Shaper toolholders

[Rickabilly]

(08-13-2012, 07:02 AM)TomG Wrote: You can use lathe tool holders on the shaper but they must be the ones for carbide bits. Those will have 0º back rake.

Hello All.

I don't want to single anybody out but I've used this quote to simply ask the question, why are so many people hung up on the idea of shaping tool holders being different to lathe toolholders, and the idea of not using back rake on tools, I have been using the same tool holders on my big lathes and shapers for twenty+ years without drama, am I missing something?

I was taught that while reduced front tool clearance will make a shaper tool stronger so better able to withstand the interupted cut which is inevitable, one needs to understand that in all but very large diameter turning, the added clearance gained in turning round work usually more than doubles the available clearance when turning, as this is not the case when shaping planing or slotting one must maintain the standard minimum front clearance of 7 degrees as with lathe tool grinding, once again it has always worked for me,

I am so happy with the tool interchangability between my lathes and shapers/slotters that I have never considered that there could be substantial differences. As a result when I decided to make my new QCTP setup that would be standardised across all of my lathes I also decided to fit the same post to my Shaper, the idea being that all of the tools from knurling, parting, turning, planing and forming to toolpost grinding, live milling, slotting, graduating and drilling attachments and all will be available and set to centre height at a seconds notice on all machines, my plan is to set them all up on a shadow boarded trolley to wheel from machine to machine, with one last feature; a setting jig to ensure perfect centre height set up on the table rather than on any of the individual machines, each of the machines is to have the "register surface" accurately machined to a standard height below true centre height. (of course centre height does not matter on the shaper)

So once again am I missing something? As you can imagine going to all this trouble just to find out that after twenty years I've got it wrong is a bit of a worry

And yes there will be a thread on this QCTP project, how could I not ?

Best Regards
Rick