The Metal Shaper

This, like the remainder of the series, is a good book on building the particular item. It gives step by step detail on building the shaper and requires no specialized tools that you can't make yourself. It does use the lathe from the first book, as the series is meant to be done in order. The shaper is dismissed by a lot of machinist as being an “obsolete” machine. While this is true in production machine shops, they are quite handy to have in the home shop. They can do many of the functions of a milling machine using only a single point tool. Once you’ve laid out $20 for an end mill, only to break it due to an error, you begin to appreciate a $5 tool you can sharpen yourself on a bench grinder. It can also do a few things that the mill can’t, notably internal keyways and splines, including blind keyways and splines. As with the remainder of the Gingery books, it gives step by step details on both construction and techniques for building the shaper, and gives you’re mind some stimulation in the design and building departments. You can do a web search and find many examples of this machine built and operating, some which are highly modified. There is also a Yahoo Group devoted to the Gingery machines if you need further inspiration. I don’t plan to build this particular machine myself, as I have a couple of commercial shapers already and can attest to their usefulness. Hobby size shapers like this one tend to be quite expensive on the used market, so if you are limited on both cash and space, this is a great way to get one.

David Gingery book. 'Nuff said!

This book is good but for those with good 3D visualizing embedded in their brains. The explanation almost purely verbal is not a strength for mechanics which are visual. Good ideas for making machines with simple and available materials. Would give 5 starts if there was drawings of how the parts are assembled together. Of course mechanics can figure that out. But, a good book should make that easier for the builder.

I'll probably never go to the effort of casting my own parts, unless the current Obama administration keeps going the way he's going and manages to finish off ALL of our manufacturing capabilities, but I really just purchased the book to see if Mr. Gingery couldn't show me a few new things....which he managed to do.

Dave Gingery was a great guy. He wrote to where almost anyone could understand how to build machinery.

Great guide to building this machine. I am just starting to build it, but have finished the lathe. One or two fuzzy points or mismatched dimensions, but very comprehensive.

Great writer great seller highly recommended

I built it!Gingery's books are the most empowering library available. If you start on one of his projects and follow it to completion, you will have gained skills and confidence far surpassing anything any college program can give.

I purchased this book with a view to make the shaper and adapt the basic principals into a more reliable machine. I am a trained machinist and engineer so looking from my point of view the overall construction of the machine is very basic but the principals are certainly there to improve on. some nice features included such as power feed and adjustable stroke length etc.Full instructions and dimensions for patterns are included as well as bolt and nut length and type.If you have some or even no experience whatsoever this book is excellent as you will be able to build this machine using the step by step guide and produce something that works and is ok for most amateur hobbyists.If like me you have more experience than most then my grumble is really that there are no finished machining dimensions as one part is very much made to fit the other but this is just me being retentive. i will work them out myself and alter a few things.As is said and clearly is stated on or in the book though this book is for people who have no more than a file, some sand paper and a few basic tools.Considering shapers are all but extinct commercially and bench top shapers in England are like the said rocking horse manure to get hold of this provides an excellent basis to work from.Best of luck to anyone who ever makes one and hope it brings you years of service !

Its the third book in the series they are great reading if you have technical dreams.Biggest problem I'm encountering is trying to find a source of cold rolled steel, this might be easy in the states but here in the uk it seems to be a problem at present it just a paper chase to see if I could, had I found these books in the 80's I wouldn't now be driving a bus I'd be in engineering

My eyes are not great and the drawings and written info on them is far too small for me to read. Also the author assumes that everybody has a fair amount of mechanical knowledge. Well I haven't so most of the jargon went over my head so when he referred to lets say the ways he should lable them so I would know what he meant.After all it is supposed to be an instruction manual

Should not have bought this book as a Kindle book, I like to be able to copy diagrams to a larger size to work from and take into the work shop, paper back is better. Would not buy this type of book again in Kindle format!