Both in production and at home, it often becomes necessary to manufacture a part whose shape and dimensions are completely identical to the original sample. At enterprises, this problem is solved with the help of such a device as a copy-milling machine, which allows you to make copies of the original part in large series, is characterized by high speed, as well as the quality of the processing performed.

What is the milling process

Copy-milling machines and any other equipment of the milling group can be found on almost any industrial enterprise. This is explained by the fact that the milling operation is one of the most common methods used to perform machining. This technology allows you to perform a wide range of roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations with simple and shaped blanks made of ferrous and non-ferrous metal, work on wood and plastic. On modern milling equipment parts of even the most complex shape are processed with high precision and productivity.

There are two main types of milling: counter (feed and rotation of the tool are in different directions) and associated (the tool rotates in the same direction as the feed). The cutting part of the tools that perform milling is made of various materials, which makes it possible not only to successfully work on wood, but also to process (including grinding) even the hardest metals and alloys, artificial and natural stone.

Milling equipment is divided into two types: general purpose and specialized, to which the copy-milling machine belongs.

Capabilities of copy-milling equipment

The copy machine, belonging to the milling group, is designed for copy-milling work with flat and voluminous parts. In addition, such a device can be used to engrave shaped profiles, apply inscriptions and patterns (even of high complexity) to products, and perform light milling operations on wood and other materials.

Using tools with a cutting part of various materials, copy-milling machines process parts made of cast iron, different varieties steel and non-ferrous metals. On such devices for the production of parts in small and large series, blades of turbojet engines and steam turbines, propellers for ships, punching and forging dies, impellers for hydraulic turbines, molds for pressing and casting, molds, etc. are successfully produced.

On a copy-milling machine, technological operations are performed that are practically inaccessible to universal equipment. The principle of operation of such a machine is based on the copying method, for which a special template is used. The use of a template eliminates the human factor when processing even the most complex parts, so that all finished products have the same shape and geometric dimensions. Conveniently, one template can be used to precisely manufacture a large batch of parts that will be completely identical to each other.

In order to copy the shape and dimensions of the template as accurately as possible, a copier (pantograph for the router) is installed on the copy-milling machine. The purpose of such a device is the exact transmission of all movements of the copy head to the cutting tool.

How does a copy-milling machine work

Copy-milling machines, as mentioned above, are used for planar (profile processing) and three-dimensional (relief processing) milling. As a working tool, cutters are used on them, which, processing the contour or volumetric surface of the part, repeat the movements of the copier. The connection of the working body and the tracking system for manual machines is provided by mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic elements needed to form the force transmitted from the copier to the working body of the copy-milling machine.

A template on such machines is a flat contour or spatial model, a reference part or contour drawings, and an element that reads the shape and dimensions of the template is a copy finger or roller, a special probe, a photocell. You can use to make a template aluminum sheet or a sheet of other metal, plastic or wood. The template and the workpiece are located on the rotating desktop of the machine.

The working body of copy-milling equipment is set in motion thanks to such structural elements like a screw, spool valve, solenoid, differential or electromagnetic clutch. Relays installed in amplifying devices of copy-milling machines are electromagnetic, hydraulic or electro-optical.

The quality of the workpiece (surface roughness, shape and size accuracy) depends on such a parameter as the speed of the tracking device. This can achieve the following characteristics finished product: roughness - No. 6, profile accuracy - 0.02 mm. The main elements of the executive circuit of such equipment are an electric motor and a hydraulic cylinder.

The pantograph installed on copy-milling equipment provides copying in a given scale. The design of the pantograph consists of a guide pin, its axis, a tool spindle and a separate axis of rotation. The spindle and the guide pin are located on the same rail, the ratio of the shoulders of which determines the scale of copying.

Moving along the contour of the template, the finger sets in motion the rail, which freely rotates on the axis. Accordingly, on the other side of the rail, the machine spindle makes identical movements, processing the workpiece. On do-it-yourself copy-milling machines, such a device will also not be superfluous, its presence significantly increases the functionality of the equipment.

