Shaper

Shaper tool slide, clapper box and cutting tool

Shaper with boring bar setup to allow cutting of
internal features, such as keyways, or even shapes
that might otherwise be cut with wire EDM.

A shaper is a type of machine tool that

uses linear relative motion between the
workpiece and a single-point cutting tool
to machine a linear toolpath. Its cut is
analogous to that of a lathe, except that it
is (archetypally) linear instead of helical.

A wood shaper is a similar woodworking

tool, typically with a powered rotating
cutting head and manually fed workpiece,
usually known simply as a shaper in North
America and spindle moulder in the UK.
A metalworking shaper is somewhat
analogous to a metalworking planer, with
the cutter riding a ram that moves relative
to a stationary workpiece, rather than the
workpiece moving beneath the cutter. The
ram is typically actuated by a mechanical
crank inside the column, though
hydraulically actuated shapers are
increasingly used. Adding axes of motion
to a shaper can yield helical toolpaths, as
also done in helical planing.

Working Principle of Shaper

A single point cutting tool is rigidly held in
the tool holder, which is mounted on the
ram. The work piece is rigidly held in a vice
or clamped directly on the table. The table
may be supported at the outer end. The
ram reciprocates and thus cutting tool
held in tool holder moves forwards and
backwards over the work piece. In a
standard shaper, cutting of material takes
place during the forward stroke of the ram
the backward stroke remains idle. This is
obtained by "Quick Return Mechanism".
The depth of the cut is adjusted by moving
the tool downwards towards the
workpiece. The feed motion is given to the
workpiece and follows the "Pawl and
Ratchet mechanism".
Types
Shapers are mainly classified as standard,
draw-cut, horizontal, universal, vertical,
geared, crank, hydraulic, contour and
traveling head,[1] with a horizontal
arrangement most common. Vertical
shapers are generally fitted with a rotary
table to enable curved surfaces to be
machined (same idea as in helical
planing). The vertical shaper is essentially
the same thing as a slotter (slotting
machine), although technically a
distinction can be made if one defines a
true vertical shaper as a machine whose
slide can be moved from the vertical. A
slotter is fixed in the vertical plane

Operation

Shaper linkage. Note the drive arm revolves less for

the return stroke than for the cutting stroke, resulting
in a quicker return stroke and more powerful cutting
stroke.

The workpiece mounts on a rigid, box-

shaped table in front of the machine. The
height of the table can be adjusted to suit
this workpiece, and the table can traverse
sideways underneath the reciprocating
tool, which is mounted on the ram. Table
motion may be controlled manually, but is
usually advanced by an automatic feed
mechanism acting on the feedscrew. The
ram slides back and forth above the work.
At the front end of the ram is a vertical tool
slide that may be adjusted to either side of
the vertical plane along the stroke axis.
This tool-slide holds the clapper box and
tool post, from which the tool can be
positioned to cut a straight, flat surface on
the top of the workpiece. The tool-slide
permits feeding the tool downwards to
deepen a cut. This adjustability, coupled
with the use of specialized cutters and tool
holders, enable the operator to cut internal
and external gear tooth

The ram is adjustable for stroke and, due

to the geometry of the linkage, it moves
faster on the return (non-cutting) stroke
than on the forward, cutting stroke. This
action is via a slotted link (or Whitworth
link).

Uses
The most common use is to machine
straight, flat surfaces, but with ingenuity
and some accessories a wide range of
work can be done. Other examples of its
use are:

Keyways in the boss of a pulley or gear

can be machined without resorting to a
dedicated broaching setup.
Dovetail slides
Internal splines and gear teeth.
Keyway, spline, and gear tooth cutting in
blind holes
Cam drums with toolpaths of the type
that in CNC milling terms would require
4- or 5-axis contouring or turn-mill
cylindrical interpolation
 It is even possible to obviate wire EDM
work in some cases. Starting from a
drilled or cored hole, a shaper with a
boring-bar type tool can cut internal
features that don't lend themselves to
milling or boring (such as irregularly
shaped holes with tight corners).
Smoothness of a rough surface

History
Samuel Bentham developed a shaper
between 1791 and 1793.[2] However, Roe
(1916) credits James Nasmyth with the
invention of the shaper in 1836.[3] Shapers
were very common in industrial production
from the mid-19th century through the
mid-20th. In current industrial practice,
shapers have been largely superseded by
other machine tools (especially of the CNC
type), including milling machines, grinding
machines, and broaching machines. But
the basic function of a shaper is still
sound; tooling for them is minimal and
very cheap to reproduce; and they are
simple and robust in construction, making
their repair and upkeep easily achievable.
Thus they are still popular in many
machine shops, from jobbing shops or
repair shops to tool and die shops, where
only one or a few pieces are required to be
produced and the alternative methods are
cost- or tooling-intensive. They also have
considerable retro appeal to many
hobbyist machinists, who are happy to
obtain a used shaper or, in some cases,
even to build a new one from scratch.

See also
Planer (metalworking)

References
1. Shaper Mechanism Types Archived
2005-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
2. Hackett, Donald F.; Spielman, Patrick E.
(1968). "Modern wood technology" .
3. Roe 1916, p. 92 .

Bibliography
 Roe, Joseph Wickham (1916), English
and American Tool Builders , New Haven,
Connecticut: Yale University Press,
LCCN 16011753 . Reprinted by McGraw-
Hill, New York and London, 1926
(LCCN 27-24075 ); and by Lindsay
Publications, Inc., Bradley, Illinois,
(ISBN 978-0-917914-73-7).

External links
Lathes.co.uk information archive on
hand-powered shapers
YouTube video of shaper mechanism
YouTube video of a vintage shaper in
action
 YouTube video of a newly built hobbyist
shaper in action
Various Types of Shaper Tools

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Shaper&oldid=910412059"

Last edited 4 months ago by Ira Leviton

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.