Shaper

In machining, 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.
 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 wood shaper is a functionally different

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 tool paths, as
also done in helical planing.

Process
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 vise
or clamped directly on the table. The table
may be supported at the outer end. The
ram reciprocates and the cutting tool, held
in the 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
and the return stroke remains idle. The
return is governed by a quick return
mechanism. The depth of the cut
increments by moving the workpiece, and
the workpiece is fed by a 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 that the drive

arm revolves through a smaller angle
on 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 flexibility, coupled with
the use of specialized cutters and
toolholders, enables the operator to cut
internal and external gear teeth.
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
return stroke is governed by a quick return
mechanism.

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).
Smoothing 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 (http://shopswar
f.orcon.net.nz/b/sh.html) Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/2005083112305
2/http://shopswarf.orcon.net.nz/b/sh.htm
l) 2005-08-31 at the Wayback Machine

2. Hackett, Donald F.; Spielman, Patrick E.

(1968). "Modern wood technology" (https://
books.google.com/books?id=mvlTAAAAM
AAJ&q=Samuel+Bentham+Shaper) .

3. Roe 1916, p. 92 (https://books.google.co

m/books?id=X-EJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA92) .
Bibliography
Roe, Joseph Wickham (1916), English
and American Tool Builders (https://book
s.google.com/books?id=X-EJAAAAIAAJ
&printsec=titlepage) , New Haven,
Connecticut: Yale University Press,
LCCN 16011753 (https://lccn.loc.gov/16
011753) . Reprinted by McGraw-Hill,
New York and London, 1926 (LCCN 27-
24075 (https://lccn.loc.gov/2702407
5) ); and by Lindsay Publications, Inc.,
Bradley, Illinois (ISBN 978-0-917914-73-
7).
External links
Lathes.co.uk information archive on
hand-powered shapers (http://www.lath
es.co.uk/adeptshaper/)
YouTube video of shaper mechanism (ht
tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga8y
oLfB-1U)
YouTube video of a vintage shaper in
action (https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=QtA5KuV7ahs)
YouTube video of a newly built hobbyist
shaper in action (https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=JZdbNWoySo0)
 Various Types of Shaper Tools (https://
www.educationdiscussion.com/types-of
-shaper-tools/)

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Shaper&oldid=1178723809"

This page was last edited on 5 October 2023, at

13:14 (UTC). •
Content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless
otherwise noted.