the tool cannot reach beyond
the half-diameter of the clearance hole.
Gutting Racks
An
operation for which the shaping machine
the cutting of teeth on a rack.
A rack may be
is
very suitable
is
defined as a gear wheel
THE SHAPING MACHINE
86
of infinitely large circumference having a tooth pitch line that

all
intents
and purposes,
flat.
is
for
Racks are used, in conjunction with
gears of a variety of diameter to provide
movement
to parts of
cameras and the like.

In order to cut a rack in the shaping machine a blank is first
prepared and machined in the vice as illustrated in Fig. 13. The
work needs to be flat and mounted in a level manner so that each
tooth in the rack can be cut to a uniform size.
Two distinct measurements govern the size of the finished rack
tooth which, in contradistinction to teeth in a gear wheel, is straight
sided and has an included angle of 29 degrees. The measurements
scientific instruments,
concerned
are:
Fig. 14
Proportions of a Rack

(a)
The
distance between the centres of one tooth
87
and the tooth
called the circular pitch.
adjacent to
it,
The depth
of the teeth themselves called the whole depth of
b)
(1
tooth.
These
When
is
details are represented diagrammatically in Fig. 14.
shaping machine, circular pitch
cutting a rack in the
by the work
controlled
table feed screw, the distances being
read off on the feed screw index
The whole depth

required to produce
dial.
of tooth, that
is
amount of
the
tool
down
feed
read off from the tool slide feedscrew index
it is
dial.
In both cases the
should be
dials
set to zero after
each measure-
ment has been made, otherwise error may creep in if one attempts
to add successive measurements together.
The figures required for the maching of a rack are for the most
part obtainable from tables, providing, of course, that the pitch of
the gear, with which the rack is to be made, can be recognised.
Measuring the distance from the centre of one tooth to the next
on the pitch line needs special equipment not generally available in
the small workshop. However, for all practical purposes this lack is
of
little
moment
since a simple calculation will furnish the figure
for circumferential pitch
we
require.
assumed that the gear to mate with the rack is available for
measurement. This being so it can be used to find the circumferential
pitch of its teeth by measuring its outside diameter and employing
It is
the figure obtained in the following formula:
OP
N+
where
OD is
2
0.3183 X
the outside diameter of the gear and
teeth in the gear.
To
take a concrete example,
N is the number of
let
us suppose that a
gear having 30 teeth and an overall diameter of 2 in.
is
involved.
Then:
2
o- 3
18 3
(30
+ 2)
o -3 i8 3
32
IO.186
0.189"
This
is
the
Circular Pitch
amount the work must be moved between the cutting
THE SHAPING MACHINE
Fig. 15
Using the gearwheel

as a template
of successive rack teeth.
Having found
this figure the
whole depth
of the teeth can be calculated.
Now
the whole depth of tooth
is
given by:
Circular Pitch
0.6866
0.6866
0.130"
so 0.189
being the amount the tool must be fed into the work by the
tool slide feed screw.
this
Fig. 16
Group
of
V-blocks
What
of the tool
89
We
have already seen that a rack tooth is

straight sided and that it has an included angle of
29 degrees so,
provided that this angle is maintained when grinding it, a suitable
itself.
tool for cutting the required rack can be produced.
however, with the problem of how thick to make

practical purposes this matter can be resolved if
wheel is used as a template and the tool ground
width (A) coincides with that of the base of the gap
We
are
left,
the tool. For
all
the mating gear

so that
its
point
between the gear
teeth as depicted in Fig. 15. The included angle of

29 degrees
in the diagram must, of course, be maintained.
shown
Gutting Gear Teeth

This is work that can be carried out in the shaping machine but
involves the use of a dividing head whose cost could hardly be
justified unless much work needing such equipment was contemplated. In any case the class of gear cutting usually undertaken in
the small workshop is best carried out in the lathe.
V-Blocks
One
of the
more common operations
for
which the shaper
is
the machining of V-blocks either singly or in pairs.
suitable
is
Readers
will
not need reminding that V-blocks are essential equipment for many purposes around the workshop so the ability to make
them
for oneself is of
some advantage.
group of special blocks
THE SHAPING MACHINE
9o
Fig. 20
Machining Dovetails
made by
Fig. 19
Machining Dovetails
the author are seen in the illustration Fig. 16, whilst the
may
This view depicts the blocks being