Varieties of machines of the copy-milling group

The equipment of the copy-milling machine may include drives various types. Based on this parameter, allocate:

• equipment with a pantograph (suitable for processing parts in 2-3 dimensions);
• devices with a copier mounted on a rotary rail moving in vertical plane;
• single and multi-spindle machines equipped with rotary tables round or rectangular shape;
• machine tools, the feed on which is provided by mechanical, electrical, hydraulic devices;
• photo copy equipment.

Homemade copy machine may refer to any of these types (including copy-grinding machines). You just need to find drawings on the Internet and select components.

According to the degree of automation and the method of fixing the workpiece, the following categories of copy-milling machines are distinguished:

• manual or desktop, on which the workpiece is fixed mechanically(on these devices you can drill holes various shapes in accordance with the template);
• automatic equipment of a stationary type, the workpieces on which are fixed with the help of pneumatic clamps (on such machines they work with aluminum);
• automatic equipment of a stationary type with pneumatic clamps, on which a three-spindle head is installed (on these copy-milling machines, triple holes are drilled at the same time, which does not allow the execution of units of the two previous types).

How does a copy milling machine work

As noted above, on a copy-milling machine, the workpiece is processed using a master device - a copier. All movements of the copier along the contour or surface of the template are transmitted thanks to a special (copier) device to the working head of the machine, in which the cutter is fixed. Thus, cutting tool exactly repeats all those movements that the copier used to equip the router makes.

The movements of the elements of the copy-milling machine in the process of processing the part are divided into main (rotation and movement of the spindle when the tool plunges into the workpiece material, movement along the contour of the desktop and sled) and auxiliary (movement of the spindle head, sled and table in accelerated mode, as well as installation movements made by the tracer table, copy finger, stops and a clamp that fixes the spindle head).

In aluminum key-cutting machines, two tracking schemes can be implemented: simple action and action with feedback. When implementing the direct action scheme, the working body of the machine makes movements due to the fact that it is rigidly connected to the copier. The reverse action scheme does not provide for such a connection, and movements from the copier to the working body are not transmitted directly, but through the tracking system.

As mentioned above, copy-milling machines perform contour and volumetric milling. In contour milling, the movements of the copier occur in a plane parallel or perpendicular to the tool axis. In the first case, the movement of the working table of the equipment can only be longitudinal, and the cutter and copy finger move vertically. In the second case, the table moves both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. With volumetric milling, the part is processed in stages - thanks to several movements of the table and tool, performed in parallel planes.

The direct action scheme can also be implemented through a pantograph, which allows you to reduce the size of finished products in relation to the size of the template used (scale). Most often, such an additional device, which is easy to make yourself, is installed on machines used for engraving and light milling.

Another variation of a self-made machine

How to make a copy-milling machine with your own hands

Many home craftsmen would like to buy a copy-milling machine to equip their workshop, but the cost of such equipment is quite high. Meanwhile, having a desire, having spent not so much time, effort and financial resources, you can make such equipment with your own hands.

Naturally, home-made copy-milling equipment cannot be compared with professional equipment in terms of power, reliability and functionality, but even on such machines you can make high-quality copies, work with wood and process workpieces from other materials. Many are trying to fit a copier to an existing one, but this is not practical, since in this case almost the entire machine has to be redone. As practice shows, it is better to assemble your home-made copy-milling machine from scratch, choosing the appropriate components for this.

The photo below is an example homemade machine with video supplement. The creator of the machine is narrating in English, but in principle everything is quite clear and without translation.

With your own hands, a copy-milling device is easiest to make according to standard scheme, which includes a supporting structure - a frame, a work table and a milling head. The drive for ensuring the rotation of the working tool is an electric motor that transmits movement through a two-stage mechanism that allows you to get two speeds. desktop of this homemade device can be adjusted in height.

Many of those who made a copy-milling machine with their own hands note that when changing operating modes, such equipment begins to show a lot of shortcomings. The most common of these shortcomings are machine frame vibrations, workpiece distortion and deflection, poor copying performance, etc. To avoid such problems, it is best to make the copy-milling device highly specialized and immediately set it up for processing the same type of workpieces. This is explained by the fact that it is almost impossible to take into account all the shortcomings that universal equipment will have when changing operating modes.

