Duplicator arrives next week

[simso]

So for those not in the know. I sold my cnc router off, as it was not being used much any more since I had upgraded to a bigger unit.

I said, If I can sell it for the amount a duplicator costs then I will replace it with a duplicator.. I sold it for the exact price of the duplicator so all is good. According to USPS tracking, its on its last legs of its journey and should be here next week. If you havent guessed Im a wee bit anxious to get my hands on it.

[Kim]

Congrats Steve.

Could you do us all a favour...If Martin ever drops in for a shop visit, don't let him get too close to that machine..one of him is more than plenty for any planet..

Cheers

Kim

[kiwigeo]

Congrats Steve.

Could you do us all a favour...If Martin ever drops in for a shop visit, don't let him get too close to that machine..one of him is more than plenty for any planet..

Cheers

Kim

No chance of me being duplicated mate. None of the males in my family have bred. Me....I'd rather spend money on tonewood and power tools than kids.

Power tools...much better than kids. If a power tool plays up you can beat the living daylights out of it and nobody's going to bat an eyelid. If a power tool's whining starts to annoy you then you can just turn the tool off. Try doing that with a screaming kid.

[simso]

I decided to get the duplicator, becuase it just saves time, whilst we have a laser scanner that can scan any item into a 3d image and we also have the technology to reverse engineer that image out to the cnc router, it takes way too long

Nothing like slapping an old removed bridge and then dump a small block of rosewood and make an exact copy or slighlty bigger copy.

The unit Ive ordered also does 3d so it rotates, so things like an exact neck replacement for a vintage gibson or along those lines is very achievable with minimal brain input

[MBP]

What duplicator did you go with?

[kiwigeo]

What duplicator did you go with?

Probably this model....

terminator2_l3.jpg (36.11 KiB) Viewed 23347 times

Whoops...sorry.... that's a Terminator not a Duplicator

[simso]

Radarcarve model 2

http://www.radarcarve.net/index.php?p=modeltwo

[MBP]

I'm a bit confused do you plan on using the duplicator to duplicate bridges or do you use the laser scanner and CNC router for that.

Carve tops and arch tops can be done on the duplicator. I've wondered how they would go for inlaid headstock logos. Weather or not there would be tight enough tolerances. CNC would be better for that wouldn't it? I don't have a CNC though

[simso]

I have cnc and laser scanner, but example lets say you want to duplicate a bridge with cnc and laser

First laser scan the item in from different angles (about half an hour)
take laser scanned image and reverse engineeer it with programs to create tool paths and cnc g code for router (40-50minutes)
Take computer program to cnc router and carve up job (15 minutes)
Total time to duplicate via this method 85 minutes.

Alternatively take duplicator and duplicate bridge by hand (approx 30 minutes)

Savings = 55 minutes. = one hours employees wages = 30 dollars saving.

Cnc is great in fact its awesome but some times theres faster ways of doing things especially if there just one offs.

[Nick]

Cnc is great in fact its awesome but some times theres faster ways of doing things especially if there just one offs.

My thought's exactly Steve, CNC is great for repetitive, accurate production work but 'manual' methods are faster for the one off type work.
Congrats on the new purchase & of course pictures are mandatory

[Clancy]

I'd rather spend money on tonewood and power tools than kids

That's why I don't have much tonewood or power tools

Try doing that with a screaming kid.

I do. Every hour of every day.

Enjoy your purchase Steve.

[willcall]

Like this is it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Carving- ... 1e6359b1f9


Sounds like a good investment.


Will

[simso]

Yep thats the same company, what you linked to was there model one, I got the model two which has a larger envelope.

The minister of war and finances said, why dont I just make one, shes right why dont I, there basic enough, however I bought the parts to make one over a year ago and I still havent made it yet, just not enough time (very time poor)

[simso]

I kind of hope theres more coming, this arrived from them today, its just three bars, no indication on the box its part of a multiple package.

[Nick]

I kind of hope theres more coming, this arrived from them today, its just three bars, no indication on the box its part of a multiple package.

No, that's all there is, you have to wait and these three rods continue to duplicate into a full sized machine. Shouldn't take too long, there was only one rod when it was first shipped.

[simso]

Wow, your right. I came in today and low behold its duplicated some more

[rocket]

Does it create it;s own mess too Steve, or does all that sawdust just part of the packaging?
Rod.

[kiwigeo]

Does it create it;s own mess too Steve, or does all that sawdust just part of the packaging?
Rod.

Yeah...unusually untidy for Steve's workshop.

[simso]

Yeh, now that you mention it, its friday.... how the heck did that not get cleaned.

[simso]

So assembled, nice timing actually, I had a guitar come in this morning "classical" with a broken bridge, so will remove the old one and use this machine to duplicate it out of a blank bit of material.

And yes I deliberatly left the bench space dirty.

Only down side I can see, is that im right handed so I like to have my body central to things, this requires me to use my right hand but my body will be completley off the side of the table. Will see if I can do a future mod on it..

[charangohabsburg]

That looks like a very nice and sturdy tool. Good to see that the three rods decided to evolve, congrats!

Only down side I can see, is that im right handed so I like to have my body central to things, this requires me to use my right hand but my body will be completley off the side of the table. Will see if I can do a future mod on it..

Maybe it helps if you think of a remote controlled router. I think that I even would put a wall between template and working piece, just for safety reasons... Just kidding.

And yes I deliberatly left the bench space dirty.

At which photographers supply store did you buy the saw dust?

[Dominic]

Steve, so how much was it, about $1500? One of those thigs I have toyed with in my brain. Was going to try a homemade version with large drawer slides that I've seen plans for.

So I'm looking forward to seeing some pic of this thing in action, carving a neck or whatever it is you intend to use it for.
Cheers
Dom

[rocket]

Looks uncomplicated, quite nifty really, i'm sure the CNC cost heaps more than the copier, did the laminex trimmer come with it?
Rod.

[simso]

Cost was 1350 plus 375 USD delivery, for some reason it also went through customs without getting hit by GST, so that was a bit surprising, could be becuase it came as two seperate packages.

The saw dust for the photo shoot was acquired from local pet store.

Its definetly over priced for what it is, you could make an equivelant for about 300 im guessing, but as I said in an earlier post I bought the stuff to make one a year ago and I still have not managed to get around to assembling / constructing it.

It did not come with a router, Ive just got a makita trimming router fited to it at the momment.

At least all the bering surfaces actually have roller bearings inside them, so it moves relatively smoothly.

Heres a photo of the bits I ordered a year ago to make my own. These would give a far superior end result (which probably isnt needed here).

[charangohabsburg]

Steve, no wonder the parts you ordered one year ago did not assemble themselves: the sawdust from the local pet store was missing!

Nice parts by the way. Find out the flaws of the new unit and then make a better one if you ever find the time (and the need of a better duplicator, of course).