Purchased Cincinnati 16" Universal shaper - what am I in for?

Adair Orr · Sep 29, 2021

I spent more money than I should have and purchased a Cincinnati 16" universal shaper today. I'm not a professional machinist, just a tinkerer with a desire to make lots of dovetail dies for my power hammers and forming tools. There is no space in my shop and I have definitely crossed the line. I have read here the many opinions about shapers. Still, the mechanics of this thing have seduced me. I dug up a PDF of an operator's manual. I think I can take this on and make use of it. It's just money after all and money is so boring compared to reciprocating iron.

I don't know that I really have a question or not. I wouldn't mind making contact with others who have a similar machine for when this thing is in my hands and I do have questions.
-Adair

johnoder · Sep 29, 2021

The most important area to lube is also invisible until you take off the cover opposite the operator's side - and that is the sliding Bronze crank pin block that scoots up and down in the vertical arm

Darren McCarley · Sep 29, 2021

Saw this thread and thought of this video.

Andy FitzGibbon · Sep 29, 2021

Spent lots of time on a 24" heavy duty Cincinnati. Tpo class machine. It'll do dovetails for you well if time is not of the essence.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

marka12161 · Sep 30, 2021

As with any machine tool, the most important consideration is safety. Shapers are different than milling machines or lathes in the sense that the reciprocating motion makes them very dangerous at high speeds. They were designed to be bolted to the floor but many of them are not. For instance, my shop has radiant tubes under the slab so i did not bolt my cincinnati 16" to the floor. The ram transmission has two ranges and one time i failed to verify the speed setting was in the low range. When i turned the machine on and maximum ram speed, it walked about four inches in the two strokes it took before i shut it down. I am convinced if i had left it on, it would have walked through the shop wall. Verify the machine speed before you turn it on.

johnoder · Sep 30, 2021

Verify the machine speed before you turn it on

Another thing to verify is that the bull gear (the one with the crank pin) is actually turning the right direction - the cutting stroke is the "slow" one with the crank pin passing over the top. The return is noticeably faster as the crank pin is passing across the bottom

Adair Orr · Sep 30, 2021

I've been reading every thread I can find here on shapers. It seems there was a debate about whether some of these universal tables were meant to have outboard supports. This one I have purchased clearly does not, nor does it seem to be easy to fabricate one since the table overhangs the base by some distance. I've highlighted in red the unmachined surface on the projecting "foot" of the base.

macsonboy · Sep 30, 2021

love your machine and am currently on the lookout for one myself,, don't really know if i need one but that is not important,,,is it??good to see it is not going to scrap.keep up the photos cheers

johnoder · Sep 30, 2021

Adair Orr said:
I've been reading every thread I can find here on shapers. It seems there was a debate about whether some of these universal tables were meant to have outboard supports. This one I have purchased clearly does not, nor does it seem to be easy to fabricate one since the table overhangs the base by some distance. I've highlighted in red the unmachined surface on the projecting "foot" of the base.

My 36 Ohio has a 4 X 6 steel solid bolted to such a surface and the base way for the FS bolts on top that. Easy to imagine such a "beam" (or wide plate) being bolted to yours to at least address the length issue. The lack of machining can be solved with "jack" screws and grout

dundeeshopnut · Sep 30, 2021

I'm still curious what size of farm has a shaper IN HOUSE?? Assuming the photos were taken at it's purchase point that is.

Andy FitzGibbon · Sep 30, 2021

Adair Orr said:
I've been reading every thread I can find here on shapers. It seems there was a debate about whether some of these universal tables were meant to have outboard supports. This one I have purchased clearly does not, nor does it seem to be easy to fabricate one since the table overhangs the base by some distance. I've highlighted in red the unmachined surface on the projecting "foot" of the base.