Copy equipment always comes to the rescue if you need to produce a specific part according to a template within small batches. Copy-milling machines are used both in enterprises that produce products on a large scale, and in small workshops, and in household there is always a job for a wood copying machine. Industrial models of copiers can produce parts in almost unlimited quantities, but we will focus on models that you can assemble with your own hands and budget machines for small-scale furniture production.

Design of copy-milling machines

A copy-milling machine is a universal device that is designed to make copies of a wide variety of parts. The machine can work in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional formats. In the first case, copying is made from a template, in the second - from a finished product. The more accurately the machine is made, the more accurate the copy will be, and the accuracy of the machine, as in all means of processing materials, and the rigidity of the power and working structures.

In addition, the copy-milling machine can perform pattern engraving, manufacturing decorative elements, and sometimes the device can replace the milling machine.

The simplicity of the device, and at the same time the efficiency of copying, made copy-milling machines indispensable in the manufacture of curved and complex parts. Another good property of the machines is independence from the level of professionalism of the operator. The versatility of the machine can be achieved with the help of interchangeable elements, nozzles and copying heads.

Milling - copy machine, characteristics

The main problem of a milling and copying machine can be inaccuracy, which is associated with vibrations and backlash. A do-it-yourself wood-cutting machine assembled at home is most often prone to such shortcomings. The slightest backlash can affect the quality of the copy, and in order to avoid it, it is necessary to use rigid structures, strong beds, no matter what grade and what thickness the wooden blank is.

That is why such machines, assembled at home, cannot always boast of versatility. With a clearly defined front of work, it is much easier to achieve rigidity and accuracy from the design. The bed of the copy-milling machine should be as heavy as possible in order to dampen the slightest vibrations that can affect the accuracy of the work.

Therefore, the following characteristics must be mandatory for such equipment:

Only such a machine will work fully and accurately.

CNC copy-milling machine

A CNC machine is a type of copier. Like manual copy-milling machines, they can copy a given part very accurately, and the use of software methods provides many advantages over manual models:

CNC machines are quite complex and functionally rich devices that are fully controlled by automation. In addition, it is possible to integrate the control system of the CNC machine into a computer control system, which will further increase the functionality and speed of the equipment.

Copy milling machine, price

Copy-milling machines for wood can have a fairly wide price range, which depends on the level of equipment and the purpose of the machine. The device can be equipped with the most different systems, both manual control and servo electric system.

In many models of such machines, high-precision sensors are used, which can be electrocontact and inductive. Naturally, the equipment affects the prices of machines. If we take the desktop models that interest us, then the most inexpensive and most popular on the market are YILMAZ, Star, Duplicarver. IN manual version these models cost about 50 thousand rubles.

Therefore, having well thought out your requirements for the machine, it is quite possible to make such a machine with your own hands according to the drawings or your own design. Several designs that are shown in the photo may come across correct solution and another useful and simple machine will appear in your arsenal.

Making a simple do-it-yourself copy machine at first glance seems like an easy task. The network has a lot of photos of finished designs that impress with their originality and ease of manufacture. Many are eager to do something similar. But when the homemade copy machine is assembled, it turns out that not everything is so smooth.

Copy machines come with milling and turning. In terms of prevalence, the first place is occupied by milling and copying machines. They are more functional and allow you to get not only round copies, but also copies of an arbitrary shape. They will be discussed in this article.

The biggest trouble with a home-assembled milling and copying machine is backlash and vibration. Many home craftsmen complain that when copying a sample, the resulting product has many inconsistencies and flaws that appeared when changing the direction of the forming cutter and jitter supporting structure. In addition, distortion and deflection of the workpiece associated with an increase in internal stress due to wood sampling are added. Therefore, when making a copy machine, it is impossible to immediately avoid all the shortcomings. As a rule, after assembly, it is necessary to bring the structure to acceptable parameters for some more time.

