Elliot Invicta 2MR

[dundeeshopnut]

A shaper came home with me following a facebook ad for a "moving sale"! I have wanted one "someday" but have not been searching. But,,, this little girl was only 25 miles away and appeared decent. Girl that was holding the sale didn't advertise it well, and thus I made out like a bandit. Bought enough stuff to flip and pay for my "crap"! Kinda cool the shaper is the same brand as my Victoria mill too. Brought it home for 300 clams [without the vise I know] but it was a "loaded" machine with auto downfeed [which is missing a gear in the ram] but everything else is in good shape. Machine runs near silent except for the gear click when it changes direction at full speed and stroke. Even the gear feed works flawlessly. Has not run since the owner passed 10 years ago but has been kept inside. Even has been converted to single phase with a 1 1/2 hp motor but I have a 2 hp of the right frame to put in it's place. [The 1 1/2 will be utilized running the unloading auger on a new grain bin to be erected here this month.] Please excuse the "clutter" in my shop, I have had a hard time clearing out half finished repairs during cropping season this summer. [sad face here]

 

[john.k]

A warning about these........do not lengthen the stroke out too long ,without winding over by hand......the operating arm can hit the housing and break the fork off at the bottom...................ive fixed a few of these.

 

[Peter S]

dundeeshopnut,

It looks like a nice machine. Here are some pages from 3 different Elliot catalogues. One of them seems to be dated 1960, the others have no date.

 

[john.k]

You are lucky to have the front table support complete.....for some reason this is discarded,and replaced a simple prop..........or nothing..........If the downfeed for the clapper block is missing ,this is no loss.....it can get you into trouble......I much prefer to rest my hand on the handle and feed manually.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You are lucky to have the front table support complete.....for some reason this is discarded,and replaced a simple prop..........or nothing..........If the downfeed for the clapper block is missing ,this is no loss.....it can get you into trouble......I much prefer to rest my hand on the handle and feed manually.

I agree about the hand feed. Better safe than sorry. I spent lots of time on these machines in the training school when I was an apprentice. A very nice little machine. That was before I was let’s loose on the 36” “ Ormerod “.

Hands up all those who’ve forgotten to tighten the vice at some point in their careers and seen the work pushed onto the floor !

Regards Tyrone.

 

[john.k]

Ya know what they say......You can make anything with a shaper but a profit.

 

[James H Clark]

Dundee: What length stroke is it? It looks similar to my little 12" Italian shaper. Nice purchase. Mine came without the vise, but I purchased a 5" import (Kurt style) vise. Since it is a low profile vise, works pretty well. Good luck.
JH
Edit: Don't know why it is printing large type, musta hit an unknown key.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Dundee: What length stroke is it? It looks similar to my little 12" Italian shaper. Nice purchase. Mine came without the vise, but I purchased a 5" import (Kurt style) vise. Since it is a low profile vise, works pretty well. Good luck.
JH
Edit: Don't know why it is printing large type, musta hit an unknown key.

The manufacturers charts say 14” stroke.

Regards, Tyrone.

 

[dundeeshopnut]

Dundee: What length stroke is it? It looks similar to my little 12" Italian shaper. Nice purchase. Mine came without the vise, but I purchased a 5" import (Kurt style) vise. Since it is a low profile vise, works pretty well. Good luck.
JH
Edit: Don't know why it is printing large type, musta hit an unknown key.

Got any pics of your shaper?

 

[Jim Christie]

Your machine looks very nice Dundee.
There can't be many that age that are in as good condition as yours appears to be.
I'm sure that it will serve you well for your repair work.
I know of another one that was in a school and like John K. mentioned had been broken by overextending the stroke and had been repaired.
There have been shaper vises for sale on this forum in the past although they may not have fitted your machine.
Maybe one that would fit will turn up here someday for a reasonable cost although shipping will be a consideration on a heavy item like that if it isn't close by.
Jim

 

[James H Clark]

Got any pics of your shaper?

Did have but can't find them. Will try to upload some more, no guarantees. I have uploaded pics years ago, but I think the process has changed.
JH

 

[dundeeshopnut]

Thanks for all the replies!!! Yes it appears to be in excellent shape with little or no wear showing on any of the moving parts, so far. I am amazed it survived all these years without at least being sideswiped by some dinglenuts with a forklift. The last owner [dearly departed 10 years ago] appeared, from the conditions of his shop to be a decent fabricator, but I doubt he ever made chips with this machine as he had it running backwards. There appears to be very little free info on the MR models so I ordered the "package deal" $$$ from Tony. I figure I owe him anyways for all the free info on old machines/companies he puts on the web [for free] which has helped me in the past. While it is a fairly simple machine, I do like manuals 'cause unlike some, I don't know every @#$% thing. LOL.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks for all the replies!!! Yes it appears to be in excellent shape with little or no wear showing on any of the moving parts, so far. I am amazed it survived all these years without at least being sideswiped by some dinglenuts with a forklift. The last owner [dearly departed 10 years ago] appeared, from the conditions of his shop to be a decent fabricator, but I doubt he ever made chips with this machine as he had it running backwards. There appears to be very little free info on the MR models so I ordered the "package deal" $$$ from Tony. I figure I owe him anyways for all the free info on old machines/companies he puts on the web [for free] which has helped me in the past. While it is a fairly simple machine, I do like manuals 'cause unlike some, I don't know every @#$% thing. LOL.

I worked in the machine tool game most of my working life but if there was a manual I liked to read it first. Nobody knows it all.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[dundeeshopnut]

Found my first repair. Seems someone forced or tightened the stroke adjusting shaft a skosh too much and cut the drift pin off holding the gear in place at the other end. Friction would still make it work until the ends of the adjustment where it would slip. Necessitated removing the ram and rocking arm to get the crank pin assembly out to access the gear and shaft. Was plesently surprised to find almost no wear on any sliding surfaces with only the bronze downfeed nut showing any objectionable slop. Unfortunately, as far as power downfeed, I am missing the little shaft and gears that go between the ratchet and leadscrew. In fact the head is not even machined to accept them. Weird. I can only quess that the machine had a severe crash and the tool head was replaced with one without power downfeed. Seems odd however as there is NO evidence of any damage or even replaced parts ANYWHERE else on the machine. Hopefully the more experienced minds here might offer a better explanation.

 

[lucky7]

Hands up all those who’ve forgotten to tighten the vice at some point in their careers and seen the work pushed onto the floor !

Regards Tyrone.

Guilty as charged.