Metal shaper

**HandymanNSons** · Oct 14, 2019, 07:23 PM

Who needs a mill when you have a shaper!
AWESOME JOB!

**Vyacheslav.Nevolya** · Oct 15, 2019, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Crusty

Is there a floating link (like in the Gingery shaper) that attaches the yoke to the ram and changes to compensate for the changing distance or is some other method used?

Yes, there a floating link. This mechanism is not yet built, which is why I am not showing it. In the next part, I'll show you everything.

**Crusty** · Oct 15, 2019, 06:03 PM

Something I've been thinking about to deal with that problem is to make the bottom pivot a fixed bearing and the yoke (I call it a yoke for simplicity but I realize it's actually a Whitworth mechanism) extends lower beyond the bearing and it rides against the bearing so that the additional length needed can come from the yoke lower end and the yoke top end is fastened to the ram on a pivot.

Think this would work? Is there an advantage to making it like this?

Thanks for any comments on this approach.

**Frank S** · Oct 15, 2019, 08:53 PM

One thing to think about when designing or building a metal shaper is how to de-stroke it to limit the amount of travel the cutter head moves. Since shapers are all designed differently this takes some thought. On a bull wheel and trunion link bar type one way is to move the bottom pivot closer or further from the center pivot another is to cam the center pivot so it moves closer or further from the axis of the bull wheel.
There are many other ways as I said.
I once briefly ran a 30 Hp shaper that had a stroke control from less than an inch all the way to 24 inches the link bars bull wheel and controlling linkages inside were as complicated as a watchmakers pride