In any case, it is better to make a home-made copy machine not universal, but narrow-profile, that is, optimized for the manufacture of specific products that you need. For example, in order to efficiently produce a wooden part of a gun, a propeller screw and a 3D text, different technical solutions are needed, and if they are combined in one machine, then there may be side effects which will be difficult to correct. Therefore, it is more practical to assemble machines for a specific task. This approach will avoid many difficulties and unnecessary costs.

Also quite a few an important factor is the size of the machine. The larger the workpiece you plan to process, the more massive the design should be. Vibrations transmitted from the cutter drive must be absorbed by the mass of the supporting structure of the machine. And the guide axles must not only withstand the load, but also have a margin of safety so that they do not bend. When designing a milling and copying machine independently, the optimal parameters for the smooth running of the cutter are selected empirically.

The principle of operation of the milling and copying machine is as follows: a milling cutter for sampling wood and a probe are installed on the movable frame, which is driven along the original. The frame is lowered to a wooden blank, and excess wood is removed with a milling cutter. The whole point of design is to ensure the simultaneous movement of the cutter and probe in three planes, as well as rotation around the transverse axis. To do this, use metal guides or wooden hinge systems. Wood absorbs vibrations better, is easier to process and has a lower cost. The video at the bottom of the page shows a homemade copy machine for creating flat-relief images and three-dimensional inscriptions with in a non-standard way movement in space. Moreover, in this design, a twofold reduction in scale is provided. You can download the drawings of the milling and copying machine in one archive at the bottom of the page.

Now it will not be difficult to make a copy, for example, of a three-dimensional inscription. You can also make a template for creating 3D text yourself. To do this, you will need a printed sketch, a couple of cardboard sheets, glue and a stationery knife. We glue the sketch sheet and cardboard together so that the paper does not wrinkle. After drying, with the tip of a clerical knife, carefully cut out the letters exactly according to the sketch. A template height of 2 mm is usually sufficient to keep the stylus from slipping.

In the modern world, it often becomes necessary to create a copy of something or reproduce and repeat something. For this purpose, many enterprises widely use copy-milling machines, which are designed to create products, the shape of which is most consistent with a given initial sample. They allow the production of parts in large quantities, while ensuring a high speed of processing and manufacturing of each element.

Features of the milling procedure

Milling is one of the common machining methods. With the help of milling, roughing, finishing and semi-finishing of shaped and simple surfaces of workpieces made of steel, non-ferrous metal, cast iron and plastics are carried out. Milling is characterized high level performance, which allows the final result to obtain products of the correct geometric shape.

Milling can be carried out in two ways: up milling procedure (against feed), when the feed is opposite to the direction of rotation of the cutter, and climb milling (by feed), when the directions of rotation of the cutter and feed coincide. Using milling cutters equipped with modern cutting materials (mineral ceramics, synthetic superhard), you can process materials that are hardened to high hardness, thereby replacing the grinding procedure.

Milling machines are intended for milling the surfaces of levers, slats, cases, covers and brackets of a simple configuration, a complex configuration of contours (such as templates, cams), surfaces of body parts. Milling machines are divided into two main categories: general purpose machines and specialized machines. The first group includes longitudinal milling machines, console, consoleless and continuous milling. The second category includes thread milling machines, gear milling machines, spline milling machines, keyway milling machines and copy milling machines.

The purpose of the copy-milling machine

Copy-milling machines are usually used to perform copying work in volume and on a plane, as well as in volume using three-dimensional models and corresponding copiers, for engraving various shaped profiles, patterns, ornaments and inscriptions, as well as for light milling work. The indisputable advantage of such units is that it is able to perform with its own simple device incredibly intricate patterns.

On the machine, you can perform various milling work on steel, cast iron and non-ferrous metals using high-speed and hard-alloy tools in large- and small-scale production. On such machines, ship propellers, blades of turbojet engines and steam turbines, hydraulic turbine impellers, punching and forging dies, press and casting molds, various cams, dies, molds, metal models and blanks.

