I was in an OLD tool store the other day and found a treasure trove of stuff. Lots of neat things new in the box, spare Millers Falls chucks for hand drills, etc. Don’t worry, what I don’t buy for me, I will post about here.
They had several shaper heads for the removeable knives, something I have wanted for some time but couldn’t afford. A couple were for the smooth blades and I didn’t want those. There was one for the kind of knives that have the gear/notches on the side.
My question, is how standard are those?
Also, they had a bunch of NOS Delta shaper bits (some in neat boxes)that look like the ones that go in the Craftsman table saw shaper thing. Any use for those?
As for the rest, I will take a digital camera AFTER I get my stuff and will take some pictures as there is some cool stuff.
Michael
Replies
Hi Michael ,
What you are describing sounds like what are called shaper collars . The knives with the notches on the edges are called lock edge ,they can be advanced in and out usually by turning a hex head screw to adjust them.Even the smooth collars work fine with the smooth knives. The nut that holds all the shaper cutters ultimately holds the collar and knives tight . I have been using the smooth variety for many years with no problems.Most of my collars have a 1" bore , however they do come in different sizes.So to answer your question they are common but hardly anyone uses them anymore. Most guys I know are nervous about using them, they think that they will fly out.Like anything else common sense should prevail, safety first always .
good luck dusty
I want one so I can grind and cut my own profiles for my shaper. I make reproductions of wood military items and one of those would come in handy.
Some had 1/2 bore and a few 3/4 bore. Being so small is why they must still have them.
Who sells the blades, especially the threaded/notched ones?
Thanks.
Michael, congrats on your great finds. A source for lock edge knives and cutter heads is http://www.wmooreprofiles.com/shapcol2.htm. I have ordered corrugated knives and heads from them. A good company.
Bill
http://www.cggschmidt.com
Used to use that type of head a lot, especially on our automatic shaper. Nothing really wrong with that head. Schmidt still carries all that stuff just like they did years ago. There's all knid of new innovations and many folks just haven't had a chance to try everything.
The head I found doesn't look like any of the ones on either of those two links. It doesn't have the set screws on the side, it has on on the top. Also, the cutters are smooth on the flats and has notches on the thin edge like a rack and pinion.
I have the catalog in my shop and they only show the lock edge knife stock. Call them up and ask them about the cutterheads. I have a version of the cutter with a built in ball bearing rub collar. One thing about the web is not everything is listed or pictured on the web as some may think. Those cutterheds are a bit intimidating but have you ever seen a French Head cutter? Talk about something different. Great for short runs and the easiest cutter to grind yourself but few even know about it and maybe that's best.
So don't be a tease, what is a French Head cutter? (and why do I think this a set up for an off color joke?).
John W.
Didn't have time when I posted to go into detail but a French head uses a spindle with a slot right through the center of the shaft and a screw in the top of the shap secures the cutter in place. By going through the center of the shaft one can grind the profile to the exact shape you want. On a standard cutter, the cutter geometry is at an angle. The French head cutter is more like a scraper and lesser grades of steel are commonly used hence the short run but much faster to grind to shape. Very dangerous and the preferred way to make them is with a sligh notch to key it to the shaft so it doesn't fly out with centrifugal force. I'll try and dig up a photo. I've only seen reference to them in European books.
Thanks for the information.
John W.
John, he's not teasing. I haven't seen a french head cutter in a spindle moulder for years. Banned a long time ago as I understand. Basically as has been described, a cutter that fits through a slot in a spindle. Here's a link to one of our British HSE documents where french heads are mentioned. Page two I think on the right about half way down. Slainte.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis37.pdfRJFurniture
Interesting...that's the first time I've heard of them being banned but I'm not surprised. I can imagine if someone gets nervous over lock edge cutters this should really get them nervous. I've got them mentioned in several UK texts on machines. This pic came from Eric Stephensen's Spindle Moulder Handbook from 1986. Actually the best book I've seen on the shaper period. I've got several texts on machines from the UK that are far superior to anything I've seen over 35 years of collecting various woodworking books
Rick,
Make you nervous? The first shop I worked in, they had a 1/2" spindle shaper with one of the smooth edged heads. To save money, the boss used to grind only one cutter per profile, and used another cutter of the same width (pulled back in) on the other side of the cutterhead. No thought to balancing. One day a fellow was cutting the shoe moldings for the bottom back rails of a set of Queen Anne chairs, when the end of the knife broke off. It flew across the 30' of the shop, bounced off the cinderblock wall of the shop, and buried itself in the backboard of a cupboard awaiting repairs. I was standing beside the cupboard, and looked across the shop at the guy running the shaper. Don't know if he was more terrified, or I...
I've got one of those cutterheads, use a matched pair of knives, and take REALLY light cuts when using it.
Cheers,
Ray
Michael , Probably the set screws on the top are to lock the set up in place , so next time you use it , it will be pre-set .
dusty
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