Stock Carving Duplicator... One Hour Stocks

[Leedavisone]

We are manufacturing new Carving Duplicators for rifle and shotgun stocks, also pistol grips. Ebay listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/GUN-STOCK-CARVING-DUPLICATOR-Makes-a-copy-in-an-Hour_W0QQitemZ140071307378 We are a new company located in New Mexico and specialize in the manufacture of Custom Carving Duplicators for gun stocks, duck decoys, furniture items, propellers and a wide range of other wood items. I have a question though... What would be the ideal universal length that a Duplicator should cut up to? The machine is currently set up to carve up to 46 inches (although this can be easily extended). Does this cover most of the normal stock lengths out there?
Lee Davis

 

[Khornet]

46 inches

should be more than enough for rifle stocks.

 

[rifle]

Muzzleloaders go up to 55-56in. On that stock duplicator....what type of adjustment keeps the router in tune with the stylis? What syncronizes the two pieces of wood? Cables? Gears? Any possible chance for them to get out of tune when carving? Is the machine capable of following the inletting for locks and trigger plates and tangs within a coupla .001's?

 

[Plink]

I've been eyeing that duplicator on Ebay. I'm looking into building muzzleloaders from scratch someday. That looks to be a good unit if it's easy to expand for longer stocks. Most of the stocks I'd be making would be within the machine's limits, but as Rifle noted, some are quite a bit longer.

 

[rifle]

Plink,with that machine you could make half stocks muzzleloaders. Make one by hand from scratch and then duplicate it over and over. You want to know that the machine is ridgid enough to be accurate enough for inletting the locks and tangs and trigger bars. Replaceble bushings at the pivot points are a good thing too. Anywhooo....there aren't many stock makers left alive anymore. You know the ones that had the experience to carve out anything a person needed in short order by hand. Like stocks fer old shotguns and rifles that people want to fix up. Stocks and stock makers are hard to find for some good old guns that just need some good wood. That means $$$$$$ fer a guy that could use that machine. Pay fer the machine relatively quick if people knew you would make them stocks fer their guns. There's a lot of old doubles shotguns out there that are cheap=ly bought because the wood is gone or cracked. Buy em. Restock them. Resell them? Anywhoo.. what do you think of the clamp holding the router on the machine? Where's the adjustment to set it to match the stylis? The syncronizer for the stock holders has to be positive and not able to change on you when yer carving. Cables aren't as good as gears I think.

 

[Plink]

Yeah, I can see a lot of potential for a duplicator also. While my main intention is to become a scratch builder, I figured to offer stock making services also. There's a lot of good wood out there, but not many makers.

I know I'd sure like more info on that unit too. Setting up shop sure is turning out to be a massive investment, but that machine looks like it would start paying for itself right off.

 

[Leedavisone]

The Stock Duplicator

We are making the machine to be extremely precise and easy to use. All the replies that I have been getting are positive and full of praise for the Duplicator. The router and stylus are both independantly adjustible (a simple operation), and once set, will not get out of adjustment. The entire machine is extremely rigid and precise... it is not bolted together but rather welded from steel. The rotating mechanism keeps the two stocks in perfect unison while carving on any side, and will not become loose, ever. The machine right out of the box will cut to within a few thousandths, but we also supply an oversize stylus (30 thousandths) so that the final cut can be gently made with the standard stylus, or by hand.
Length of the machine can be easily extended (cost of the steel side rails is about $65 for stocks up to 70 inches, if purchased locally). I am forming a list of purchasers that allow their names to be given out, for I have been getting a lot of requests from people who want just one stock carved, but don't want to buy the Duplicator for just that one. It is guaranteed, of course. Money back if not delighted. I am hoping to come up with some brochures soon... Lee Davis

 

[1911 guy]

Pattern lathe?

Is this the same thing as a pattern lathe? I'm a machinist and just curious.

 

[Leedavisone]

Pattern Lathe

I am a furniture maker by profession, and I have to admit that I don't know what a pattern lathe is. This Carving duplicator is more akin to a tracer mill than to a lathe... the item being carved remains fixed in position during the carving. Lee Davis

 

[1911 guy]

Pattern lathes.

Sounds like pretty much the same thing. The original piece rotates at the same speed as the work piece, a stylus tracing the original and a cutting insert duplicating the distance from the machine centers to cut the work piece to the same dimensions. They can save some time for mass produced parts, an operator has to rough them out, the pattern lathe finishes them from the same original to maintain consistency.

 

[1911 guy]

Aargh!

Stupid computer. Or maybe it's the guy pushing the buttons. Anyway, double post.

 

[Leedavisone]

This is not a pattern Lathe

This is a Carving Duplicator, Not a pattern lathe. The work does not move during the carving. It is moved to a new position when the carving stops, then carving proceeds.