Such equipment is also used for drilling holes for handles, locks, latches, metal hinges, as well as the implementation of frames for mirrors and channels of any size on plastic and aluminum profiles, as in the video about copy-milling machines. On universal machines processing procedure similar products is practically impossible.

The copy-milling machine is intended for milling curved parts by copying according to a template from which the shape of the future product is copied. The use of templates makes it possible to exclude the influence of the human factor during such a complex operation, and as a result, all finished parts have the same shape.

For the manufacture of several completely identical products, you can not only use a single template, but also make all subsequent parts according to the model of the first one. However, for the most accurate repetition, it is recommended to supplement the machine with a copying device called a pantograph. Its design is different, but the function is the same in all cases - it is more accurate to convey the movement of the copying head along the profile to the cutting device.

The design of the copy-milling machine

The copy-milling machine is designed for processing profiles (planar milling) or reliefs (volumetric milling) of products using a cutting carbide tool - a milling cutter. The cutter reproduces on the product the contour or surface of the setting device - the copier. The master device of a manual copy-milling machine has a pneumatic, mechanical or hydraulic connection with a tracking system, which is responsible for the direction of the cutting tool, on the one hand acting on the amplifying device, and on the other hand affecting the executive body.

A flat template, a spatial model, a reference part, a contour drawing can act as a copier, and a probe, a copy roller or a finger, a photocell can serve as a copier. Copy samples can be made of metal, plastic or wood. The workpiece and the copier are fixed on a rotating table.

The executive body can be a spool, a screw, a solenoid, an electromagnetic clutch, a differential. In amplifying devices of copy-milling machines, electromagnetic, hydraulic or electro-optical relays are used. The surface roughness of the workpiece and the accuracy of the profile depend on the speed of movement of the follower: roughness No. 6 and a profile accuracy of 0.02 mm are achieved. The actuator circuit is driven by a power hydraulic cylinder and an electric motor.

Copying in the established scale is carried out using special device called pantograph. If you are interested in how to make a copy-milling machine yourself at home, then you can supplement it with this device. The pantograph has a structurally guiding finger, which is located on the axis and moves along the copier, the axis of rotation and the tool spindle. When moving along the copier of the finger on the workpiece, the spindle describes a geometrically similar figure. And the scale of copying is determined by the proportions of the pantograph arms.

Types of copy-milling machines

By the type of drive, the following main types of copy-milling machines are distinguished: with a pantograph, which is designed to work in 2 and 3 dimensions; universal devices with a pantograph, which is located on a swivel sleeve in a vertical plane; single and multi-spindle units with rectangular and round table; with mechanical feed, electric and hydroficated, as well as photocopying.

There are several types of similar milling and copying machines, which differ in the level of automation and clamping of the workpiece:

1. Manual or desktop copy-milling machine with mechanical profile clamp. With its help, it is possible to carry out the procedure for drilling holes of various shapes according to a template, however, for triple holes, you will need a three-spindle nozzle on a machine or drill.
2. Automatic (stationary) milling and copying machine with pneumatic profile clamping. Such machines also do not allow triple holes for handles and are usually used for the production of aluminum structures.
3. Automatic (stationary) copy-milling machine with pneumatic profile clamping and 3-spindle nozzle for drilling triple holes.

The principle of operation of the copy-milling machine

The processing of products on a copy-milling machine is carried out according to a master device (copier), the action of which causes a corresponding movement of a special cutting tool relative to the workpiece through the copier. Through the copier, the copier acts on the executive bodies, while the workpiece and the cutter recreate in relative motion the surface that is set on the copier.

The main movements are the rotation of the spindle, the movement of the table and sled along the contour, the movement of the spindle head during plunging. Auxiliary movements - acceleration of the movement of the sled, spindle head and table, installation movements on the table of the tracer table, stops, copy finger and clamping of the spindle head.

Aluminum copy-milling machines are able to work according to 2 tracking schemes: actions with feedback and simple action. The copy probe and the cutter in the single-action scheme are rigidly connected to each other, and the cutter is transferred to the movement of the probe along the copier. The deviation of the copy probe in a feedback circuit causes a mismatch in the position of the copy probe relative to the cutter.