machined in pairs. As will be seen, the tool slide has been set over
at an angle to the vertical. This angle is of course half the included
angle of the finished block, usually 90 degrees, so the tool slide needs
to be set at 45 degrees each side of the vertical. The clapper box,
however does not require to be swivelled as no overhung surface is
set-up
be seen in Fig.
17.
involved in the operation.
When making
V-blocks one may, with advantage
first
out in order to show the extent of the machining. Then,
mark them
if
the block
can be removed with a hacksaw, leaving

the balance to be cleaned up in the shaping machine. Some workers
prefer to provide a run-out for the tool at the bottom of the Vee.
is
large, surplus material
This
is
The run-out need only be

in. wide, and can easily be made by a parting tool
cuts are given to the surface of the Vee itself. The
a practice
narrow, say
before the final
with
many
advantages.
by the author to the shaping machine

in his workshop is a piece of equipment that materially assists in the
machining of components such as V-blocks.
automatic down-feed
fitted
91
Machining T-slots
The amateur worker
sometimes called upon to form T-slots

in various pieces of equipment. While the process is, perhaps, more
comfortably performed by a milling operation when apparatus for
the process is available, T-slots can be machined in the shaping
is
machine.
The
slot is
shaped in three separate
stages. First a slot is
using a parting tool fed in vertically. In a small shaper this

that needs to be carried out in stages with the clapper
box
made
is
work
free to
on the return stroke of the ram.

The wings of the T-slot are cut with the cranked tool seen in the
illustration Fig. 18. The tool is used with the clapper box locked, so
by turning it round in the toolpost, the tool can be employed to
form either the right or left-hand wing since it will cut equally well
on the back stroke when reversed.
The size of the cranked tool must, of course, be tailored to allow
lift
it
to pass into the slot
fed sideways
till
made
the wing
need to be carried out in
is
initially in
the work.
fully formed; this
The
tool is then
procedure
may
also
stages.
Shaping Machine Slides
One
of the advantages to be had from the shaper
with which
it
may be used
is
the facility
to plane the slides of various
machine
components. Readers will be familiar with the cross-section of the

common machine slide; these take the form of dovetails, one fitting
within the other. The set-up for machining the dovetails is illustrated
in Fig. 19
The
box
is
and
Fig. 20.
tool slide is set over to the angle required
and the clapper
swivelled or tilted in the direction of the angle of the surface
being machined. This will ensure that the tool cannot jam on the
idle stroke.
The shape
illustrations.
of the tool needed will be apparent from the
THE SHAPING MACHINE
92
CHAPTER
10
The Lathe as Shaping Machine

There are sometimes small jobs of a character akin to shaping
that might with advantage be carried out with the work still mounted
in the lathe. The cutting of an internal keyway is an example in point.
This is an operation that may be performed with a suitably shaped
tool caught in a boring bar mounted on the lathe top-slide. The tool
is set on the centre line of the lathe and pulled through the work by
moving the saddle along the lathe bed, the depth of cut being controlled by the cross-slide feed screw. The process is analagous to
the treatment already described
when
key ways in the shaping machine.

The simple set up is depicted in Fig.
The
parallel
dealing with the cutting of
1.
use of the lathe saddle alone limits the operator to keyways
with the axis of the
top slide for imparting
lathe. It is therefore better to
movement
use the
to the cutting tool; in this
way
keyways on the taper can be formed when needed by simply turning

the slide to the desired angle. As before, the cross-slide feed screw
controls the depth of cut which in the interests of comfortable
working should be limited to some 0.001 to 0.002 in. per stroke
Fig.
kwj
Simple
set
up for keyway cutting
Fig. 2
Shaping equipment
The equipment
lathe, the
fitted to a
illustrated in Fig. 2
Winfield Lathe
was once
fitted to a
Winfield
forerunner of the Myford products incidentally, and has
since been modified for use
The attachment
on
ML 7 lathe.
These are the fulcrum

plate A supporting the operating lever B and a connecting rod C
attached to the lever and the top slide by suitable fitments. As
consists of but
Fig. 3
few
parts.
Parts of the equipment
JBL
.1
Change Wheel and Detent Fitted
depicted in Fig.
position
Aw
10 Lathe
lever is adjustable for
by means of a fork attached to

place of the feed screw, which is, of course, removed
the device
is
is
used.
slide is of substantial construction
mount improvised
vertically
to
will.
When the top

