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Hendey 20" shaper

Budget?

Plastic
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
I'm looking at buying this shaper, and I'm in highschool. I don't have much money and I want to know if it's worth it $700 and it's 2.5 hours away so gas is getting up there too. Just figured I would ask the pros... Thanks!!!
 
Budget, we would need much more in terms of details and photos to give you any helpful advice. Overall condition, size, included tooling and other goodies will all factor into a reasonable price to pay.

Tom B.
 
A big shaper like that goes for scrap iron price in my part of the country. But location makes a huge difference in old machinery pricing.
 
I'm looking at buying this shaper, and I'm in highschool. I don't have much money and I want to know if it's worth it $700 and it's 2.5 hours away so gas is getting up there too. Just figured I would ask the pros... Thanks!!!

If you get it, use good sense in moving it. The late thirties catalog says the 20 standard weighed 4800 before they ever put the motor on it. If it turns out to be the 20 Heavy, add another 1000 Lbs.

Thumbnails are the first 5 of 8 pages from 1938 I scanned some time ago
 

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And the remaining 3 scans
 

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1. What do you plan to do with it?
2. Do you have space to set it up and use it?

My gut says a lathe would be a better place to start. But I don't know what equipment you have/have access to or what you plan to do with it so... ???
 
1. What do you plan to do with it?
2. Do you have space to set it up and use it?

My gut says a lathe would be a better place to start. But I don't know what equipment you have/have access to or what you plan to do with it so... ???
I have a Seneca falls lathe with a 10" swing it has a lot of chatter that I'm chasing to remove. I plan on making some quick change tool posts and machine vises for stuff on the shaper
 
If you get it, use good sense in moving it. The late thirties catalog says the 20 standard weighed 4800 before they ever put the motor on it. If it turns out to be the 20 Heavy, add another 1000 Lbs.

Thumbnails are the first 5 of 8 pages from 1938 I scanned some time ago

The guy says it's 6000 so it's not light. I don't have a forklift or anything like that so i would have to rent a trailer that I could use to load it. I just don't have enough money to rent a trailer so I might have to ask around and borrow from my dad's friends.
 
A big shaper like that goes for scrap iron price in my part of the country. But location makes a huge difference in old machinery pricing.
I'm in upstate NY, he says he's charging scrap for it but I don't think I can get it for that much but idk.
 
Budget, we would need much more in terms of details and photos to give you any helpful advice. Overall condition, size, included tooling and other goodies will all factor into a reasonable price to pay.

Tom B.

It's 6000 pounds, runs good, comes with some tooling, and i have to load it cause his forklift can't lift it and I don't have anything to load it so borrow from friends or renting.
 
Budget, we would need much more in terms of details and photos to give you any helpful advice. Overall condition, size, included tooling and other goodies will all factor into a reasonable price to pay.

Tom B.

And to be honest I don't know exactly what all comes with it but the guy made a post shortly after I did also trying to sell it on here
 
I see you are young. You can bet on many moves in your life. That one will be a stone bitch to move.

I'd suggest a Bridgeport slotter attachment to put on your mill. Even if you have not bought a mill yet.
 
I see you are young. You can bet on many moves in your life. That one will be a stone bitch to move.

I'd suggest a Bridgeport slotter attachment to put on your mill. Even if you have not bought a mill yet.

Yeah im going to save my money and keep on a look out for a mill... I had the opportunity to buy a van Norman for $400 and boy do I regret not getting it. I figured the tooling isn't as common as I'd like and I would spend way too much so I didn't get it
 
I think it's very unlikely that anybody else is going to give the seller $700 for a WWII vintage shaper that weighs upwards of three tons, especially when he has no way to load it. I don't care how much it's worth in scrap, by the time the guy disassembles it to be able to load and haul it to the scrap yard, he's going to lose money on it anyway. I'd say somewhere between free and $250 would be a completely reasonable offer.
 
I think it's very unlikely that anybody else is going to give the seller $700 for a WWII vintage shaper that weighs upwards of three tons, especially when he has no way to load it. I don't care how much it's worth in scrap, by the time the guy disassembles it to be able to load and haul it to the scrap yard, he's going to lose money on it anyway. I'd say somewhere between free and $250 would be a completely reasonable offer.

I was thinking the same thing... I'm going to wait and see and if he doesn't sell it and he accepts something a lot lower than I will find or rent equipment to do it.
 
I moved a big shaper, about 28 inch, this summer........using nothing more than skates and rollers, from the unloading dock about 100 plus feet to the shop. Laid down 6 inch channel iron cutoffs for the skate so roll in, kept moving the channel iron as it progressed. Used a come along for propulsion, so I could keep a good eye on all movements.
I started moving things when I was young with pipe roller, still do it on occasion. Am in process of making some heavy skates now. You need to learn to move things sometime, may as well be early.


My other shapers can be picked up with the tractor, they only weigh about a ton.
 
A 20 inch, is a nice size shaper. If it were WWll or later, I'd almost have to give it, since newer ones here are very few and far between.
 
I'll over-generalize just to make a point. Please humor me.

There are basically two types of folks that frequent and contribute to this board, those that are or were pros and feed their families via their skills and creativity through the use of these machines and the rest of us. If you are a pro, you need to assign value to these machines based primarily on their utility. If you are a hobbyist, you can assign value based on the amount of satisfaction you derive from buying, refurbishing and using these pieces of history. Most pros will tell you that while a shaper can still do some jobs better than other machines, they are not worth the space they take up and therefore have no commercial value. In my opinion you need to assign the value of something like a shaper based on your personal circumstances. Buying massive obsolete machine tools is by definition irrational so don't try to rationalize it. Like anything, it is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
 
I'll over-generalize just to make a point. Please humor me.

There are basically two types of folks that frequent and contribute to this board, those that are or were pros and feed their families via their skills and creativity through the use of these machines and the rest of us. If you are a pro, you need to assign value to these machines based primarily on their utility. If you are a hobbyist, you can assign value based on the amount of satisfaction you derive from buying, refurbishing and using these pieces of history. Most pros will tell you that while a shaper can still do some jobs better than other machines, they are not worth the space they take up and therefore have no commercial value. In my opinion you need to assign the value of something like a shaper based on your personal circumstances. Buying massive obsolete machine tools is by definition irrational so don't try to rationalize it. Like anything, it is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Amen to that. The fever has struck me more than once though, and probably will again. Only age, memories of bad move experiences and sore bones have slowed the pace (thank goodness).
 
When I started out one of my first pieces of equipment was a 21"? Shaper, can't remember right now. It was a hobby shop then, and the machine has sentimental value. I know every 5000lb towmotor I have moved it with has struggled. Only the 6000lb diesel handles it without much effort.

Plan on $300+ to rent a towmotor for a weekend. And that requires at least a 3/4 ton truck to haul.

I love my shaper. It takes up valuable space, but even today, working full time, it has its occasional use.

For reference, I paid about $400 for it with vise and a little tooling about 9 or 10 years ago.
 








 
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