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The Two Most Important Considerations When Buying a Shaper

Armstrong's No. 6900 Shaper is the most accurate shaper available and perhaps the easiest to adjust and operate.  Precision shaping is essential to kerf control and smooth sawing.  Use of the 6900 contributes to a smoother, more accurate cut which can reduce the allowance needed for planing.  Armstrong incorporates two key features to insure this level of accuracy.

1. The 6900 uses a "shovel point" tooth stop which locates just below the swaged point on the ground surface of the tooth.  This location is always uniform, unlike the swaged point which is often irregular.
2. Custom ground side dies clamp the saw plate with up to 4 tons of pressure.  Side dies are individually ground according to customer specifications to provide the exact clearance required.

The No. 6900 Shaper requires very little set-up before it is ready for operation.   Since clearance angles are ground directly into the side dies, these adjustments are "pre-set" at the factory.  Adjusting for kerf and centering on the saw are accomplished in a few quick steps.  In minutes, the No. 6900 Shaper is precisely adjusted for your specific needs.

Armstrong offers an air driven version of the 6900-B band saw shaper.  The 6900-BA was designed for those preferring an air shaper.

Armstrong Air Shapers Offer:

• Easy adjustment of cylinder speed with two needle valves.
• A well balanced tool, with the weight of the cylinder evenly distributed.
• Lubricator supplied with each air shaper.

Increased precision, offered by the No. 6900 Shaper, comes through new ideas in design:

1. Clearances are pre-ground into the side dies, producing the exact same width and shape of tooth point time after time.
2. If desired, the 6900 is quickly adjusted for a wider point.  The tooth stop can be moved to increase the width of the point .020" with standard 8 x 3 degrees back and side clearance.
3. The position of the clamping lever on the shaper is easily changed for operator comfort.   A positive locking arrangement holds the lever firmly in place.
4. A new, heavy duty pressure screw design applies approximately four tons of pressure to the tooth point.
5. The shaper operates on the "impact" principle.  The saw itself acts as the stop for the side dies.  When they contact the saw, no further pressure is needed.  There is little or no tendency to make an incomplete stroke of the die lever.
6. The rugged "shovel point" tooth stop is designed to contact the saw just below the swaged point where the surface is consistent and uniform.

Since side dies are pre-ground to the exact clearance required by the customer, the following information must be provided:

1. the width of the finished point
2. the thickness of the saw plate
3. depth of gullet

Shown below is an example of how side clearance is calculated:

Finished point (saw kerf).......................  .125"

Subtract saw plate (16 gauge saw)..... (-) .065"

Total clearance....................................... .060"

Divide .060 by 2 ...................................  .030"

   (half the clearance on each side of the saw)

Clearance per side is .030"

The No. 6900 Shaper is easy to maintain since there is a minimum of moving parts.  All critical parts are made of hardened steel for long wear and are ruggedly designed to withstand the pressure applied.

A slight bulge on the side of the finished tooth point indicates it is time to replace the side dies.  Side dies may be sent to Armstrong for prompt regrinding at a reasonable cost.  Side dies may also be ground to different clearances if a change is made in the saw specifications.

Carbide for Longer Wear

Armstrong recommends the use of carbide parts whenever possible.  Carbide side dies last longer, work better and cost less in the long run.

Deep Tooth Range

3/4" deep and deeper:

     6980 side dies

     6981 tooth stop

(If an order is received without the gullet depth noted, we will assume when the saw is 15 gauge or heavier that there is a minimum of 3/4" gullet.)

Shallow Tooth Range

11/16" deep and shallower:

     6982 side dies

     6983 tooth stop

(Under normal conditions, the No. 6900 cannot be used on saws with less than 1 1/2" tooth space or 1/2" gullet depth.)

An eight degree back (tangential) angle and three degree side (radial) angle are standard on the No. 6900 Shaper.  These are the same clearance angles used by other Armstrong shapers that have proven to be optimal in the majority of cases.  This tooth point geometry provides good wear on the tooth point and allows maximum adjustment of the overall side clearance.

If desired, more or less back and side clearance angles can be ground into the side dies at no additional cost.