The result of such a mismatch enters a special tracking system, which gives the actuator a signal to correct the trajectory of the tool. In this case, there is no rigid connection between the cutter and the copier, and the copier does not perceive the cutting force, but only transmits the corresponding signal to the executive bodies.

There are two types of copy milling - volumetric and contour. The copier curve during contour copying can be placed in a plane that is parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the cutter. The table in the first case with the copier and the workpiece moves in the longitudinal direction, the control of the change in the curve is performed due to the vertical movement of the incision and the copier finger. The table with the copier and the workpiece in the second case moves in the transverse and longitudinal directions according to the shape of the curved line of the copier.

The complex spatial surface of the workpiece during volume copying is processed by the cutter sequentially, by means of several parallel table moves, that is, contour copying is performed with each working move. At the end of the pass, the cutter is displaced relative to the workpiece perpendicular to the line by the value of the transverse feed, then the next working stroke occurs.

There are also direct-acting copy-milling machines in which the probe of the cutter transmits movement through the pantograph. Such machines are mainly used for light engraving and milling work. When using a pantograph, it is possible to carry out, in addition to copying, a reduction in the scale of blanks in relation to the copier. The movement of the copy probe along the copier, which is installed on the machine table, is transmitted to the spindle, which, when processing the workpiece, describes a contour similar to a geometric copier.

DIY copy-milling machine

Currently on the market are milling and copying machines of the most different design and difficulty level. However, it is not always possible to buy one, and the price of a copy-milling machine is quite high. Therefore, we often face the question of how to make a copy-milling machine at home.

Of course, home-made machines cannot fully compete with industrial models, but still they are efficient and allow you to make high-quality copies. I would like to immediately make a reservation that the copier should be adapted to the industrial milling device It will be very difficult, and this applies, first of all, to a radical redesign of the entire apparatus. Therefore, it is easiest to assemble a home-made copy-milling machine practically “from scratch” when using a system of rods and electric motor With chuck for cutter.

There can be many designs of copy-milling machines. Typical design apparatus is as follows: the machine structurally consists of a desktop, a supporting frame and a milling head. The working surface can be adjusted in height, milling head equipped with an electric drive motor and a two-stage transmission mechanism that provides two speeds of the milling shaft.

Many homeowners complain that when copying a product, the resulting part has many flaws and inconsistencies that appeared when changing the direction of the cutter, vibration and trembling of the supporting structure. Trouble is added by bending and curvature of the workpiece, which are associated with an increase in internal stress due to the sampling of wood. It is impossible to avoid all the shortcomings in the manufacture of a home-made copy-milling machine. It is simply recommended to make the copier narrow-profile, and not universal.

A homemade copy-milling machine should be optimized for the production of specific products that you need. For example, for the efficient manufacture of the wooden part of a gun and a propeller screw, various technical solutions are required, they cannot be combined in one machine, and side effects that are difficult to correct can occur. Thus, it is more practical to assemble machines for some certain tasks. This approach can save you many costs and difficulties.

An important factor is the size of the machine. The larger the product you plan to process, the more massive the design should be. It is necessary that the vibrations that are transmitted from the drive of the cutter are absorbed by the weight of the supporting structure of the machine. The loads must be supported by the guide axles, which must also have a margin of safety and not sag. Optimal parameters when designing a copy-milling machine, they are selected empirically with their own hands, this ensures a smooth running of the cutter.

When designing a copy-milling machine, determine the type of parts that you will manufacture. To perform engraving work and to mill long products, a different worktable and method of fixing blanks with a template on it are required. Freedom of movement in different planes of the cutting tool depends on the type of desktop.

The power of the electric motor that rotates the cutter and is installed on a home-made copy-milling machine depends on the parts being manufactured and their material. For engraving and milling wooden products a 150-200 watt DC electric motor is enough.

