Author Topic: 18" Elliot Shaper  (Read 22923 times)

Offline Darren

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18" Elliot Shaper
« on: March 29, 2010, 07:03:56 PM »
A little while coming, here are some quick shots of my 18" Elliot Shaper which I believe is the same as the Alba brand name.

The stroke is a little over 18" as is the transverse of the bed. It has a four speed gearbox and a 3HP 3PH motor. So far I have done little with it apart from some testing with a steel plate and a block of alloy. The alloy plate finish came out really nice and the steel was quite good as well. Though I need to play some more with tooling geometries for steel to get the best from it. One thing is for sure, a 3HP motor stops at nothing !!

The vice is probably original and the cup hopefully gives some perspective.

Some pictures, will update a a later time ...















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Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2010, 08:21:56 PM »
Hi
Looks good Darren, but that vise would look better on my shaper. :)
Seems to be a few small differences, but basically the same, does yours have a clutch? Mine has a big round bar lever running from the R/H front to around the back.
I also see there is no table support on yours, when they get up to this big they usually have one. :scratch: Where your table bolts are on the outside at the front, mine are inside otherwise they would hit the table support.
Any chance of a photo of your gear selector? Mine has 1,2,3 marked and then there is a lever above it for hi and low.
I think I am going to strip mine down and take it over to a mate that does sand blasting for me on the cheap. The good thing about old machinery is theres no bog/bondo unlike the Chinese machinery. My new mill has it on every casting, probable enough to do up an old car. :lol:
Davo
PS
I have been looking for a clinic to help me with my tool addiction but can't find one anywhere, do you have any over their? It seems unless you gamble, take drugs or drink there is no help for us. :doh:

Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2010, 08:29:44 PM »
Hi Dave,

Though there are some casting lugs for the clutch workings I'm not sure this machine was ever fitted with one? Does anyone know if they came with and without?

There is a table support, it's a single bar that rests on the bottom casting.

I'll try to take a picture of the gearbox for you. It have four gears with no Hi/Low selector  :thumbup:

TBH the vice swung it for me, My Atlas didn't come with one and I learnt that you do need a good solid vice on a shaper. A vice of this size would be costly to source separetly I'd imagine.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 08:31:35 PM by Darren »
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Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2010, 09:42:21 PM »
I see the bar your talking about. Mine has 2 heavy cast plates the width of the table that bolt together and the table has a gib as well.
I also see your has provision for the clutch with the lugs on top of the gear box. You may be able to make a clutch up latter, if you need give the dimensions and pictures of how it works let me know.
The vice was one thing I was disappointed in not getting. I will use my spare 6" mill vise for now but have been thinking of making one out of weldments then finishing it up on the shaper, if I can't find one to buy.
Did you buy the shaper from an auction, also did it come with much tooling with it? I have heard there pretty cheap over their because of the room they take up.
Davo

Offline John Hill

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2010, 09:58:52 PM »
Maybe I should buy this one then we could start a club!


Nice vice too!


http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farming-industry/Industrial/Manufacturing-metalwork/Lathes-accessories/auction-280345695.htm

Seems a tad expensive though :(
From the den of The Artful Bodger

Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2010, 11:01:41 PM »
Hi John,
I saw that one in my searches last week, I think it is a bit expensive as well. It looks nice but then again anything does with a good coat of paint. Maybe he bought that new paint out (machine restoration in a can) :lol:
It seems the family is just trying to get as much for it as they can, and they don't seem to know much about it. If it is in good condition its only worth between $500 to $800 going off the ebay prices. Not everyone wants or can fit a big block of cast iron like that in there shed.
Some of the description makes you laugh (Comes with a Large Machine Vice that has been used with this shaper for many years) and the vice with (removable handle)

No good to you but there is an Alba 6s the same as mine in western Australia for sale from a dealer. He wants $1800 for it and probably only picked it up for a few hundred dollars.
http://www.affordablemachinery.com.au/details.php?id=638
Davo

Offline John Hill

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2010, 11:20:02 PM »
Davo, my 'shed' is really small right now, basically the space my wife's Suzuki Baleano leaves in  the front of the garage.  Next year we should be in our new house with a 9x4 meter playroom for me but until then there is room for my lathe and a tiny Adept shaper.
From the den of The Artful Bodger

Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2010, 12:32:17 AM »
John,
I now remember reading your thread when you were talking about houses.  :doh:
Our car got moved out of the shed a long time ago, even the show truck got booted out about 12 months ago. I just don't have the room enough room. :bang:
That new shed sounds a good size, you wont know what to do with all that room. :ddb:
My new machine shed is going to be similar to yours at 7 x 4 to 5 mtrs wide. The wife has given permission to have an air conditioner in it, if I line it out. Thats a job I wont mind doing. I am also putting up a homemade 2-3 ton overhead crane in there to make moving things easier.
Darren,
Those original handles look really nice. I only got a few with mine,but none like that. I also see that the start stop switch's on all 3 machines are in different spots. Mine is on the back of the knee casting.
Davo

Offline dsquire

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2010, 02:25:15 AM »
John,
I now remember reading your thread when you were talking about houses.  :doh:
Our car got moved out of the shed a long time ago, even the show truck got booted out about 12 months ago. I just don't have the room enough room. :bang:
.
.
.
Davo

Davo

I hear talk of your show truck and see your avatar with a truck. Would you by any chance be able to post a picture of your show truck. Thanks.  :D :D

Cheers  :beer:

Don
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'til your good is better,
and your better best

Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2010, 05:00:10 AM »

Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2010, 07:53:04 AM »
Davo, could I trouble you for some pictures of the clutch workings?