View attachment 330454

Cincinnati did not provide an outboard support on universal models up to 28". Their explanation of why they didn't feel one was necessary has always seemed a bit dubious to me. I suppose they thought universals would see lighter use- tool room, job shop, ect., vs. heavy production settings.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

SMFKT205SA · Oct 1, 2021

Mr. Adair Orr, you will enjoy your shaper. Make sure to clean out the sump and re-paint any places damaged over time. I needed four 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 13 in. flat bars a few days ago but only had 3 in. wide. clamped them up in the G&E and four passes later had the 2 1/2 needed and enjoyed seeing the chips fly.
John Oder have you had an occasion to use your big Ohio shaper lately?

johnoder · Oct 1, 2021

John Oder have you had an occasion to use your big Ohio shaper lately?

Nope, its still set up on a piece I have decided not to make.

Lathe and Jig Bore have the priorities currently

rj1939 · Oct 4, 2021

Vintage Machinery has a good deal of old manuals on Cincinnati shapers, very handy.

I just acquired a 24 inch Cincinnati HD, I believe it will end up being my favorite

SMFKT205SA · Oct 5, 2021

RJ1939
Please post some photos of your 24 in. Shaper.

Adair Orr · Oct 8, 2021

I'm off to pick up the shaper. I'll share some photos when I return. I appreciate the encouraging words about this purchase. Something will have to go in the shop to make room for this.
-A.

Salem Straub · Oct 8, 2021

Adair Orr said:
It's just money after all and money is so boring compared to reciprocating iron.
-Adair

That's gold. I identify heavily as I too find reciprocating iron much more interesting than money. I bought my 28" heavy Ohio shaper a few years ago with the idea of using it for power hammer dovetails, as well... actually it has proved quite useful for just that, and lots of other things as well. They're a very fun machine to have and use. The chief thing I've had to keep an eye on is not to smash the back of the ram into my wall as it's pretty tight in my shop!
Here's a vid of mine surfacing a steam hammer sow block... click if you want to see it fullscreen...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=4120787437997301

My hammers that I've worked on with it...

234144176_4226920510717326_548710500046661368_n.jp g

El Mustachio · Oct 9, 2021

Well if something was going to resurrect my account and bring me back home to practicalmachinist, today's experience selling the above shaper was bound to be it. I've been off the site for a long time, but not because of anything about PM or related. Went through an unexpected career change is all, just wasn't ready to go back down memory lane just yet.

But selling the above shaper ended up being a more cathartic experience than I expected. Mr. Orr was a great buyer, and a pleasure to meet and visit with. I have no doubt the shaper will see some good use.

A little Q&A from some of the above posts.

While the shaper was pictured in a small patch of pasture, it wasn't a farm. Just a small pasture on the back side of the manufacturing lot / facility that our family had worked at for the last 4 generations. Facility is still there, just not in the frame of the picture.
Machine runs fine. I picked it up at an auction myself a few years back at a locally famous (or infamous) machine dealer here in eastern Washington. George Washington Machinery, been around a long time, officially looks like still in business but moved towns. When I got it home to our shop I used to it to true up some plates we used in our big hydraulic press (machined out of a naval ship canon no less, different story). Posted a little video of it running at the time (Cincinnati 16" Heavy Universal Shaper - YouTube)
Was never able to locate anything in the way of a table support, in fact everything I could find echoed the information from above that Cincinnati was trying for a hell-for-stout trunion that could forgoe the need for an outboard support.

Overall was a great experience selling something I had been holding on too for probably too long. Glad to see it went to a great home.

rj1939 · Oct 11, 2021

SMFKT205SA said:
RJ1939
Please post some photos of your 24 in. Shaper.

I had to locate new pics, my computer that they were on died a week or so ago, now they are on a flash drive

SMFKT205SA · Oct 12, 2021

rj1939
Many thanks for the photos. Your Shaper is really nice and in good condition. What work have you done with it lately?

Purchased Cincinnati 16" Universal shaper - what am I in for?

Aluminum

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Stainless

Diamond

Aluminum

Aluminum

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Diamond

Stainless

Aluminum

Aluminum

Cast Iron

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