Old G&E Shaper

pnowakmetallurgist · May 9, 2019

I have purchased a 24" G&E shaper last fall and recently got it running. It was working just fine but the table cross feed has started to bind. I'm not sure how to fix this. I've located two gibs, one under the top edge of the table and one about mid-way down. These are held in place with set screws but I don't see any way to adjust the position of the gib. Any recommendations for that? This machine is nearly identical to the one the Mike Wiggins on Backyard Machinist has. I have not been able to locate a serial number or literature for this specific model. I did check the Vintage Machinery site and they do have some but not for this unit. Does anyone have anything more applicable?
Thanks

Sachmanram · May 10, 2019

A photo of the gibs and the shaper would go a long way to helping us, help you...

Brian

pnowakmetallurgist · May 15, 2019

Pictures of G&E 24" shaper

Here are several pictures of the shaper I asked about. There are two gibs, one just below the top of the table and second about half way down. I've included a photo of the patent tag. The last patent date on the list is 1918 but the machine appears to have been set up with motor and gear arrangement originally rather than a line shaft with electric motor retrofit. I'd appreciate any suggestions on adjusting those gibs and any idea on how to date the machine. I was not able to fine a serial number on it though I did look in the area where G&E stamped serial numbers on their later machines.

johnoder · May 16, 2019

but the table cross feed has started to bind.

Common ailment - worn in middle, tighter the further you get from middle. Not fixed by "adjustment", needs rescraping so "swayback" is again restored to straight

One screw gibs have the screw and gib made so the screw can both push and pull

My 36" Ohio was POOR in that regard simply because Ohio was too dumb to provide a way to OIL the mid length - so I added oil passages

johnoder · May 16, 2019

And the connecting vertical passages

pnowakmetallurgist · May 16, 2019

John- Thank you for your input. The problem I'm having is not that I have binding at the extremities of the travel. Rather, I had free travel over the entire length of the machine and it was working fine for a while but has gotten tight the more I use it. I've only used it for a few hours so any wear there is, and I'm sure there is a lot, is not from the little bit I've done with it. It has been suggested to me that the binding I'm experiencing could be due to the gib shifting during use. Any suggestions on how I go about loosening/removing the gibs? I did loosen all the set screws but I'm not sure how to get the gib to move. Is that done by tapping the small end with a soft punch or is there a better way?

johnoder · May 16, 2019

Tapered gibs or flat ones?

Tapered are adjusted by to and fro movement of the gib - usually by screws made for that purpose - at the end(s) of the gib.

Flat ones are adjusted by their row of set screws

pnowakmetallurgist · May 17, 2019

John- I think my gibs are tapered based on the rough measurements I've made on the ends but I don't see any evidence of the actuating screws you noted. I have that type of arrangement on my K&T mill and what's on the shaper is different. The second picture I posted shows the row of screws that is in line with gib. I assume those are locking or set screws. I took them all out the gib still seems to be pinched pretty tight. Do I need to put a small screw jack under the front edge of the table and apply a little bit of upward force to relieve pressure on the gib or is that a bad idea?

johnoder · May 17, 2019

A row of screws along length of gib and no screws on the end(s) STRONGLY suggest a flat gib

I personally have never seen or heard of a tapered gib with a row of screws

Thumbnail (I'll suppose I got it right side up) shows something entirely different. Its a STRAIGHT gib that is WEDGE SHAPED. The row of screws shove on the wedge from the "fat" side and make it tighter

To LOOSEN such a gib, the screws would be backed off 100% and the wedge in some way would have to move towards those screws

You could have the screws out and see if G&E was thoughtful enough to provide tapped holes in the wedge to yank on with a slide hammer

pnowakmetallurgist said:
John- I think my gibs are tapered based on the rough measurements I've made on the ends but I don't see any evidence of the actuating screws you noted. I have that type of arrangement on my K&T mill and what's on the shaper is different. The second picture I posted shows the row of screws that is in line with gib. I assume those are locking or set screws. I took them all out the gib still seems to be pinched pretty tight. Do I need to put a small screw jack under the front edge of the table and apply a little bit of upward force to relieve pressure on the gib or is that a bad idea?

pnowakmetallurgist · May 17, 2019

Thanks John. That helps out a bunch. I'll take another look at it this weekend and see what progress I can make.

pnowakmetallurgist · May 20, 2019

John- you were right. The gib is a flat style. The socket head cap screws shown in my photo turned out to be the adjusters for it and I was able to get it loose and get the table back to traversing the full length of the apron without binding. I haven't properly reset it yet. I assume the approach for that is to make very small adjustments and check travel. When it starts to drag, back off a little. That seems pretty crude. Is there any other technique for this?

johnoder · May 20, 2019

pnowakmetallurgist said:
John- you were right. The gib is a flat style. The socket head cap screws shown in my photo turned out to be the adjusters for it and I was able to get it loose and get the table back to traversing the full length of the apron without binding. I haven't properly reset it yet. I assume the approach for that is to make very small adjustments and check travel. When it starts to drag, back off a little. That seems pretty crude. Is there any other technique for this?

Sounds like exactly the right approach. The wear will be more central and the tendency to bind will be more outboard.

You can consider this able to be tweaked as necessary to suit what ever is be done at the time - not at all unusual in managing worn out machinery.

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