14" Steptoe Western Shaper

ramsay1 · Dec 9, 2017

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas... I have an old Steptoe Western shaper that I cleaned up some years back and it is missing the table support and stroke indicator scale.. I fabricated a table support but would like to have the original if I can find one.. Failing that maybe someone has one they can take a picture or two of so that I can see the details... As with the table support, I would like to have the original stroke indicator scale ..Thanks; Ramsay 1

handsome devil · Dec 9, 2017

Nice looking shaper. I have a big brother, think mine is a 24". Mine too was missing the cast table support. I had planned on making one out of plate but never got that far. Career change and school got in the way for the next 12 years. Can you post some more pics of yours? Makes me embarrassed as mine has great pcs of enamel paint flaking off and I need to go through the motor before I use it anymore. Very nice job on yours and if you don't mind how bout some more pics.

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PS will try and remember to go out to shop and look at shaper. I couldn't find any ready pictures for the stroke indicator scale. Will try and get one tomorrow. Had another shaper at one time and don't remember which one had it but I do recall a pointer thing and I presume that is what your talking about? Haven't used this for a couple of years now. Does not look as nice as yours but once I go through the motor it works fine. Or did when I parked it!

ramsay1 · Dec 10, 2017

14 Inch Steptoe Western

Here are a few pix of my shaper ... Ramsay 1

Mike C. · Dec 10, 2017

That one is actually a Steptoe shaper made by Western (as they all were). The Steptoe-Western was a much smaller and lighter tool room or tech school machine.

Danny VanVoorn · Dec 10, 2017

I had a 14" Steptoe with the optional feed on the compound slide, really was a nicely made shaper. Ran very quiet with the helical cut main gears and had very little wear probably due to its automatic lubrication to the slides. The only thing I noticed about it was unless it was solidly mounted to the floor, in high gear it would walk around like an out of balance top load washing machine. In hind sight at times wished I didn't but realized I wasn't wanting to add a dedicated foundation to my floor and sold it. They really are a handy machine to have in a tool room or serious hobbyist work shop.
Dan

ramsay1 · Dec 10, 2017

Mike C. said:
That one is actually a Steptoe shaper made by Western (as they all were). The Steptoe-Western was a much smaller and lighter tool room or tech school machine.

Thanks! Guess I just put the name together but now I notice that it plainly says "Steptoe" on the side.. I don't use it much but plan to start using it more soon.. Ramsay 1

ramsay1 · Dec 10, 2017

Danny VanVoorn said:
I had a 14" Steptoe with the optional feed on the compound slide, really was a nicely made shaper. Ran very quiet with the helical cut main gears and had very little wear probably due to its automatic lubrication to the slides. The only thing I noticed about it was unless it was solidly mounted to the floor, in high gear it would walk around like an out of balance top load washing machine. In hind sight at times wished I didn't but realized I wasn't wanting to add a dedicated foundation to my floor and sold it. They really are a handy machine to have in a tool room or serious hobbyist work shop.
Dan

Hello: I wish mine had power feed on the tool head.. Mine does have pressure lubrication though and it keeps a steady 3psi on the gauge when it is running... Mine walked as you stated before I put anchor bolts in the concrete to hold it in place.. I tried to use the machine awhile back and all three belts were totally shot so I got a new matched set of Gates belts from Ebay for it.. All is well now.. Ramsay 1

ramsay1 · Dec 10, 2017

Steptoe Shapers Sold By Woodward Wight & Company New Orleans

I found this spec page in an old Woodward Wight catalog from New Orleans from many years ago.. Hope some can use this.. Ramsay1

rj1939 · Dec 10, 2017

If it is a real Steptoe, vs a Steptoe/Western, it doesn't get any better. It looked to be heavier from the pictures.
I would have loved to snag one of similar vintage.

ramsay1 · Dec 10, 2017

rj1939 said:
If it is a real Steptoe, vs a Steptoe/Western, it doesn't get any better. It looked to be heavier from the pictures.
I would have loved to snag one of similar vintage.

It is a Steptoe, says it right on the side... This one came from Louisiana State University and I got it in a bid sale.. $200 and I had to haul it... Seems most of the experts of the day think a shaper is good for the scrap pile and nothing else..Of course, it was badly neglected and the table support and stroke scale were missing.. I cleaned it up, repainted it, changed the oil and bearings in the motor and it was up and running with oil pressure.. Ramsay 1

rj1939 · Dec 10, 2017

ramsay1 said:
It is a Steptoe, says it right on the side... This one came from Louisiana State University and I got it in a bid sale.. $200 and I had to haul it... Seems most of the experts of the day think a shaper is good for the scrap pile and nothing else..Of course, it was badly neglected and the table support and stroke scale were missing.. I cleaned it up, repainted it, changed the oil and bearings in the motor and it was up and running with oil pressure.. Ramsay 1

