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Some time ago, there were discussions about pantographs (2D and 3D). Just came across this and will probably go ahead and build it. Especially since I see it using the Bosch Colt!! Anybody built this one?

http://woodgears.ca/pantograph/index.html

Mike

It looks like a good build but might be a little big for what I am interested in doing. I am thinking of doing the one that was discussed on the forum a while back. I have a pdf of the plan and will probably use a high speed pencil air grinder as a spindle, if I ever get to it.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I built the one that you mention Fred with some mahogany left-overs. When a friend of mine saw it he tried to figure out what it was and then guessed it was a modern piece of sculpture.

Bill S.

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Dream to be a luthier

If you study the videos of this device, it's clear that it is a pseudo 3D machine since the z axis is aproxmated by angular motion. It's probaly good for an inch or two. But, a mod to the z axis part would solve that. Also, modifying the clamp to hold a pencil grinder would make it more applicable to guitar work. So, I intend to construct it with it's current capabilities as well as to add the z axis mod and pencil grinder clamp.

Mike

I built the one Fred mentioned, that was in a thread a couple of months ago. It works really
well for small inlays. I use a Foredom handpiece for the cutting. Biggest problem I've had is
learning to not move the handpiece or tracing point horizontally except while cutting. I broke
my 1/32" cutter doing that accidentally. I'm adding a "parking stand" along the back part of the
base to park the tracing point while holding the cutter off any surface.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

Do you want the pantograph ability or the duplicator ability?

Fred where do you get a pdf of the plan?
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

There was a link on the original thread for the pantograph, if you can't find it let me know and I will email you the file.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

That pantograph is very cool and reminds me of the one Rio Grande has that I've been looking at for awhile. Nice to have a set of plans.

Chris, glad you chimed in! Thought you might. First thing, I want a 1:1 scale. Second, I think it would be a simple design mod to retain the pivot capability for sign making, and then introduce a spring loaded z axis for true 3D. What do you think?

Mike

From what I've read the pantograph isn't used for 1:1 scale . I think it is because of the one fixed point which acts like a radius center point and the closer or farther from the fixed/center point the cutter or stylus is determines the ratio . The same for the pivot point making it 3D. If you put a spring in it to raise the pivot point up and down(which I think your mod might be) then it wouldn't be accurate at changing the scale.
I don't know if that makes any sense or not but the bottom line is you probably want a duplicator for your needs. Plenty of them out there to copy or buy or build.
You might think about building a CNC router or a dupicator built around a CNC's gantry design minus the screws and motors. Just a thought. Heck it could be used as a binding machine too.
It all pretty much depends on what you want to use it for to determine the size you need of either the pantograph or dupicator. Sort of a form follows function thing.
This one is a pretty nice mid size one and would be a fun weekend project.

I am building a CNC router. Thus pantograph will fill the need I cuurrently have, and it's cheap

Mike

Cool, have fun with the pantograph build.