Shaping machine, aka Copy Carver

I purchased the plans to build a Copy Carver, which is a router pantograph. Then I blew it up to a 4' x 8' size.

The stylus on the left follows the shape of the board and transfers that to the router which duplicates the board into the foam.

Mid cut, and my shop vac attempting to gather the cut EPS.



(Message edited by surfdad on November 01, 2008)

I didn't have a big enough piece of foam, so I just played with my new "toy" to see how it worked and learned a few things. I was using a small section of pencil as my stylus and it broke! When the stylus breaks the router digs into the foam. A metal stylus is the only option.

I got tired and started pushing the router side of the pantograph and that dug into the foam, you simply must go slow and adjust/push from the stylus side.

A gouge and the indent as I was pushing the router side.

The concave was matched perfectly, as was the rocker. It's an exact duplicate.

That is SO COOL. Can I come play?

Absolutely! Bring foam!

that is pretty cool.

That is tricky... cool.

Ya, bring foam, a dust mask, a spare shop vac, and a broom.

Surf Dad never stops!

Sweet! Now we can have knock offs made in the USA! LOL

Nice Jeff!

The poor man's CNC!! Excellent!

Thanks Guys...Hate N, we could knock off the knock offs! Some cool trade name like KO squared.

Smed it's true! I've been making the same basic shape for a few years now and I've found that if I could get one within 1 mm of the master it was GREAT! This would be a great tool for a small shop that can't afford the $60K for a machine, and that wants to crank out a bunch of stock shapes.

KO Squared "knocking off the best knock offs of the best boards since 2008"

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!

By George you have done it again SD

what the heck thats awesome

NASA = National Agency of Surfdad's Appliances

Jeff you should buy bigger bits sou you can eat more foam at once
http://www.shapers.com.au/images/machine.cutter.jpg

http://www.shapers.com.au/category18_1.htm

not cheap

and Jeff you need some counter balance springs so you don't plunge in the foam when you asleep at the router, he he

homemade CNC
http://smorel.net/page_cnc_fv3.php

http://smorel.net/page_cnc_fc.php

but its worth to buy some complete system then mess with all that machinery, electronic, computing and programing I guess

or simply just scan original at CNC shapers shop and let them route copies with modofications which you change on your PC. I guess its not so expensive. Its quick, clean and very exact.

(Message edited by hawaj on November 03, 2008)

check out http://www.aps3000.com/ system with free software

can I copy my girlfriend?

$395 for a cutter! That's almost three times what I have into this stupid thing! The one issue with this device is that the stylus has to duplicate the cutter/bit otherwise the cut into the foam will be off.

The Copy Carver does have a counter balace, but it's weights, still when the stylus breaks - that EPS will get a gouge. Hopefully I won't fall asleep at the wheel!

Those CNC, even the DIY versions, are so expensive. I've priced them in kit form and it's several THOUSAND (close to 8K if I remember) to get one with x, y and z axis in the 2' x 5' x 4" range.

I'm thinking the lady you are which to copy WON'T be your girlfriend after a session on the copy carver!!!!!

The stylus/cutter combo I am waiting on.

Jeff - I was going to ask you if you were going to get a shaping burr and stylus like that. were you able to score them for a decent price?

Not bad - $35 for the set. Saburr Tooth bits are available locally for cheap, but it's the matching stylus that is the pricey part.

CC has these

I meant to post the pictures from last night. I did a little more testing. If the master has the fin box cuts in it, you can duplicate that on the cut piece. I even tried the C-5 holes and the machine handled that. It will require a bit/stylus change, no doubt. Straight plunge for the fin boxes and outline and then the bullnose for the curves.

Off the Hook SD. Whats cooking in the lab now

Thanks Bob,

HD skins and e.Balsa rails is my next project, IF and that is a BIG IF, I ever finish the paint on the current project!

In progress, is this blank. I don't know what I did with the cutting pictures, I must have deleted them...anyway, the concave and rocker cut from the master. However, on this build I want to use e.balsa rails, so I cut the outline about 1/2" inside the final outline (blended at the tail and nose).

I made plywood patterns that will allow me to cut the blank for the perimeter stringers. One is inset about 1.5" and this last one is about .5" inset. Then I attach the patterns to the cutting machine in place of the master and run the stylus just around the OUTSIDE of that pattern and it cuts the blanks outline leaving a vertical edge for attaching the stringers or in this case the rails.

I did get pictures of the blank as I am sealing the bottom prior to attaching the bottom skin, and the vertical cut ready for the e.balsa attachment.

Some cut photos and the results Do not give me crap about the last photo where I am sealing the blank, it started to RAIN right after I got started, so...it's a quick photo then I yanked it indoors.

Some of the OTHER results.

Now THAT'S a good dog!

Love the dog shot SD

Surfdad knows best

Jeff put some kind of tent around your rig

I need to move it outside, Petr! Isn't Woofie the best dog ever? He follows me everywhere in hopes of getting attention or a snack.

and then he got only tons of foam wooof

I decided to do this blank in carbon.