# Bridgeport E head or shaper head help.



## deema (11 Apr 2022)

On different thread I said I would start one about the Bridgeport E head, or as it’s commonly known the shaper head. Now, I know next to nothing about these, so it’s all a learning curve for me. Searching the internet there appears to be little to no documentation available for them……a user manual would be the Holly grail! The shaper head I have is a clone of the original Bridgeport, very similar, but not an exact copy. However, the operation of the two is identical.

First off this is my shaper head, although it’s new to me, I got it secondhand, I actually don’t believe it’s ever been used in anger. The clapper box was still covered in rust preventative goop. The photos are with the machine without its motor…….I’ve burned that out…….but that’s the subject of a different thread,


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

The ram is vertical, or indeed any angle, as the head will rotate to any angle……however there is an oil bath for the worm gear so there must be limits on what it should be tilted to.

My E head has a hatchway door accesses by removing the motor which is in front of it and then taking out two cap head screws. I was expecting to find the chamber revealed full of oil (or would have had oil in it as I had drained the oil out), but no, there is no oil in this area where the connecting rod reduces. The oil is in a second chamber that is behind this chamber, which holds approximately 0.6 litre of oil or 1/2 pint.


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

There is a drain plug, where I’ve shown with an arrow, and an oil sight glass again marked. However, no obvious way of filling the reservoir once it has been emptied. The small amount of literature I have found for the Bridgeport head suggests the oil used is Mobile 600W, which is steam oil, very very thick stuff used for worm gear boxes and alike. I have ordered some as an oil change is always a good thing. What came out was in excellent condition, and is also extremely thick, so I’m assuming it will be the same stuff.


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

The clapper box has me completely stumped. There are a few uTube videos where others have also been confused by how it should operate. On a normal horizontal shaper, the clapper box has a hinged flap that the tool is held in, on the drive or cutting stoke, the flap rests against the body of the ram which provide the most positive support. On the return stoke of the ram the flap can lift allowing the tool to skip along the surface of the part being cut. Logical and simple. However, this ram is vertical, and is unusual for a few reasons.

The following photos are of the clapper box removed from the ram.


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

Taking the clapper box apart to see how it’s made.


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

The flap, for want of better word, is hinged by the rod and has a spring on top of it to hold it in a certain position. At the back of it, there is a grub screw to allow the amount of movement the flap can travel to be reduced. The spring is in a recessed pocket that has effectively reduced the area available to take the pounding it will receive when the toll is cutting. This is clearly a very limiting factor in both the size of cutting tip as well as the amount of cut it can take in one stoke.


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## Inspector (11 Apr 2022)

This of any help?



Bridgeport ==> Shaper Attachment



You could try the Practical Machinist Forum but they get snarky about any asian made stuff so I don't know where your head fits into their acceptable tools.

Pete


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

I have an original Bridgeport shaper tool for this head. Mounting the tool, which has a recess in the shaft for the retaining grub screw just adds to my concussion, it appears to be the wrong way around.





Tool mounted





Orientation of tool WRT clapper box.





The tool is mounted with the clapper box able to move fully, I believe it would actually work like this, and the spring would allow the tool to skip away from the work on the return stoke. However, all of the load from the cut would go through the handle bar and the grub screw that sets the amount of allowable movement of the clapper box. I can only see this damaging the end of the grub screw / indenting the top part of the clapper box. This doesn’t seem right? Anyone know how to set it up?


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

@Inspector thanks Pete, I had found that document, that’s what gave me the oil type. It doesn’t unfortunately say anything about how to set it up.


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## Inspector (11 Apr 2022)

I added a bit to my post 7. 

