Possibly made during the 1950s or 1960s by one Gerald Clapham, a lecturer in machine tool technology at Huddersfield polytechnic, this useful little shaper was beautifully made, strongly constructed and displayed fine detailing. Standing on a footprint of just 13" x 15 it had a 12-inch long ram with a maximum stroke of 2.75". The power cross feed 5" x 6.75" table, fitted with two full-length and two short T-slots on top, was fully machined on each side face and had cross and vertical travels of 5" and 2" respectively.
One might guess that it was used as a project to teach students the elements of pattern making, casting and machining and, if so, surely more than one would have been produced - though so far (2016) this is the only one discovered.
Other machine tools intended for educational or home building included the American Lewis and Honacast and English Haighton Cadet lathe, the latter supplied in kit form to a local college for students to machine and construct.