I'd like to see if ?  :)
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Offline Bernd

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2010, 09:21:04 AM »
Maybe I should buy this one then we could start a club!


Seems a tad expensive though :(

At that price I'd already be on my way to get it. Looks in very good condition and the size is pretty big for a good solid machine. To bad I can't afford the shipping from New Zealand.

Bernd
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Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2010, 09:02:32 PM »
Well I didn't pay anything like that for my shaper inc delivery ....

here's the gearbox Davo  :thumbup:

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Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2010, 09:57:10 PM »
Thanks Darren,
Yours has the extra right hand slot in it. But the numbers are cast the same. Someone has repaired the 3rd gear leg on mine, while it is a good repair they bolted the new piece on top. I will fix it so it's back to original when I rebuild it.
I will take pictures of the clutch set up a bit latter, as I have to go out soon.
Davo

Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2010, 04:06:19 AM »
Hi Darren,
I have just put up the picture over here,
http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=2914.new#new
Just to keep the all together and not mix the threads.
Davo

Offline Darren

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Offline Davo J

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2010, 10:49:49 PM »
Thanks Darren, but wrong country,
If you can fit it in an envelope I will have it. :lol:
Shipping that thing over here would cost me a fortune. :doh:
Looks to be an original clean machine, and different to yours with the table support and it also has the read tray under the ram.
Dave

Offline Shepherduke

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2010, 07:14:09 AM »
Hi Darren,  That looks quite a beast!  I wonder if the builders of the new aircraft carriers will be in touch?  ATB, Kevin.

Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2010, 07:26:54 AM »
Yes it looks like quite a nice machine, a little newer than mine. Prob a nice size for a home workshop.

I've noticed recently the value of shapers, and lathes, have gone up quite a bit on Ebay ... some have doubled from what they were just six mths ago? I wonder why  :scratch:
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Offline madjackghengis

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2010, 07:39:41 AM »
Hi Darren, thanks for sending me to see your shaper, it's a beaut, nice size and looks really good.  My little Atlas would look like a puppy beside it, practically put the whole thing in the vise.  It's funny, a shaper isn't much good without a good vise, but an awful lot of them seem to get separated from their vises before someone who doesn't even know what it is, sells it.  A friend, long retired, was about to send off an old shaper he got and has stored since I was in high school, to the scrap yard, but gave it to me when he found out I was interested.  It's from about the 1880's, but everything seems pretty tight, and although its covered with rust on the outside, everything is free, and once opened up a bit, very litttle of any of the ways are rusted other than a bit of surface rust.  It's a 12 inch stroke, and I will hopefully rebuild it, getting it torn down this summer, and going back together next winter.  The Atlas works great, and does nice work for a seven inch, but that twelve inch would be nice to have for the rough stuff.  You can set the tool to cut just under the slag, and it peels off the nastiness just like peeling the skin off an orange or a banana.  I have seen half a dozen huge ones go to the scrap yard only because they were old, dirty, and in the way, nothing wrong with them, just no one who wanted them, and had something to carry them away with.  Makes a grown man cry sometimes.  mad jack

Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2010, 07:51:47 AM »
Hi Jack,

I too have an Atlas shaper, though branded as Acorn it's the same thing. I have to be honest it does produce really nice finishes.
It was having used that, admittedly not much, that made me go for the bigger 18" Elliot.

The Elliot is great, masses of power etc but you have to watch you don't take too big a cut otherwise it snaps 1/2 toolbits like matchsticks. "Ping" and it's gone !! The shaper doesn't even notice and just carries on ....

Try snapping a 1/2" HSS toolbit !!

It was the vice that made me buy it, try finding a nice strong 10" vice for the price of a shaper ..... the shaper was essentially free  :)
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Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2010, 08:03:01 AM »
Take this one, the vice alone is worth more than the bid and I guess that's what happens to all of them?

It looks the same vice as on my shaper and I can tell you this much, it's the best vice I have by far. But then it would have to be for a shaper with 3HP behind the cutter ....

I'll be looking for another for the mill.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Elliott-14-stroke-shaper-14MR_W0QQitemZ260580940323QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET?hash=item3cabd59a23
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Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2010, 03:45:00 PM »
Well that went for a good price  :bugeye:
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Offline AdeV

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2010, 03:59:43 PM »
Well that went for a good price  :bugeye:

Good as in, expensive? Or good, as in cheap...?

I've no idea what a shaper is worth... would like to know (not that there's much chance of being able to afford one in the near future...)
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline Darren

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Re: 18" Elliot Shaper
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2010, 04:03:12 PM »
I'd have expected anywhere between £150-300.

Sometimes they go for an opening bid of £50, but like I said recently, the final bid values of machinery on Ebay have shot up recently, often double what they were just six months ago.

Someone here often gives them away  :wave:

A shaper with a slotting head just sold for £200, it was local to me and I nearly went for it ..... but ... well you know I'm sure.
That slotting head would have been nice to own ..
« Last Edit: April 12, 2010, 04:06:53 PM by Darren »
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)