wrote in message
oups.com...
It's just what you'd think, L-shaped, actually one right- and one
left-handed. The books I have recommend locking the clapper block in
use. Slot the center first, then work out the sides with the tools.
The older books showed how to forge the tools. Sounded like a lot of
work, so I found other ways to fabricate T-slots. If you're just
cleaning up cored castings, that's different.

Stan


I've never tried this, but, since I have a shaper, I've paid attention to
what various people have said on the subject.

Obviously, when the clapper block swings, it will bind the tool and
something (probably the end of the tool...) will snap. You can lock the
block, but the tool won't stay sharp for long. On some shapers, you can
rotate the clapper block 90 degrees. Or you can make a block with a
vertical axis. I heard of one fellow improvising one out of a door hinge!

The easy way, if the shaper is big enough and the work is small enough is to
cut the center, then mount the work on edge and put a boring bar (smaller
than the center slot) in the shaper and cut the edges like you would a
keyway.

To line up the work, mount a dial indicator on the ram and turn the machine
over by hand. You can indicate off the bottom of the center slot, if
nothing else.

Jerry