All photos from the article
A wood lathe is a machine that is widely used in factory woodworking to replicate products of a certain configuration corresponding to a given sample. This equipment allows you to process any parts with high accuracy and speed. However, production machines with their large dimensions will be difficult to locate in a small private workshop.
Copy equipment in woodworking
Many carpentry lovers, gradually expanding their tool base and improving their skills, come to the idea of assembling a copy lathe on wood with their own hands. After all, with the help of this device it is possible to make an exact copy of any piece of furniture and perform restoration work.
Note!
In most cases, of course, the main factor that encourages people to "reinvent the wheel" is the high price of a finished factory product.
The principle of operation on a wood copier is quite simple:
- The workpiece of the required size is clamped in a horizontal position.
- We start the device forcing the workpiece to rotate around its axis.
- In turn, the movable cutter also removes excess wood, turning the blank into a product of the desired shape..
Structurally, a copier for a wood lathe is whole line parts connected to each other, so there will be something to work on.
Do-it-yourself equipment assembly at home
Lathe
In order to assemble a small wood copier with your own hands, you will need to make some effort and patience, as well as invest financially (about 7-7.5 thousand rubles). But this is many times less than the costs that await you if you purchase a ready-made option.
Lathes are specialized equipment used for the manufacture of wood products. It is on such a machine that legs for furniture are made, door handles, balusters and other wood products. There are many models of modern lathes with different prices.
Wood lathe models
Exists a large number of different models lathes, they can divided into the following types:
- Standard machines, depending on the product, processing on such a device is carried out in the center, in a special chuck or faceplate. The design of the equipment includes an electric motor, a steel frame, cutters, chucks and a control system.
- Copying tools, with their help, produce the same type of wood products, in large quantities. Devices with manual control are cheaper and will be a profitable option for small industries.
- Milling machines, on which wood processing is done along the axis of the product. The work is done with a milling cutter and a circular saw.
- Machines for twisted flutes, the equipment can carry out standard operations, as well as figured cutting on the sides of products. Electronic control greatly facilitates the work, and the possibility of simultaneous processing of two products, increase productivity and save time.
Copy lathe for wood Proma DSL-1200
The lathe is designed for processing wooden products, turning profiles and decorative details. Feature device - the presence of two incisors. One is mounted on a steady rest and is used for processing round blanks, removing up to 10 mm of material in one pass. With this cutter you can round blanks different diameters. Settings are set on a special device.
The second cutter is installed in the copy carriage and grinds parts according to the copier. The original mount allows you to quickly prepare the machine for work.
For the manufacture of long products, the delivery set includes a steady rest, which is attached to the guide rods as a support and eliminates the deflection of a long workpiece. By installing a faceplate, the machine will allow you to process multifaceted products.
Characteristics:
- Voltage - 380V.
- Center height - 215 mm.
- Weight - 395 kg.
- Dimensions - 2105x1000x1225 mm.
Price - 255803r.
4-spindle copy lathe T4M-0
Model T4M-0 is equipped with a horizontal grinding unit, which is capable of processing 4 workpieces simultaneously on a copier (lace legs of tables and chairs, musical instruments).
- The cast bed and balanced parts avoid vibration, increasing the processing speed of large workpieces.
- The shaft is set automatically at the beginning of the cycle and returns to its original position after processing is completed.
- Pneumatic clamp on spindles.
- Adjustable shaft feed speed.
- Smooth adjustment of the spindle speed using the block.
Characteristics:
Additional equipment:
- 7.3 kW engine.
- Inventory speed control.
- Expansion of working space up to 1500 mm.
Price - 49700r.
Copy lathe for wood CL-1201
The CL-1201 machine is used in manufacturing industries, for turning rounded products with a diameter of up to 1200 mm and processing parts cylindrical shape. Opportunities for processing, clamps are provided: faceplate, chuck, centers.
Features of the lathe:
- A heavy spindle is equipped with a device that controls the speed of rotation, which allows high-quality processing of workpieces based on the mass, dimensions, type of wood.
- The spindle can change the direction of rotation, providing good handling wood of any density.
- The control and adjustment of the lathe is carried out from a portable console, which, at the request of the user, can be placed on the front or rear column.
- The stability of the machine is ensured by a bed made of steel, and the rear columns are made of cast iron. This achieves minimal vibration during operation and improves the quality of processing.
- The base allows you to process workpieces up to 1270 mm long, and additional sections up to 1270 mm can be used to increase.
- The mechanism for copying is included in the basic delivery, which greatly expands the possibilities.
- The milling attachment allows you to produce longitudinal grooves along the entire length of the workpiece.
- The mobile caliper moves over the entire surface of the part. The control is carried out by a flywheel. Depth of processing is regulated by the lever
- With the help of the tailstock, the accuracy of processing long parts is increased.
- The degree of protection of the machine is IP54, the engine is reliably protected from overheating and overload, and electronic parts from moisture and dust.
The standard package includes:
- Copier and template holder.
- Knife support 254 mm.