to
mounted on the
connection to the top slide
the slide in
when
the clamp
ML
'
and enables both the stroke and the leverage obtainable
be varied at
The
3,
to the
SI
it
Fig. 4
m-'
and fed
fittings that will
to the
it
may be
possible
allow a tool to be secured
work under controlled conditions. In
Details of the
Mandrel Extension
30
CONE
this
tommy
Fig.
4B
bar
95
2 off
Alternative forms of Mandrel Extension
forming of simple flat surfaces on components,

or the squaring of the ends of shafts, can be carried out as required.
Such operations of course call for the use of dividing equipment,
way such work
as the
however, simple, that
may be
of divisions required are few.
Fig. 7
attached to the lathe and the
The
easiest
way
number
to ensure accurate
Holder for keyway cutting tool
Fig. 5 Shaping equipment

fitted to a Drummond Lathe
Fig. 6
Component with
opposing keyways
THE SHAPING MACHINE
96
Fig. 8
Machining a transverse
dividing in the lathe
number
is
to
slot in the
make use
Drummond
of a change wheel having a
of teeth that can be divided equally by the
As only
Lathe
number
of divi-
4 and possibly 6 divisions are needed,

either a 40-tooth or a 6o-tooth change wheel will suffice. In practice
the change wheel is mounted on an extension to the lathe mandrel
itself. A typical arrangement is depicted in the illustration Fig. 4,
sions required
ML 10.
2,
Here the change wheel

Fig. 9
is
mounted on an adapter having
Set up for cutting a ring gear in the lathe

made
push
97
mandrel and is expanded by a

tapered bolt that causes the adapter to grip both the bore of the
hollow mandrel and the change wheel simultaneously A detent,
attached to the change cover on the lathe, engaged the indexing
wheel which is marked off at the correct intervals for the number of
divisions required For example, let us suppose that four separate
areas of machining have to be carried out, all at right angles to one
another; then, assuming a 40-tooth wheel is being used for indexing,
every tenth tooth space will be marked and the detent engaged with
each mark in turn as the machining proceeds.
The details of the mandrel extension are given in the drawing
Fig. 4A. The particular extension shown is one fitted by the author
10 lathe. However, the information given on the
to the Myford
drawing should enable any reader interested to work out for himself
any modifications needed to adapt the device to another make of
spigot that
is
fit
in the
ML
lathe.
An
right
exploded view of a similar mandrel extension
hand
illustration of Fig. 4B.
The
is
given in the
extension depicted in the
upper illustration is a rather more advanced device providing means

of expanding the seating for the change wheel as that of the extension
adapter as a whole.
in.
An interesting, somewhat improvised, set up applied to a
Drummond lathe is illustrated in Fig. 5. The shaping equipment is
3-0-
Fig. 10
Close-up of the work
THE SHAPING MACHINE
98
depicted machining the opposing key ways in the component seen

in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7
and
The
is
tool
used
is
mounted
in the holder illustrated in
of a type referred to earlier in the chapter.
Those readers who know the
Drummond
lathe well will not
need
reminding of the essential sturdiness of many of its component parts.

This is particularly true of the top slide which is a robust and well
engineered unit having in addition, a form of tool clamp, that makes
tool height adjustment a simple and rapid procedure. For this
reason the Drummond top slide has much versatility, as may be
gathered from the illustration Fig. 8.
Index
Acorn Tools Power Shaper, 26, 34
Acorn Tools Shaper Tool Slide,
43
Acorn Tools Vice,
67, 68
Additions to the Machine, 43, 53
Adjusting
the
Ram Position,
3
29,
17
12,
American Pattern Tool Holder, 19

Angle Plate, 15
Angles, Clearance and Rake, 38
Angular Rest, 56-57
Apron, 21
Arm, Driving, 48
Automatic Feed, 9, 22, 24
Automatic Feed Detent, 53
Automatic Feed, Drummond, 19, 27
Automatic Feed, Tool Slide, 27,
46-53
Elevating Gear, Work Table, 32

English Pattern Clapper Box, 12
English Pattern Tool Holder, 19
Extension, Mandrel, 96
External Key ways, Tool for, 40
Feed, Automatic, 9, 22, 24
Feed Screw, 18, 22

Feed Screw Handle, 44-45
Ferro Concrete Stands, 62-64
Fixed Head Shaper, 18
Gear, Quadrant, 47-48
Gib
Strip
Lock
Screw's, 45
Grinding and Honing, 56-57

Grinding Swan-necked Tools, 57
Grinding Tungsten Carbide Tools,.
Work Table Feed, 31-32

