Wayne Cook wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:46:02 GMT, "Jerry Foster"
wrote:


wrote in message
groups.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.



I'm working from memory here but IRRC teenut posted a way of doing
this with the clapper loose. What I recall is that a spring strip is
bent and attached to the clapper in such a way that the tool is pulled
completely clear of the slot on the return stroke.

Wayne Cook
Shamrock, TX
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook

The door hinge method is to use a cut down hinge as a secondary
clapper so that the tee slot cutter rides forward on the cut, then the
hinge overrides the work. When the stroke returns, the hinge flops down
and prevents the cutter from hanging on the work. I have, somewhere in
my boxed up stuff, a shaper "jobs" book that describes the process and
has pictures. It will, sadly, be a while till I can get the boxes unpacked.

To modify the hinge, skinny up the long strap to fit under the tool
holder, with the wide side on the other side of the hinge line being the
toolsaver portion.

The cutter is just an L shaped cutter with reliefs on any side that
might rub, which is just about all of them.

Cheers
Trevor Jones