New machine added to the shop (Atlas 7b Shaper)

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Well, here she is...needed a shaper and got lucky and found this one for a good price.  It was pretty grungy with dried oil, grease, and sawdust when I got it.  Most of it wouldn't move smoothly, so I started pulling things apart and dropping them into the heated sonic cleaner.  Got everything moving again, then took some Simple Green purple and a toothbrush to the outside.  I don't think I'm going to paint this one at all...it's got some chips out of the enamel, but all in all, it's in really good shape.Here's the pics:--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:That is just too cute ...I would leave it alone after clean up What did you pay for it ?Backed my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:What does it do?
Reply:i have one of those,  i thought i would use it more,  but after 4 years I think ive used it a couple times,  and one of those i would have been easier to use the bridgeport,  but i used it just to use it.XMT 350 MPa, w/D52-DTA 185 TSWHarris of
Reply:Nice little shaper, have fun with it!LarryMiller XMT 304 CC/CVSyncrowave 180 SDLincoln PowerMig 255XTTermalDynamics 52Lincoln 305GComlpete machine shop to back it up
Reply:Originally Posted by killdozerd11That is just too cute ...I would leave it alone after clean up What did you pay for it ?
Reply:Originally Posted by paulxpowersWhat does it do?
Reply:Originally Posted by sjamesi have one of those,  i thought i would use it more,  but after 4 years I think ive used it a couple times,  and one of those i would have been easier to use the bridgeport,  but i used it just to use it.
Reply:Real nice to broach key ways with
Reply:Originally Posted by paulxpowersWhat does it do?
Reply:Nice looking little shaper.I like shapers and planers,despite their time consuming nature.For the hobbyist,the shaper can be an inexpensive means of"shaping" metal.You can grind  your own inexpensive HSS cutting tools and sharpen them over and over,as opposed to buying expensive end mills for a bridgeport.You can also do something else while the machine is making a cut,although they are rather fun to watch.I do wish I had a larger shaper.Miller a/c-d/c Thunderbolt XLMillermatic 180 Purox O/ASmith Littletorch O/AHobart Champion Elite
Reply:Originally Posted by aametalmasterNice machine Wintermute. Not to hijack your thread and to answer this question here is what my South Bend 7" does. And i do love running it...Bob
Reply:Here is my shaper. I got it minus the stand 3 blocks from my house. I looked for years for a reasonable priced one and all of them were 3 times what i payed. Then i say a guy at a car show and he said i have a small shaper i want to sell and i said i will look at it. So i went in his garage and sitting on the floor with a dusty trash bag over it was this fine little SB and it was all there. So i gave him the asking 300 bucks and hauled it home. It sat in my basement for about 4 years then one day i got the bug and built the stand. All the shaper needed was 2 new belts and new wires because the old stuff was dry rotted. I use it quite a bit but i don't want to wear it out since it really was so nice. I just wish i knew more history of it but SBL never kept any records of the shapers or drill presses for that matter...Bob Attached ImagesBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Very nice machine   Love old south bend stuff.  Thanks for posting the pic Bob.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:A saying I've heard:"With a shaper, you can make anything you want, except money."I really enjoy that shapers use very inexpensive tooling.  HSS blanks are great and they last forever (read: a long time) if you know how to grind them.
Reply:Originally Posted by FegenbushA saying I've heard:"With a shaper, you can make anything you want, except money."
Reply:Logan 8". I have one of the old 7" pre WWII versions. Table support not shown on your picture(s), side T-slots on the table, elevation and a bit more stroke would be the major differences. Next time I head down to the shop I'll get a couple pics for ya'.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Those are nice little machines. Mine is a 24" Cincinatti and not nearly that prettyLincolin Power Wave 450, Lincoln Powermig 255, Lincoln Pro Mig 140, Lincoln Squarewave Tig 275, Miller Big 40 G(with Hobart Hefty suitcase), Thermal Arc 95S and Esab PCM875 in an already full machine shop.
Reply:Speaking of a Cincinatti, I tore the vise off one at the scrap yard for a friend's Carlton radial drill press. For a size comparison...those are drywall mud buckets in the shot. Attached ImagesLincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by FegenbushA saying I've heard:"With a shaper, you can make anything you want, except money."I really enjoy that shapers use very inexpensive tooling.  HSS blanks are great and they last forever (read: a long time) if you know how to grind them.
Reply:I was looking for a custom 6 spline broach...cheapest I could find it was $600...definitely not cost effective for making less than a few hundred parts with it.  With the shaper I can make the parts when I need them and not having to buy just that one broach takes $600 away from the price I paid for the machine.  I don't expect to make money with my machine, I do however expect it to save me money in the long run over buying custom tooling when I just need to make 10 or so parts.I also think a shaper can cut a square inside corner or an internal spline much better than a mill can --Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Its hard to slam a machine that does a job well and is dirt cheap to operate even if it is slow. Sure, the day of using shapers in a production environment passed as soon as vertical milling machines came into their own, but for a small shop fabricating onesies-twosies, or for that matter 10-20, the sun hasn't yet set on a shaper's usefulness.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Those are very cool....look up tubalcain or Mrpette on youtube... he found a small shaper that someone built from scratch, everything except the motor is hand made, even with power feed....I'll see if I can find...Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:That shaper is in beautiful shape wintermute! Be careful, shapers can be addicting and turn users into shaper-holics...They are not used here in the the states but they are still made and fairly common in India and asia. I mostly use mine to square small things & producing flat features on things while running off and doing something else. An added but often overlooked benefit is things that are planed or shaped warp less than milled parts do, or often don't warp at all.Have fun!Matt