Bed, 21
Bench Grinder, Electric, 56
Bench Shaper, Drummond, 18
Benching, Wooden, 61-62
Blocks, V, 89-90
Bolts, T-Slot, 75
Box, American Pattern Clapper, 12
Box Bed, 24
Box, Clapper, 10-11, 22, 21, 42
Box, English Pattern Clapper, 12
Box, Locking the Clapper, 12-14
Bracket, Quadrant Gear, 49-51
Bracket, Rack, 51-53
Breakage, T-Slot, 75, 77
Automatic
59
Grinding Wheels, 58-59
Ground Steel Toolbits, 75

Hand Powder Machines, 15-22
Handle, Feed Screw, 44-45
High-Speed
Steel Tools, 55
Installation, Electrical, 65-66

Installing the Machine, 61-66
Internal Keyway Tool, 40

Jack Screw, 11
Jack, Thrust, 32
Key-way Cutting Tools, 37-40
Keyways, Cutting 84-85, 92
Checking a Second-hand Vice, 71-74

Circular Pitch, 87
Clapper, 13
Clapper Box, 10-11,
Drummond Automatic Feed, 19

Drummond Bench Shaper, 18
Drummond Machine Vice, 19
Eclipse Machine Vice, 71
Eclipse Magnetic Base, 79-80
Electric Motor Drive, 33-34
Electrical Installation, 65-66
Adjusting the Ram Stroke, 28, 29

Adjustment, Connecting Rod, 48
Adjustment, Work Table, 32
American Pattern Clapper Box,
Dial Indicator, 79
Disc Crank, 28
Dog Clutch, 24
Knee, 8, 1 1, 18
Knife Tools, 36
Lantern, 12, 13
13,
17,
22, 42
Clapper Box, Locking the, 38
Clearance and Rake Angles, 38
Clement, Joseph, 8
Clutch, Dog, 24
Connecting Plugs Correctly, 66
Connecting Rod, 47-4S
Connecting Rod Adjustment, 48
Crank, Disc, 28
Crank, Overhang, 28
Detent, Automatic Feed, 53
21,
Lathe
as
Shaping Machine, the 92-98
Lead Screw, 14
Levelling the Machine, 64-66
Link, Ratchet, 18, 19
Lock Screws, Gib strip, 45
Locking the Clapper Box, 38
Machine, Additions to the, 43-53
61-66
64-66
Shaping, 91
Machine, Installing
Machine, Levelling
the,
the,
Machine Slides,
Machine Vice, 15
Machine Vice, Acorn Tools, 67-68
INDEX
Machine
Machine
Machine
Machine
Machine
Machine
Machine
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Drummond, 19
the Eclipse, 71
The Myford, 71
The
Offen, 69-70
Perfecto, 68-69
Securing the, 77
Setting the, 79-80
Machines, Hand Power, 15-22

Machines, Power Driven, 23-34
Machining the ends of Shafts, 81-83
Magnets, Pot, 80
Mandrel Extension, 96
Melhuish, Richard, 15
Motor Drive, Electric, 33-34
Mounting the Work, 67-68
Murray, Matthew, 8
Myford Machine Vice, 71
Offen Machine Vice, 69-70
Operating Speeds, 26
Overhung Crank, 28
Parallels, 75
Pawl-and-Ratchet System, 46
Perfecto Hand Shaper, 21-22
Perfecto Machine Vice, 68-69
Perfecto Power Shaper, 24-26
Pot Magnets, 80
Quadrant Gear, 47-48

Quadrant Gear Bracket, 49-51
Rack, 47-49
Rack Bracket, 51-53
Racks, Cutting, 95-89
8, 9, 11, 17, 21, 34, 28, 31
Position, Adjusting the, 28-31
Stroke, Adjusting the, 28-29
Speeds, Grinding Wheel, 59

Speeds, Operating, 26
Stands, Ferro Concrete, 62-64
Striker, 18, 20
Surface Finishing Tool, 38
Swan-necked Tools, 35
Table, Work, 11-12
Thrust Jack, 32
Toolbits, Ground Steel, 75
Tool Holder, American Pattern, 19
Tool Holder, English Pattern, 19
Tool, Keyway Cutting, 37
Tool, Knife, 36
Tool, Roughing Out, 36-37
Tool Slide, 9-10, 11, 17, 21, 43
Automatic
Feed
'Pools,
for,
T-Slot Bolts, 75
T-Slot Breakage, 75
T-Slot, Machine, 91
Grinding
59
V-Blocks, 89-90
Vice, Acorn Tools Machine, 67-68
Rod, Connecting, 47-48

