Hello,
I have just finished a very home made duplicating carver and I find that the router cutters I am using are pretty well useless.
Can anyone give me some good advice on a reliable cutter or cutters for duplicating?
Thanks,
Dennis Hill. ???

[nadcarves]

Dennis, am assuming the machine you built is on wheels and the router is vertical. Changing routers is not going to help one bit. The only thing a vertical router duplicator will do is relief carving. Go to a Terrco T110,F200 . The T110 ,as it comes to you ,is a jeep WW2 vintage,that can be really changed around.It can be made to rough faster,2 to 3 times,enlarged to make items as big as the F200.use soft masters such as undried hand building clay(with out the fiberglass slop covering)A rule of thumb for most duplicators is that one router equals one carver, and you can rough out faster with a Foredom tool.. Should you live close to Central Ohio,come on over...put right hand on stylus,coffee cup in left hand and copy something. Tom Sawyer taught me well,only problem will be keeping chips out of coffee, and that too is a learned experience,nad

[AlArchie]

Or try www.fishcarver.com Ed Wallicki has plans for sale for a homemade duplicator that is supposed to be the cat's as near as I can see. He may have some tips on types of cutters, also.

Al

Thanks for the replies, Nad and Al.
Nad, I had a look at one of those T110's and although it looked good it was just TOO SMALL for what I want to do. It looked a bit on the rough side as far as operation was concerned as well. I want to speed up carvings of Koalas, Wombats and other Australian Native animals for the tourist trade but my masters are too big for that machine to copy. ly, it looks like I will have to go back to the good old hand carving.
Thanks for the demo offer but the piggy bank does not run to international air travel. I live in rural NSW, Australia but if I can make enough money I may take you up on the offer!
Thank you Gentlemen for the info.
carving,
Dennis.

[nadcarves]

Dennis,The T110 only looks small.I am getting ready to do a 15x15base x39 inch tall Santa in mine.The machine can be modified to take a master that is slightly under 18 inches square,I think I can go 60 inches high if I needed to.So if your masters will fit within those bounds ,get a T110.I am talking roughing,since I hand carve to finish..Will post a picture in the next day or so,T110 in action.Show it to a Duplicarver user,he will say impossible,then give me a call..Send me your e-mail address.........Al Archie,,,,Copy Carver being cats paws, or crap? Now it is geared for the wild fowl/fish carver..Ducks.In my T110,I do an 18 inch loon.Total time app 30 min,from cutting wood to knocking off copy table. The CC will carve a duck body, thens yas gotsa carve da head, how long for a ready to finish decoy? Santas come next in popularity, T110,9 to 10 inch Santa, cut wood to off table, 17 to 21 minutes..The CC can't do a vertical Santa. Yas gots ta side mount it,and pray you dion't make scrap..Many carvers work in clay. I use hand building clay,in a pinch slightly dry surface with a heat gun, can usually get six off..The CC would have the clay fall out of the machine,or come up with a screwy idea to wrap in Saran wrap,and trowel a glob of fiberglass on the surface, remove the clay,fill with foam and copy.Who wants to do dat,better yet,who wants to copy a glob.?.If you can copy clay in a T110,you darn sure can do plaster.Why can't the CC do it without protection? animals?How does you do them in the CC,? A T110 just mount on plate and go..Gee Al ,stone carving is beautiful,,damn stuff is also heavy, how do you keep it from falling out of the CC,how do you hold it in? When you hold a router with two fingers(A ROUTER REMEMBER)and rough out,and that router kicks,you aren't holding the stylus anymore.I sort of have doubts about the validity of the picture,however, any CC user that can say I am wrong about roughing with a router and holding it with two fingers, please note that I will apologize in caps... So Al,based on my experience and 14 years of making a living with a T110,I still have questions that I can't figure out,thank you for taking the time to read my comments,Nad...

[AlArchie]

Hey, Nad, I don't sell these things, don't even use 'em. The guy just asked for some suggestions and I've seen these home-brew jobs advertized, so I passed the info along. No doubt in my mind, there are far better ones on the market. Sure didn't mean to impune your T110, just thought Ed might have some suggestions on cutters. Oh, well........

Al

[nadcarves]

Al, I haven't had time to apologize,you are one of the most helpful people on the site. Kid from 62 years ago passed on yesterday..Last year had plans to visit the old places this summer.Wife is ill, and can't get out to take last walk.Throw e- address at me,meaning to get a hold of you.You didn't impune,,I taech how to be creative. a duplicator is just a tool to get a job done.Need to go fro a long walk,wiil yell at you in aday or so,nad,,,nadcarves@yahoo.com apology again,make that talk to you...............in a day or so

[nadcarves]

Dennis,if you have to carve to sell,go with power.Re T110 being too small,too rough.Saw your name as new in the Yahoo woodcarving group..Two red santas,the one is 40 by 15,will do in T110,the small 20 inch one,done from two blocks of 5 inch wood,front profile cut, by 10 wide at base ,,takes two hours,new bandsaw ,next app 1.0 hour. Photo in site,called geezer, me and T110, one hand ,not stable(rocks),master is grand childs clay bear,show picture to a duplicarver user and he will swear on a stack of walnut, that not only is the pic impossible,but you can't do what I am doing..Should you find a bear,or wombat,get the larger machine,figure out a way to get them drunk or stay still,and will send you another picture..I sent same this evening to friend/customer .His reply,thought you were kidding at first,place my order..Dennis, e-mail me at nadcarves@yahoo.com , and I'll sent the photo of the monster ,,, actually not for sale ,anyone else feel free. So we don't want people to say,'once there was a poor wood carver named D. Hill.' Thanks, nad