Pete


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## deema (11 Apr 2022)

If you turn the tool around to face the opposite way, then it’s not possible to use the clapper function as the tool would move at the start of the cut and take a larger cut……when people have tried this the ram becomes jammed if they are lucky, if not something breaks. The way it could be used this way around is if the grub screw is adjusted to stop the clapper or flap moving at all. Most of the very few uTube on the subject and the comments I have seen on other forums seem to favour this setup. Ie No clapper function. However, the amount of material to take the load of the cut is again very small due to the recess for the spring.


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## Devmeister (12 Apr 2022)

Interesting. I haven’t looked at mine in a while but if you think about it, the clapper needs to release on the up stroke. Engage on the down stroke.

Tooling is the issue. E head tooling is a bit sparse so you have to make your own.

I have not seen many if any E heads that didn’t have the blessing of Bridgeport. That said, Bridgeport bought the old adcock-Shipley plant in England. They built Bridgeport’s there and some seem to have slightly designs. Mainly cosmetic. Your head looks really nice so I am thinking Alcock-Shipley but don’t quote me.

The practical machinist site looks down on model engineering kit and small machines. They claim they don’t like Asian machines but their Gaga over CNC machines that weigh tons even if they are Chinese. Go figure


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## deema (12 Apr 2022)

@Devmeister @Inspector thank you, The last time I posted on Practical Machinist they suggested I try my enquiries on the UK based Hobby Machinist. I’ve asked a couple of questions in there about the setup of the clapper box.


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## deema (12 Apr 2022)

This is the where the flap or clapper meets the box with the tool inserted as shown. It shows the small amount of material on the flap that’s supporting the load from the cutting stoke, with the movement of the clapper restricted it’s just the set screw that takes the load.










If the tool is reversed this is the situation, again very little land taking the cutting stroke load.










This is how the flap would rest with the tool reversed, and the set screw adjusted to remove all movement in the flap, this is how most seem to run their shapers, no use at all of the clapper function. The main issue I can see is that at higher stoke rates, advancing the material forward for a deeper cut becomes very difficult / impossible without the tool trying to cut on the upward stoke. Ie, without the clapper function, you can only advance the work when the tool is completely clear of the work 

The hole in the front of the clapper box is to allow tools to be mounted horizontally. It takes toolingcwith a smaller diameter shaft than the vertical tool holding hole.


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## deema (17 Jun 2022)

Finally got the new shaper motor mounted. Shaft adapter and spacer plate were required along with repurposing the original on / off switch and connector box I can now get back to working out how to use it.


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## TFrench (17 Jun 2022)

Somewhere I have the original Bridgeport box of shaper tools for an E head. Not looking to sell it because I was going to see if I could adapt them to the slotting head for my deckel. Happy to get pictures for you if it helps.


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## deema (17 Jun 2022)

@TFrench That would be brilliant, thank you. I’d love to buy them too! I don’t believe they are compatible with any other shaper, but that’s just what I’ve read as I was looking for some originals as templates.


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## TFrench (19 Jun 2022)

Just found this on PM Re: bridgeport E head clapper box:
"The Deckel slotter slide is a dovetail arrangement that if in good condition should preform well as to its ability to reduce deflection and dampen vibration.
It has no clapper box at the end and some might worry that this will dull the tool by not providing any release of the tool on the up stroke...I don't find this to be the case..in fact i own a Bridgeport slotting head as well, and it has a feature on its clapper that allows it to be locked and not release. I have better results using that head with the clapper locked....
Tends to make straighter cuts."
From someone who's opinion I trust as well!


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## TFrench (24 Jun 2022)

Just dug out the slotting tools. The face is ground on a radius and there's about 3 degrees of back rake on the cutting face. There's also 2 extension arbors for holding round HSS blanks. Unfortunately for you they'll fit straight in my deckel slotting head if I grind some flats on the shank. Sorry!


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## deema (24 Jun 2022)

@TFrench thank you so much for the photos, that's really helpful.


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## TFrench (24 Jun 2022)

deema said:


> @TFrench thank you so much for the photos, that's really helpful.


If you're happy to pay the postage you can have them on loan to copy them!


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