ALBA 2S Shaper info needed please

[Joseph Noci 1Participant @josephnoci1]

I came across an ALBA 2S shaper that is available – is it a ‘good’ machine?

[Joseph Noci 1Participant @josephnoci1]

Hello to all.

I have been looking for a small Shaper for many years – Atlas, Boxford, etc, sort of 7inch to 10inch, with no luck, or no way of getting it to my location in Namibia.

Then I came across a fellow in the south of Namibia, on a farm, giving up his Steam Train modelling hobby ( one of a kind fellow in Namibia!) and he has an ALBA 2S shaper available. I have only seen photos, but is seems ok – mild rust on the table and vertical slide – still original paint it seems, It is with its original vice and does run.

However, I cannot find much info on the ALBA shapers at all. I am not sure if this has a clutch or not ( can ask I suppose..) and since I am not familiar with such machines I do not know if this one can do 'internal' dovetails ( like on a lathe QCTP toolholder). I presume this requires auto feed in horizontal and vertical somehow? Can the ALBA 2S behave this way?

There is little info available – I have dug on many web-sites and see that there was much cross pollination between Elliot, ALBA, Invicta, etc, but finding useful info eludes me.

It would appear that this is probably my only chance of obtaining a shaper – they are rare to start with, but in Namibia, very rare…This one is however larger than I would really like, and if it is not capable of some of the more desirable shaper techniques ( and again, not sure what they may be..) then maybe this is not a good choice?

Could anyone maybe shed more light on this model and its capability at all?

Kind Regards

Joe

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

# Basically the same as a 10" Elliott. But bigger?

# You do not need auto feed to do dovetails.

# It will machine dovetails. It will machine internal and external keyways.

# It will machine flat surfaces to such a high degree of finish, it will put your mill to shame.

# Buy it. Quickly.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I have a tiny Adept no. 2, (not as small as an Adept No. 1). It machines internal dovetails beautifully, the only proper job I have done with it as I needed a non-standard angle for a telescope mounting plate, and I needed something that would go right into the corner.

You use a knife tool with a tip angle less than the internal angle of the dovetail and angle the toolholder to the dovetail angle, so putting on the cut is simply advancing the tool downwards. It does take a few passes. The finish was excellent, even with my less than rigid setup (I haven't sorted a decent angle plate yet).

Neil

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The slightly bigger size, just as with lathes, gives it all sorts of advantages over the smaller sizes

If you can house it, grab it

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Go for it for a wonderful finish on any flat surface, flat or angled. As Thaiguzzi says, you don't need auto feeds at all to do dovetails. you can angle the tool path and hand feed vertically downwards.

If its the only one in Namibia, rush out and buy it now.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

If you haven't already been there, you can find lots of useful information on shaping generally here – **LINK**

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