Duff Beer Man Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 Anyone at all? Im thinking about building one cause i know in the end it will save me tons of time in shaping necks and what not. Im just wondering how much it cost and how difficult it is.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocksolid Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 i'm planning on building one also, as far as cost goes i think it all depends on what you use for materials and where you get them, duffbeerman, there are several different variations of the copy carver on the net which site/plans are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 got one, looks great, took ages to make, all linear bearings etc, but i havent used it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted June 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 http://www.copycarver.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 Check out Myka's rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 Looks great. The theory seems easy, but I wonder how tricky it would be for someone like me to source all the parts. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 I just finished one, basically identical to David Myka's rig except that I joined the paired pillow blocks on the R & L sides with metal instead of wood, and placed each of the pairs a little closer to each other so that I'd get a little larger range of workable area. 4' x 4' sheet of 3/4" plywood, braced on the back (glued & screwed), 1-1/4" linear rod & pillow blocks to match. The whole works is hinged to the wall of my garage, so that I can tilt it up & store it out of the way to save space. Its only about a month old, haven't used it yet. I'd throw up a pic if I wasn't sitting in Anchorage typing this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted June 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2005 Hmmm, I think i could make one of those... Are they easy to make? Is there a tut or is it easy enough just for follow the pics?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted June 30, 2005 Report Share Posted June 30, 2005 Hmmm, I think i could make one of those... Are they easy to make? Is there a tut or is it easy enough just for follow the pics?? ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted June 30, 2005 Report Share Posted June 30, 2005 I made one like David's years back, but we had pillow blocks on either side, where it looks like David's has bar clamps. And like Erik it was all metal. Erik called the two L/R bearings "pillow blocks" but actually I've always referred to those as linear bearings, and when I say pillow blocks L/R I mean rotating bearings attatched to the center bar. I can't tell from the pics, but on David's I wonder if the center bar stays still, and the bearings on the main apparatus are used for both sideways and up/down motion. Perhaps those bar clamps aren't tight and the bar rotates in the clamping harness. Anyway we felt that the bearings should all remain linear to increase life, so for ours the bar rotated on pillowblocks. It was great. We did some great stuff on it. Unfortunately I don't have any room for one now. The few principles I can contribute that aren't here yet are that the base needs to be 100% stable. We had a steel table. To us, a ply table could wow. So I like that Erik braced his. We had MDF on top, but the "real" table underneath was steel. If you have a twist in the table it is brutal on the copy. If its a neck, your profile can distort from low frets to high, and from treble to bass. We also used all steel for the center harness. David's is so thick that it's probably fine, but we didn't want to use wood and have it move over time. My partner was a welder so it was easy. For most of us (including me now) it has to be made out of wood, and that's fine as long as you're sensitive to the fact that it can move. Maybe with my space limitations I'll steal Erik's idea and make one that's hinged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 I've been l;ooking at getting this one: http://www.wood-carver.com/ Problem is I emailed them and never got a response, so how do I trust them with the rest of the transaction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 I've been l;ooking at getting this one: http://www.wood-carver.com/ Problem is I emailed them and never got a response, so how do I trust them with the rest of the transaction? ← 9" Universal Model - $ 2750.00 might just be cheaper to buy a welder and build your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 This is the one that My old man and I finished building a few weeks ago. I've not yet had the chance to prectice with it and get it dialed in but when I do I'll post some pictures of it. The rollers are just $2 bearings and shimmed with washers. Every roller is adjustable for about 1/2 inch of travel. This way it is easier to level if the tracks are not perfect. We've basically just made our own pillow blocks. Total cost was around $100CDN, that was just for bearings and the router. The meatal was just scrap we had laying around. pic 1 pic 2 pic 3 pic 4 pic 5 pic 6 pic 7 pic 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted July 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 What bits would be used with one of these to get an exact copy of a neck? As do u guys use drimils with them or routers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 What bits would be used with one of these to get an exact copy