Machinist

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/machinery-photos/ludwig-gack-universal-shaping-machine-274238/#post2145212

The Ludwig Gack Universal Shaping Machine
The Ludwig Gack Universal Shaping Machine
Hugh Sparks
October 5, 2003

Introduction

The page describes my adventures with an unusual German shaper.
The machine is unusual in several respects: The most striking feature is the ram, which travels from side to side. For this reason, I call it a "lateral shaper."
There is no clapper box. Instead, a "spindle" rotates the tool up and out of the way at the end of the cut so the ram can return leftward to begin another stroke.
Here you will find a discussion of restoration process and the operation of the machine. There are many areas that still puzzle me and I've been unable to locate manuals or any other documentation. If you know anything about this machine or care to offer any opinions, please let me know.

The Gack K-150A Shaper

Selections from a poorly-translated German advertisement

Revolutionary design: accurate and clean cuts.
The worked parts can be considered finished for most purposes.

Many uses:
Surfaces, radii, any shapes even with grooves terminating in round shape at one side, as cutting dies may frequently require can be machined.
Many attachments and practical clamping devices permitting machining the entire surface of workpieces without need for reclampling.
Optical measuring devices permitting finishing without scribing and microscopical observation of the shaping processes.

The Deutsches Museum in Munich has some kind of archive on the "Ludwig Gack Werkzeug und Mashinen-Fabrik." They will send copies for a modest fee.

I found a small advertisment for the Gack in "The Big Book of Metalworking Machinery." This is a phonebook-sized trade catalog for machinery dealers published by "Zulch & Zulch." in 1972. I got the specifications for the machine and accessories from this source.
Contents of the site

Gack - The Movie
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/oldMovie.html
More sounds and animation
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/Animation.xhtml
Operator controls
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/Operator.xhtml
Accessories
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/Accessories.xhtml
Internal operation
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/Internals.xhtml
Other Gacks
http://www.csparks.com/Gack/Others.xhtml

The Artful Bodger has a nice description of a finishing cutter for shapers. This is a very unusual tool. It is mentioned in K.H. Moltrecht's Machine Shop Practice, Vol 2. I made one of these and it works extremely well. It was used to produce the cut shown in the animation section.

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Gack Shaper - YouTube
Gack Shaper - YouTube
Feb 19, 2012 - Uploaded by Stefan Gotteswinter
Shaping an internal surface on a Gack HE20 Shaper.
Gack Shaper - YouTube

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http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/
shaper_columns.html 01-Nov-2009 13:49 7.8K
shaper_faq.html 19-Aug-2009 12:47 4.1K
shaper_port_side.gif 27-Jun-2009 12:49 1.5K

Kay Fisher's Metal Shaper Columns
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/shaper_columns.html
Column 50 - Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 1 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_50.html
Column 51 - Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 2 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_51.html
Column 52 - Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 3 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_52.html
Column 53 - Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 4 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_53.html
Column 54 - Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 5 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_54.html

Ludwig Gack Shaper - Part 1 of 5
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_50.html
by Kay Fisher
http://www.neme-s.org/shapers/column...column_50.html
This month’s shaper story is about the refurbishing of a German shaper made by the Ludwig Gack Machine Works company. The following is pretty much a cut and paste from the owner’s excellent web site and article at: www.schmidt.ath.cx/mechanik/stossmaschine.shtml

The translation from German to English was done by Andreas Miler and it is with the author Siegfried Schmidt’s generous permission that we have the following story:
“My newest acquisition is a horizontal shaper, also named “Schnellhobler“ or “Kurzhobler” (quick planer or short planer). By definition, these names are wrong, because for a planer, the work piece moves not the tool itself. My Type 152 shaper, built by Ludwig Gack Machine works in 1952 is still going strong, even though it has 52 years on it now. The following link is an outstanding homepage on the restoration of another Gack Shaper, different from mine. It goes into depth with pictures and movies. On the accessories pages, you get an idea of what was done with these machines. www.csparks.com/Gack/index.xml
If someone knows about my machine or has literature and documentation, please contact me at siegfried@schmidt.ath.cx. I’d be happy to receive any tips."

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