Tom Senior No. 1 hand-operated shaper. This model was identical to the No. 2 (below) but in place of a T-slotted table, elevated by a screw, had a simple angle plate held by bolts passing through vertical slots into the knee bracket.
The stroke of the ram was 8 inches and the cross traverse of the head a very useful 12.5" - this being much greater than that of the later powered machines of 10-inch stroke produced by Alba and Elliot, etc. The T-shaped "table" of the No. 1 measured 8" x 7" x 6.5" and could be adjusted vertically through a range of 4"; the maximum clearance between the table surface and a tool was 9".
In 1939 the complete machine was offered at £16 : 10s : 0d (about four weeks' wages at the time) or as a set of casting "in the rough" for £4 : 5s : 0d - or "accurately planed" for £8 : 10s : 0d. - both prices included a set of blueprints.
Additional machining work could be carried out for the impecunious purchaser of the casting sets; turning the end of the ram and graduating and indexing it for angle work cost him a weekend in Blackpool at ten shillings; cutting the traversing and tool box screws and supplying threaded gunmetal nuts fifteen shillings and, if the optional self-act to the head-traverse feed was required, a "machine-cut" pinion could be supplied (for the price of a Saturday of overtime in the mill) at seven shillings and sixpence.
Both models were carefully thought out; the ram drive was by an apparently unique-to-senior Rack and Quadrant arrangement (but later also used on Perfecto shapers) and the body of the machine was cored with a two-inch diameter hole that allowed shafts to protrude through under the clapper box - and so have a slot cut in them anywhere along their length.
The table and handwheel assembly could be detached from the body of the machine to reveal a machined and slotted vertical face that offered a further range of opportunities to mount special or difficult-to-handle work.
Besides these hand-operated shapers Senior also manufactured a unit to fit on a lathe bed - and take its drive from a slotted crank plate that bolted to the faceplate; details of this interesting device can be found at the bottom of the page.

Senior No. 2 Self-acting Hand Shaping Machine. Identical in size and capacity to the No. 1 the No. 2 featured a wide T-slotted table 12" x 7" elevated by a proper screw feed and nut.

The Rack and Quadrant drive - a feature at the time apparently unique to Tom Senior shapers

The Tom Senior "Shaping Attachment" was designed to fit on the bed of a lathe and take its drive from a slotted crank plate bolted to the lathe's faceplate.
The slot in the crank plate (just visible in the illustration) allowed the length of the stroke to be adjusted.
Senior proved a range of popular fittings but could, on submission of a suitable sketch, make the unit to fit almost any section of bed.
The shaper was made in five sizes:
Size 1   Stroke 5"    Traverse travel 8"    to suit lathes of 3.5" to 4" centre height
Size 2   Stroke 6"    Traverse travel 10"  to suit lathes of 4" to 4.5" centre height
Size 3   Stroke 8"    Traverse travel 12"  to suit lathes of 4.5" to 5" centre height
Size 4   Stroke 9"    Traverse travel 14"  to suit lathes of 5" to 6" centre height
Size 5   Stroke 10"  Traverse travel 16"  to suit lathes of 6" to 7" centre height