Roughing Out Tool, 36-37
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Vice,
Saddle, 20, 21
Sawing Tools, 42
Screw, Feed, 18, 22
Screw, Jack, 11
Screw, Lead, 14
a,
Sawing, 42
Tools, Servicing the, 54-60

Tools, Shaping Machine, 35-42
Tools, Special Purpose, 39-42
Tools, Surface- Finishing, 38
Tools, Swan-necked, 35
T-Slots, 75, 76
Tungsten Carbide, 55
Tungsten Carbide Tools,
Ratchet, 20
Ratchet Link, 18, 19
Ratchet Wheel, 53
Rest, Angular Grinding, 56-57
Roberts, Richard, 8
Second-hand Vice, Checking
n, 17, 21
Special Purpose Tools, 39-42
Speeds, Cutting, 34
Tools, Crank, 36
Tools, Grinding Swan-necked, 57
Tools, High-Speed Steel, 55
Power Driven Machines, 23-34

Power Shaper, Acorn Tools, 26-34
Ram,
as,
Slide, Tool, 9-10,
Tool Slide,
46-53
Pitch, Circular, 87
Plate, Angle, 15
Ram
Ram
Shaping Machine, Cowell, 19-22

Shaping Machine, the Lathe
92-98
Shaping Machine Slides, 91
Shaping Machine Tools, 35-42
71-74
Securing the Machine Vice, 77

Self- Act, the 14
Servicing the Tools, 54, 60

Setting the Machine Vice, 79-80
Shafts, Machining the ends of, 81-83
Shafts, Squaring the ends of, 80-81
Shaper, Fixed Head, 18
Checking
Eclipse
a Second-hand, 71-74
Machine, 71
Machine, 15
Myford Machine, 71
Offen Machine, 69-70
Wheel, Ratchet, 53
Wheels, Grinding, 58-59
Wheels, Grinding Speeds, 59
Whitworth, Joseph, 8
Wooden Benching, 61-62
Work, Mounting the 67-78
Work Table, 11-12, 21

Work Table Feed, Automatic, 31-32
Work Table Adjustment, 32
Work Table Elevating Gear, 32

The Shaping Machine

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The Shaping Machine

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TECHNICAL PUBLICATION

THE SHAPING MACHINE

a triumvirate by Ian Bradley dealing with

machines used in the workshop which have

resentative machining operations.

ISBN 0 85242 323 3

MODEL & /ALLIED PUBLICATIONS

MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS

Road, Kings Langley

Allied Publications Ltd.

First Published 1973

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY

HISTORICAL ASPECTS AND GENERAL

The Clapper Box

The Knee and Work Table

Locking the Clapper Box

HAND POWER MACHINES

The Drummond Hand Bench Shaper

The Cowell Shaping Machine

POWER DRIVEN MACHINES

Perfecto Automatic Feed

The Automatic Feed

The Acorn Tools

Adjusting the Position of the

Work Table Feed

Work Table Adjustment

THE SHAPING MACHINE

SHAPING MACHINE TOOLS

The Roughing Out Tool

Keyway Cutting Tool

Surface Finishing Tools

Special Purpose Tools

Tool for External Key way Cutting

Tool for Cutting Internal Key ways

Tools for Sawing

ADDITIONS TO THE MACHINE

The Feed Screw Handle

Gib Strip Lock Screws

Quadrant Gear Bracket

The Ratchet Wheels and Accompanying

SERVICING THE TOOLS

Grinding and Honing

Grinding Swan-neck Tools

Grinding Wheel Speeds

Grinding Tungsten Carbide Tools

INSTALLING THE MACHINE

Ferro Concrete as a Mounting for the Shaper

Levelling the Machine

Connecting Plugs Correctly

MOUNTING THE WORK

The Offen Vice

Securing the Machine Vice

SOME REPRESENTATIVE MACHINE

Holding the Work

Squaring the Ends of Shafts

Machining the Ends of Shafts

Cutting Gear Teeth

Shaping Machine Slides

THE LATHE AS SHAPING MACHINE

In an attempt, therefore, to redress the imbalance the author

also will find

THE SHAPING MACHINE

The Shaping Machine - General Description

machine is an iron casting supporting