Thread: Varnamo Shaper Rebuild

I aquired this shaper from Dave on this forum, when i got it originally it wasnt in too bad of condition, just the normal dirt and grime, and chip filled gears.

The machine is back up and running now, now all i need to do it learn all i can about using it. so far things are looking good though, still trying to figure out how to properly grind a cut-off tool, seems to be the only thing that i am having difficulty with. i will let the pictures speak for themselves though

Nice work. What technique (oxy/fuel, stick, TIG) and filler did you use on the vise base?

cuiting off & slotting are much more efficient w/ a gooseneck ( flexible ) holder armstrong typeshave an S in fornt of the number ....i have had posted in metal _ shapers group my copy of "leonardos tool holder for 7 in atlas ...this allows double the width of slotting bits & & near double the DOC of surfacing ....recently made a larger one for my E Gould shaper which handles #2 size holders ,( a somewhat better drawing ), & am sending it to a friend to post on the hsaper group ......."leonardo " types have the cutting tip at or behind the taper pin so they flex away from the cut
best wishes
doc

Shaper looks great! Good job man.

I used oxy acetylene to braze it with brass. peice had so much mass though that i hadd to also use another acetylene torch in conunction to keep the area at temp to get the brass to flow right.

doc, what material did you make the gooseneck style holder with? would some 3/4 plate i have work, not sure on what type of steel it is, but it is harder then 1018.

thanks for the nice words everyone else

both were made from bar stock , common 10XX.. the last one from 3/4 X 3..i thinned it to .650 for the tool post ....3 1/2 width wud have been better since to get the bit back to the clapper pin , the shank cud only be abt one in wide rather than 1-1/4 .....i rsckon some what harder than 1018 wud work fine since hardness does not effect flexion xcept that the harder the material .the more resistance to taking a set , XCEPT TOO hard & fracture occurs....the one inch round hole / thin neck on the larger tool for #2 tool holders tool may require thinning or beefing up ...i have not used it enuf to be certain .......the design specs for the atlas seemed to work just fine ..
..i wud not xpect plate to be that hard. .. at any rate it shud anneal if needed ...self cleaning oven will take most out & also any oven great for tempering ..... for full anneal on large pieces , i save up for a good winter fireplace blaze & leave it to cool by morning .......but i claim no great experiene w/ much other than 1018 , tool steel & whatever from everywhere i cud scrounge .
best wishes
doc
FWIW...because of back lash , cutting off works better w/ fairly tite gibs ....& when taking a finish cut , i ALWAYS note the dial , turn down beyond the desired cut & back up to the number desired & LOCK the slide...this takes out the slack & avoids dig in & inaccuracy ....for the same reason when cutting an internal keyway , I cut UP not down ,,,this removes the slack ...also ...a straight thru boring bar , REPLACING the tool post gives a straight thru cut w/ out cantilever effect & the chatter .....been around a long time ...my 1902 steptoe came w/ two ancient st.thru boring bars ....

Doc, this all makes good sense to me, but what is a "straight thru boring bar"?
Thanks,
Greg

the tool post is replaced ...by a bar turned up w/ a lip to rest & anchor in the recess in the rear of the clapper ...it is threaded for a nut in FRONT of the clapper ( this locks it in place .....the remainder of the bar extending to the front is turned down under the bore size needed for cutting the keyway in the gear/pulley ,& at the end a boring bit is inserted cross ways .......the one i made for my atlas has a socket in front of the locking nut so i can insert different sized boring bars...OR an inline bit for squaring up round holes...( still need to make one for the 16 in smith /mills & 20 in Mitts merril )
if you are feeling creative , you may contemplate a 3 sided or 4 sided turret ,nounted the same as the in line boring bar ......the 3 sided one has more range for downcutting & dovetails ( w/out interference)..........but if surfacing , the 4 sided one can hold a LH roughing bit ,a RH roughing bt , a "dutch nose "bit for squaring up & cornering , & when set near flat for finishing , and a shear bit for the ultimate finish surface .( actually reflective , but not a mirror on 1018)
best wishes
doc

i did forget to add that when cutting UP for internal key ways, the clapper has to be LOCKED ( the drag in reverse is not a problem )
doc

My first job was with the company that imported that machine. The plaque with the letter "a" on the red background was for Austin Industrial Corp. The company was on Mammaroneck Ave. in White Plains, NY and moved to 11 Virginia Rd. at some point in the 1960's. My father worked there from 1961 to about 1980. The company imported many machines from Europe. I started working there in 1978 and it soon became Sajo Corp. Sajo made milling machines and they were also built in the town of Varnamo in Sweden. I think Sajo still makes a 5-axis milling machine. Grinding Technologies Inc. (GTI) was spun-off from Sajo Corp. in the 1980's.

Doc, thanks. I understand now and plan on building a tool post for my Hendey. These are great solutions for rigidity I think.
Greg

Here are some pictures of shaper/planer tooling.

This tool for planing slots gets the tool face about on center with the clapper pin, could go further back if desired











This tool is used on the shaper for straight in slotting, but could be arranged like the tool above, as a parting off tool. (Generally, I just use a heavy lathe parting tool. But getting the blade behind the clapper as Doc mentions would be better. Unfortunately, the advantage of the back position is limited somewhat by the longer extension of the tool below the clapper, and the need to use short sections of cut-off blade to limit overhang below the tool post, not always convenient.

Rightmost tool. Again, this tool is used straight out from the shaper clapper, to slot out a narrow slot in wood plane bodies.



smt

Here are some of the "straight out" / "boring bar" style tools for internal slotting.







I got tired of making and threading large bars to hold small tools for internal slotting, so adapted this ER25 collet holder (from a Hardinge machining center) to hold slotting tools on the shaper.







Slotting tool shape for hex



Another option for slotting tool shape for square. More metal in the tool shank (more rigid/less deflection) for same size hole entry.



This shows frequent disadvantage of the "non-straight in" holders. Interference can cause large overhangs, resulting in less effective cutting.
Sometimes useful when the straight in tool might cause other interference issues, though.



smt

Todd:

Nice job on the clean up. Using the shaper in place of the file might have been a good first project for the machine when cleaning up the braze on the vice.

Rick

thanks for the pictures of the different tooling, i will have to try some of them out

thanks for the kind words from everyone else as well

SMT,
Thanks for the ideas and pictures. What type of material do you make your tools out of? I just ordered a CAT40 collet holder to modify for my shaper to hold the straight on tooling.
jdm