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I've been wanting to build a version of Keith MacKenzie's pantograph for awhile now. I even went so far as to get some drawer slides. Then I recalled that Larrivee use a reducing pantograph to do their beautiful inlays. The machine they use reduces the pattern by one third. Wendy Larrivee designs the artwork. It is then enlarged 300% and cut out of plexiglass with a coping saw. The pantograph they use is an expensive machine designed for engraving. Alas I can not afford one. Then I recalled an old article on making your own carving pantograph. This simple machine reduces designs by half, third or one-fourth and even in 3-D. I set out to make one and was pleasantly surprised at its accuracy. I enlarged the "M" I use for a logo by 300% and then printed it out and stuck it on some qurater inch plywood. Next, I cut out the design on my scrollsaw. To make the inlay pattern I coated the template with paste wax and used friendly plastic forced into the pattern against a block. Alignment marks were placed on the patterns to ensure proper placement of the templates. The template following pin needs to be the appropriate size for the selected reduction. So with a one sixteenth bit in the die grinder the template pin needed to be three sixteenths. In ten minutes I had a logo inlayed and sanded with just a little clean up with needle files and a dremel. I guess it goes to show you that there is nothing new under the sun. I still think MacKenzie's jig is cool, but in an afternoon I made a jig that can carve 3-d designs and allow me to enlarge my designs for better accuracy.

That is cool, I am interested in building one, what are the details and measurements.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
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X2!

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Ditto....I want!!

Excellent, Matt!
This would be a good time/place for a tutorial.
I`ve been kicking this around in my head for quite some time...
Coe Franklin

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Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Thats a very cool tool!!
How do you calculate the percent reduction you will get?

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PMoMC

Thanks for all the kind words. The plans came from an old magazine ( I believe) called Home-Built Power Tools. The article was entitled-Making and Using a Carving Pantograph. I'll see if I can scan it and post it, but I found it on the web somewhere. I originally thought that using bushings for the pivots would be better and more durable, but alas the original designer knew what he was doing. Maple for the arms allowed a much tighter pivot and I just used paste wax for a lubricant. I made two at the same time and posted one in the classifieds if anyone is interested. It's kinda funny, but the original article lists a kit for $12.95 ( I wonder when it was published?). It is really simple to take your original design and enlarge by the amount you want to make the template. I chose 300% because that is what Larrivee does. Just remember that the template following stylus needs to be that percentage bigger than your bit. It is also helpful to note that your stylus can follow the design at that size. In other words will a say 3/16" stylus follow all of the contours of the indicated shape.

sigh....if only that thing could produce a .dxf file.

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You'll find what you're looking for at THIS LINK.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Thanks Matt for the idea, and thanks Bill for the link.

Bob

Wierd, I just set up a guitar for a guy named Bill Hodges, with an "S", and then I see these posts. I'm in the Twilight Zone!

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Thanks for the post. I look forward to using it.

Matt, did you use the same plans that Bill posted the link to?

Ed

That looks cool. Great for repeatability on headstock logos Think I may have to make one of these

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I'm in the middle of making one of these. As I realized how small it is, I was playing
around with building a bigger one. Found this on the net:

http://wood-carver.com/index.html

And here's a different version:

[url]http://www.vidsurf.net/watch/WrSsDGU6N7I/Dupli3D__Copiadora_fresadora_3D__Copy_carving__Mod_B__V01.html
[/url]
Have to get the small one done first, but I'm definitely keeping a bigger one
in mind- already looked up the linear bearings in McMaster-Carr.

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Gene

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

I'm definately adding that to the list of jigs to build. It's like a version of one that Rio Grande sales but with plans.

Isn't this the same basic design of the one I referred to in another thread? But from woodgears.ca

Btw, is it possible to make one of these 1:1?

Mike

I believe it is, I'll have to lookup my info on pantagraphs. Thomas Jefferson had something made off a pantograph design that would write a copy of his letters while he wrote.
But I don't know if the pivot would have to be changed to an up and down movement for 3D.
I have the arms cut for 4 of them and if I get a chance tonight I might mess with building them later on but probably not until tomorrow as I have to ship out some rolling pin sanders.
Edit:
I didn't find anything that said it can copy on a 1:1 scale. Here's the Jefferson polygraph or autopen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1804_ ... lle_VA.jpg
Easier to make a duplicator.