I gave 250 IIRC for the Lutter and Gies that was in a grove of trees.............scrap was at its peak about then, though.
I did come up with a Steptoe at an auction, from the vocational school I attended. It was a 20 or 24 inch. I've spent some nights running it. My buddy decided he had to have it, I let him talk me out of it. (told him if he got rid of it, I wanted it back) Turned out it had a broken link under the ram. He had got rid of it without telling me....................I would have tried to fabricate a part (I was PO-ed) I only gave 15 or 30 dollars for it, didn't have an opportunity to inspect it before the sale. I'm still kicking myself over that one.

handsome devil · Dec 10, 2017

Here is the picture of my stroke indicator arrangement. I think I was mistaken as mine looks like maybe it is a 20" machine not a 24". My shop is a bigger disaster than normal right now with stuff strewn all over. I tired not to let anybody see this. As you can see my shaper like all of my farm equipment needs a paint job. My shop is a non
insulated pole barn with concrete floor. My new radial drill matches my shaper in needing a needle scaling and paint job. Spent a couple hours trying to get an old carburetor oil stove to work, but only froze my butt off. After went inside I remembered the need to try and get pics. So thank you for your pics OP and hope this helps you. I never paid any attention to it. Mine has a leaky oil line that I need to investigate too. Right where it goes into the base on the blind side. When I get done with my radial drill I want to get after the shop and then the shaper motor and leaky oil line. Your post has got me going again.

I see in your old "before" pictures you had an old {original by the looks} motor and at least the pointer for your stroke indicator. So are you just missing the rule? Your before and after pics are great inspiration to clean mine up.
Regards, John.

jhruska · Dec 11, 2017

Photo tweak

John

Jeff_G · Dec 11, 2017

I have the same Steptoe-Western shaper. What do you guys recommend for lubricant for the gearbox?

ramsay1 · Dec 11, 2017

Thanks John (handsome devil) for your input.. I have the pointer but the scale is missing for whatever reason I don't know.. I know about the unheated shop with concrete floor also my walls are cinder block.. Of course, it does not get as cold here as where you live but the humidity is hell ...I wish my shaper still looked as good as when I first painted it but alas it has oil leaks as well and seems oil stains the best of paint jobs.. My motor I think is a GE and as far as I know it is original three phase three horsepower.. The bearings were a bit noisy in it so I changed them and lube them once a year via zerk and purge plug...I may be able to substitute a 12 inch rule of some kind for my stroke scale maybe braze a couple of tabs on it for anchor points or maybe I can just make a scale with my K&T tool and die mill who knows? Could be a good project.. Ramsay 1

ramsay1 · Dec 11, 2017

Jeff_G said:
I have the same Steptoe-Western shaper. What do you guys recommend for lubricant for the gearbox?

I used Lubriplate white grease but it is more like an oil...I can't remember the grade of it but it is semi-solid.. I bought a gallon of it from Motion Industries....Book calls for SAE 140 oil but I used this Lubriplate stuff and it still came out in places.. Maybe I put too much in I don't know...Ramsay 1

Western Machine Tool Works - Publication Reprints - Steptoe 1" Shaper Operator's Handbook | VintageMachinery.org

handsome devil · Dec 11, 2017

Thought the motor from the old picture angle looked original but later from different angle it looked newer and smaller. Big motors on these, in size not HP. I am lazier than you, I would buy a quality yard stick/straight edge with numbers cut if off at desired length. Looks like small tabs were part of original rule and just allen screwed on. I didn't look close at mine last night, but if you blow up the picture I left that is what I see. Not to try and tell you how to restore your equipment by any means. I try to live by the old saying of "give the laziest man the hardest job and he will find the easiest way to do it". I try to anyway. Often I am the laziest and find the hardest way to do things. Thanks for your thread I enjoy it for obvious reasons. John.

ramsay1 · Dec 11, 2017

handsome devil said:
Thought the motor from the old picture angle looked original but later from different angle it looked newer and smaller. Big motors on these, in size not HP. I am lazier than you, I would buy a quality yard stick/straight edge with numbers cut if off at desired length. Looks like small tabs were part of original rule and just allen screwed on. I didn't look close at mine last night, but if you blow up the picture I left that is what I see. Not to try and tell you how to restore your equipment by any means. I try to live by the old saying of "give the laziest man the hardest job and he will find the easiest way to do it". I try to anyway. Often I am the laziest and find the hardest way to do things. Thanks for your thread I enjoy it for obvious reasons. John.

YVW.. I enjoy chatting with folks on here and on occasion adding info if I can....I was thinking maybe use my 2d tool and die mill with a stylus in the spindle to scribe lines on a strip of metal or something like that... LOL on the easy way, the job I retired from had a guy who always found the hard way to do things.. I was lucky enough that he was my boss.. With him, if there was two ways of doing something and the outcome was exactly the same, the easy way couldn't be right.. I think about those things when I am sitting by the fire and it is raining and sleeting outside.. Retirement is good.. Cheers.. Ramsay 1

ramsay1 · Dec 13, 2017

Pix of Steptoe in action

Hi all: I found a few more pix of my Steptoe and would like to share...Cheers! Ramsay 1

14" Steptoe Western Shaper

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