Nice little shaper for sale on FB Marketplace in my area. How do I know it is nice, it was mine before I sold it to this guy. I will try to post a link.
Someone buy it quick before I do something foolish like buying it back.
Yes I've been thinking if it wasn't already in such perfect shape that I could probably justify my milling machine or lathe by making some needed part for the shaper. On h otherhand because the shaper wouldn't need anything I could just go ahead and use it to make accessories for my lathe and milling machine. Good thing it's so far away. And that I don't have room. (The lack of funds would be just a minor obstacle)
That's a beauty Gerry.....you know you want it! My household would be 10,000 lbs lighter if I dumped everything I hadn't used in a year . Unfortunately I could not fit it, even with the recent "expansion" into the former laundry room.
I knew if I dug long enough, I'd find where this machine came from. I bought it from the fella in LaSalle who bought it from you. I now have it out here in St. Joachim, so its not far away if you want to visit it ;-)
I understand the sellers remorse, I had the same thing when I sold my Atlas 7B about 6 years ago. Same deal then - I loved the machine, but it didn't get used a lot, and I needed the space...you know that angle already eh...
FWIW, I had heard "thru the grapevine" that the Ammco shapers were considered a little more refined than the Atlas. Funny, but I don't consider the lack of graduated dials on the Ammco to be a "refinement" In my tiny little mind, having operated both brands, I already decided that I much prefer the Atlas over the Ammco, but there wasn't an Atlas to be found, so I bought this one. I was also advised by the seller about the wonky auto-feed mechanism, but it was not a real challenge to fix it. A different spring and using Loctite on the threaded collar that controls the spring tension on the ratchet pawl was all it took. There are a few items on it that I think can use some "refinement", such as the removal of slop in the auto-feed handle and maybe the addition of some graduated collars that allow me to actually see how far the handles are advancing the table and such......
The attached picture is my work area in our former location out in Arner. I was (and wasn't) out of room there, and if I'd known that I was going to move to a different location two years later, I'd have kept the Atlas. But ya know what? Even if I still had it, I might still have latched onto the Ammco, cuz thats kinda what I do... find something I can use, bring it home, make it work, then make it work better, then go out find more of them....
Absolutely visit. Be prepared to go back in time if you do. You'll see what I mean if you pop over.
The Clausing 8530 purchase was a stroke of good fortune as well as a case of helping a brother out in his time of need. Its been a good machine. Eventually I "might" get around to fitting it out with a DRO, but I'm in no hurry to do so. Along with the other vintage machinery I operate out in the Cave of Incompetence, it serves well in helping revive the relic outboards of the past.
That's a nice Shaper. Almost wish I had a smaller one like that instead of my 13" Prema. The guy I bought mine from asks me every year if I want to sell it back to him. (ex co worker who still comes to our work Christmas parties). Came close this past winter.
