Metal shaper by Butler Machine Tool Co., Halifax

12" shaper by Butler Machine Tool Co. of Halifax, Yorkshire, c.1920, machining cast iron bearing caps for a steam fairground engine, November 2009

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• metal shaper
• Butler Machine Tool
• Halifax
• machine tools
• shaper
• antique
• engineering

[raherecolston]

Nice machine. And you are SO right about shaper vices! Have you got some belt dressing compound on that flat belt? What is the lathe I can see?. Thanx for posting

[Todlowrie]

@raherecolston

Thanks for your kind comments. The lathe is an American Sidney of 1941 supplied for the war effort. A very nice lathe. I would quite like an Axelson as well but that is unlikely!

No, the belt is plastic-coated fabric.

[69woodburner]

Thanks for sharing your fine old iron. I have Viceroy Royal 250 (mm) shaper which is a squared-off casting version of the much earlier 10" Royal. As I watched your shaper chewing away, I was wondering how many other people in England have used a shaper this evening.

[127069]

I have a butler 18" toolroom shaper of 1950 1960 vintage.I sold it 5 years ago in a fit of madness but have just got it back.Its accuracy for flatness beats any mill.

[Axbent]

Warms my heart when a nice old machine finds a curator!

[GaryBearful]

An impressive collection of machines you have. Early English and American machine-tools were the best in the world. Cheers to you for keeping these older machines alive and preserved.  I'm currently working on a few oldies myself!