http://norfolk.craigslist.org/for/4941624457.html

This would make a machine who had a wish to make
a stock now and then and it is priced right.

I am too far from it or I would have tried to buy it. Factory made by a well known company. Kenny

If you look at the last picture of the ad it shows a "stock making/ spindle" attachment.

I have never seen one in person much less used one but it sure seems to give you a lot of options for play.

Yeah that little $600 unit is for cutting within 1/32nd of an inch or so and as mentioned it has no 4th axis.

Stock duplicators have to be pretty nasty heavy and run on split line bearings. Most will cut under +-.010 inch. The snagging of the tool when it cuts would probably spring that unit around like a feather in the wind.

I don't think I have ever seen a good one built that didn't exceed $5000 in parts and labor. I have seen and run a couple that cut almost +-.0025 inch that I would have estimated cost close to $10,000 to build.

The fool things look ridiculously simple when you play with them for a while. But when you start to figure how to get stuff to run true over 60 or so inches and get your rocking cradle to hold a few thousandths over a 12 inch Z axis it becomes a bit of a geometric nightmare. Its not like you can just drop the table on the mill and face everything off for the bearing seats.

Well, you can if you have a BIGASS machine.But most of us don't.

Yeah, it's always nice if you can find one for sale. They cost a small fortune to make so very few good ones get made. On top of that very few people want the fool things so the guy that makes it generally pretty much has to take a hell of a beating on it. That's why the ones you find are often rusted to hell with mice apartments in the wiring. Guys put them out behind the shop because of the big footprint hoping that some fool will come along and give him what it's worth. It never happens and most get scrapped after they are neglected for too many years.

"If I can't get what I think it's worth, I'll let the fawker ROT! ! ! !"

It's a pity, but that's the way people think.

I would never expect to go into the stock making business with this machine, but if it would cut within a 1/4" a 49 rasp would have the whole stock down in an hour. Some can and some can't. Kenny
.

quote:

have the whole stock down in an hour

Ramrod

I meant an hour after it was out of the machine.

I have gotten stocks from Richards Microfit that were 1/2" proud in many areas and it don't take long to knock them down.

There is still plenty to do after it comes out of the machine.

With that little machine, it would take some time

to shape for sure.

I have not run that particular machine either.

Kenny

Woodhunter
I was just looking at your pictures and it don't look like you are able to get the top of the forearm level.
That must make it difficult to change patterns
like to cut the butt of one pattern, forearm of another and maybe the inletting of another.
I always do the inletting with a different pattern than the stock. Kenny

Dunno if you can have to many pictures or words. Some times the only way I can understand some things is to see a picture of what the guy is trying to describe. I ain't that audio but I'm pretty visual. Maybe I should try listening some time? lol

Hey Thanks

I wondered how you got the top of the stock level
and was able to move it around to set up for inletting with a different stock.
When I set up to start, I make sure the pattern stock is level horizontal and vertical.
I then get a reading on the 360 degree dial and write it down. When I use another pattern, I can set the dial at that same spot and level with
long pins in the action screw holes.
It takes time but I have no schedule. Kenny

quote:

Originally posted by WoodHunter:
Edit:

I deleted the other posts as I tend to bore people with being too wordy and including too many photos. And having hundreds of photos on the hard drive does not help!

I thought they were pretty great. Until I'm chopping down trees for stocks myself too, its the next best thing.

As others have said, a good pantograph is neither cheap nor easy to build. This one was built in my shop and keeps very close tolerances.

Nice looking machine.
I think the cog belt is the best drive system.

Kenny

Yeah, that's a duplicator. Nice and heavy and everything runs on split line bearings. Never seen one with a gear belt for the 4th axis before. Most of the ones I have seen or used have been chain & sprocket or had gears only. The one gear only model was nice. He had robbed a banjo off an old universal head and had it geared to the X axis. Aside from gun stocks, ducks and wooden Indians he could make some pretty complex spindles for table legs, staircases and such.