of a neck? As do u guys use drimils with them or routers? ← Mine is a $30 1/4inch shank laminite trimmer. and right now i have just a straight bit in it. Guitarfrenzy could most likely give more input on which bit works better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 That home made one looks nice Guitar Guy, but Iwould haved re-enforced the single tube design from the back brace to the front router and stylus. I realy don't know if it would be necessary, but I like sturdy looking machines... And 'frenzy uses the round bit with a round stylus if I'm not wrong. Which is the set up I'm designing. As soon as I get it finished, I will send it to Brian to place it in the advanced section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 That home made one looks nice Guitar Guy, but Iwould haved re-enforced the single tube design from the back brace to the front router and stylus. I realy don't know if it would be necessary, but I like sturdy looking machines... And 'frenzy uses the round bit with a round stylus if I'm not wrong. Which is the set up I'm designing. As soon as I get it finished, I will send it to Brian to place it in the advanced section. ← Thanks, And I was thinking the same thing about re-enforcing the single tube. Just messing around with it i can see some side to side play. I'm thinking an x across the span between the side rollers might do the trick and still allow it to pivot correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Yes, Maiden is correct, I use a 3/4" roundnose bit, and 3/4" stylus ball, but sometimes I have better results with a slightly oversized stylus, which you can get both from Terrco. Although the first one I used was a 3/4" round wooden ball that you can get from a Crafts place, just get one with a hole predrilled in the middle, and then tighten the correct sized screw into it, then hacksaw the head off of the screw, chuck it in the stylus and your ready to go. Just a cheap method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Yes, Maiden is correct, I use a 3/4" roundnose bit, and 3/4" stylus ball, but sometimes I have better results with a slightly oversized stylus, which you can get both from Terrco. Although the first one I used was a 3/4" round wooden ball that you can get from a Crafts place, just get one with a hole predrilled in the middle, and then tighten the correct sized screw into it, then hacksaw the head off of the screw, chuck it in the stylus and your ready to go. Just a cheap method. ← I dont want to take credit for this idea because it's someone elses. But, Have you tried chucking your router bit in a drill press and drilling it into some nylon or UHMW thats clamped in place. Lube the void left by the router bit with liquid wrench or some other dry lube. Then remove the bit and chuck a rod that is to be used for the stylus. Then , with the stylus rod locked at the right height, fill the cavity with epoxy around the tip of the stylus rod. When it dries you will have a perfect copy of the cut that the router bit makes. I tried it with the straight bit and it seems to work good. Havent really used it extensively tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 I think Ed from the copycarver site uses lead like that, but the epoxy method would be better. Yes it definitely would work, nice tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.thep Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 old thread revival! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 (edited) Thep. Interesting...... I;ve seen something similar before, but I don't think the wheels were raised above the worktable, and woodchips would be a serious issue.. Yours seems to overcome that problem, but I dont see how you get a "Z" axis. How does yours tilt for height? One wheel on each side and the entire assembly tilts on the wheels, but I see another wheel on the rail towards the back.... Edited January 27, 2007 by postal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 I just finished one, basically identical to David Myka's rig except that I joined the paired pillow blocks on the R & L sides with metal instead of wood, and placed each of the pairs a little closer to each other so that I'd get a little larger range of workable area. 4' x 4' sheet of 3/4" plywood, braced on the back (glued & screwed), 1-1/4" linear rod & pillow blocks to match. The whole works is hinged to the wall of my garage, so that I can tilt it up & store it out of the way to save space. Its only about a month old, haven't used it yet. I'd throw up a pic if I wasn't sitting in Anchorage typing this... I'd like to see some pics when you get the chance. I like the idea of being able to store it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.thep Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 (edited) Thep. Interesting...... I;ve seen something similar before, but I don't think the wheels were raised above the worktable, and woodchips would be a serious issue.. Yours seems to overcome that problem, but I dont see how you get a "Z" axis. How does yours tilt for height? One wheel on each side and the entire assembly tilts on the wheels, but I see another wheel on the rail towards the back.... The backboard is hinged to a platform that moves on the wheels. So the main thing you see, the swingbox, is only attached with the hinge, so it moves up and down. Edited January 28, 2007 by c.thep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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