To ensure the exact copying procedure, it is necessary to rigidly connect the copying probe and the device with each other, fixing the cutting tool in it. At the same time, their height and planes above the desktop must coincide completely. The created rigid structure should be installed above the desktop in such a way that it can move in the vertical and horizontal plane along the axes that are conditionally created by the sides of the desktop.

Nowadays, it often becomes necessary to create a copy of an object. For these purposes, for modern enterprises special copying machines are used, the shape of which corresponds to the desired sample as much as possible. Such milling copiers make it possible to produce parts of various complexity and shape. In this case, the equipment must process and manufacture the required element in a short time.

Factory or homemade machine?

The modern market offers to purchase milling and copying machines of various levels of complexity and design. But it is not always possible to make such a purchase, and the cost of such woodworking equipment is quite tangible. That is why in craftsmen the question often arises of a home-made milling and copying machine, the manufacture of which, compared with self assembly is less costly. Now, if you have the appropriate drawings, materials and skills, such equipment can be made with your own hands.

It is clear that this kind of home-made equipment in terms of its parameters and ease of use cannot compete with factory-made equipment. But with reliable performance with a do-it-yourself machine, you can make fairly high-quality copies of certain objects from wood.

It should immediately be noted that it is almost impossible to install copier equipment at the factory, since this implies a radical re-equipment of the entire machine.

That is why it is possible to make a copy machine for wood with your own hands only “from scratch”, using traction systems, an electric motor and a special cartridge in which the cutter that processes the workpiece will be held.

What is a copy milling machine made of?

designs homemade equipment there is quite a lot of such an appointment in our time, depending on the drawing used and the tasks that will be performed on this technique. A typical wood copier consists of the following basic elements:

• suitable work surface;
• carrier frame;
• device for installing a milling cutter.

The milling head must be equipped with a transmission mechanism with an electric motor, which can provide several speeds for a home-made wood milling and copying machine.

A large number of craftsmen who made such a machine according to the drawings with their own hands note that as a result of copying, the finished part has a sufficient number of flaws. They appear during a change in the direction of the cutter, tremors and vibrations of the entire structure. In addition, inconsistencies also occur due to the curvature of the workpiece, which occurs when the internal stress increases as a result of the production of a wooden workpiece.

It is almost impossible to exclude the possibility of certain shortcomings in the process of manufacturing a home-made machine. To reduce them to a minimum, it is recommended to produce with your own hands not universal, but narrow-profile machines, on which it will be possible to manufacture and copy parts of one particular type.

Features of self-creation of a copier

Thus, when making do-it-yourself copy-milling machines, it is necessary to optimize for the processing of specific parts that will be produced on it. Otherwise, various side effects may occur, which are often very difficult to correct.

An important factor that must be taken into account when handmade copier machine is its dimensions and total weight. The larger products will be processed on it, the more massive the whole structure should be. This will enable the equipment to absorb vibrations that occur during the operation of the cutter. The guide axles must be made so that they have a significant margin of safety, without bending under increased loads.

The optimal properties of a copy-milling machine for wood when making it yourself can be selected empirically, as it depends on the design of the equipment and the purposes for which it will be operated.

What should be considered when designing a machine?

When creating a drawing of a wood copying machine and constructing it, everything must be done depending on the parts that will be made on it. So, in order to mill long workpieces or perform engraving work, absolutely different way fixing workpieces and type of desktop.

Also, the power of the electric motor required for high-quality work, which ensures the rotation of the cutter, also depends on the parts manufactured and copied on the machine. But in most cases, a 150-220 W DC motor is enough to process wood parts.

To ensure maximum accuracy in copying parts, the device holding the router and copying probe must be as firmly fixed to each other as possible. At the same time, their planes, together with the height above working surface must match exactly.

The created rigid structure must be installed on the table surface in such a way that it can move in the horizontal and vertical planes.

Thus, it is not very difficult to independently make a copy machine for the manufacture of various wood parts, so many can cope with such work. But you need to remember that in the case of making such equipment with your own hands, it is only suitable for the production of products of a certain type. Otherwise, only modern universal factory-made equipment will do.