- Mounting washer 254 mm.
- revolving center.
- 2 straight cutters
- Chisel stand.
- Mobile lunette.
- Spindle speed control devices.
Price - 153588r.
Copy Wood Lathe CL-1201A
The device is produced by the Austrian company Stomana, which has been supplying equipment for over 20 years. The device is designed for processing wood and rounding products up to 1270 mm long, from materials of different densities. The copier is delivered in a basic configuration, with its help, products are produced according to the sample.
Included in delivery lathe includes:
- Copier and stand for templates.
- Knife support.
- The mechanism for drawing spiral channels.
- revolving center.
- Leading center with a diameter of 20 mm.
- Mounting washer.
- 2 cutters.
- Lunette stand.
Copy lathe for wood KTF-7
The turning device KTF-7 is used for processing wood on stationary and rotating workpieces. Equipment uses disc milling tool which increases performance and service life. This scheme allows you to get parts that cannot be made on a conventional lathe:
- Profile polyhedra.
- Surfaces with a screw profile.
- Profile grooves on the product.
Work on the turning device is carried out according to a template with automatic feeding blanks, in two passes. At direct movement roughing occurs, while the reverse - finishing. Semi-automatic operation increases productivity and the number of irregularities on the surface of the wood during processing. The device is equipped with a mount for a manual cutter.
Characteristics:
- Voltage - 380V.
- The maximum length of the part is 1200 mm.
- Center height - 215 mm.
- Weight - 740 kg.
- Dimensions - 2100x900x1049 mm.
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
copy machine, belonging to the milling group, 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 the copy- milling equipment is set in motion thanks to 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. In this case, the following characteristics of the finished product can be achieved: roughness - No. 6, profile accuracy - 0.02 mm. The main elements of the executive chain of such equipment are Electrical engine and 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;
- photocopier equipment.
A homemade copy machine can be 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 finished products in relation to the dimensions of the template used (to 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 desktop and 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.
File handles often break. A small adaptation to a wood lathe helped the young masters of school No. 1139 in the Babushkinsky district of Moscow. This is a copier for a lathe. The handles for files made on it are not inferior to ready-made ones.
The main components of the copier for the lathe are the lower and upper carriages. Both move along guides. The lower in the longitudinal, and the upper in the transverse directions. The carriages are firmly connected to each other. A small roller is installed on the upper carriage, which carries the main working body of the copier - the cutter.
1 - fixture base, 2 - cushion, 3 - lower carriage guides, 4 - squares, 5 - bushings, 6 - lower carriage, 7 - upper carriage guides, 8 - square, 9 - nut, 10 - bottom rack square, 11 - stand, 12 - top stand angle, 13 - copier (made of two plates with a curly cut), 14 - shaft, 15 - upper carriage, 16 - copier stand, 17 - nut, 18 - roller, 19 - nut for screw 14, 20 - flywheel, 21 - cutter nut, 22 - cutter, 23 - square, 24 - washer 60x40x5, 25 - M10X165x10 screw, 26 - M10 wing nut, 27 - lower carriage corner, 28 - nut lock. 29 - M6 screw (4 pcs.), 30 - M6 nuts (8 pcs.), 31 - M5 nuts (4 pcs.), 32 - M6x12 screws (4 pcs.), 33 - M5X10 screws (4 pcs.).
During the operation of the device, the roller moves along the slot of the copier as if along a guide and leads the upper carriage with the cutter. The cutter, repeating the line of motion of the roller, and hence the line of the copier, processes the workpiece mounted on the lathe. Original and simple.
Before you start making a copier, we want
warn you about the accuracy of the manufacture and assembly of both carriages. They should move easily and at the same time without play along their guides. To do this, you must comply with the tolerances indicated on the drawings.
From correct manufacture And correct assembly depends on the success of the entire device and the quality of finished products.
The fixture is mounted on a wood lathe between the front and rear headstocks. It itself is attached to the pillow 2, and the pillow - to the frame of the machine with a thumb screw (parts 25 and 26).
Having blanks of square or round section of the required length, pre-cut on a circular saw, you must first find the centers at their ends. The center from one end must be staked, that is, a recess should be made in it. It is needed to install the headers in the center of the tailstock. From the other end of the workpiece, make a cut in the center with a hacksaw to a depth of 5-6 mm. With this slot, you will put the workpiece on the comb of the headstock. As a result, you will have a fixed connection between the headstock and the workpiece.
When the workpiece is installed in the lathe, move the copier cutter by turning the handwheel to the right until it stops.
Turn on the machine and, screwing the nut 21, feed the cutter to the workpiece. Now, turning the flywheel, you will see how the cutter will work. It will shape the pen according to the copier. And its shape may be different depending on the tool for which the pen is made. For files, handles of one form are needed, for chisels - another, for awls - a third. In our device, the copier is made for a standard handle of medium files.
As soon as the cutter reaches the end of the headstock, feed the cutter nut forward and it will cut off the finished handle.
Our device, as you noticed, works from manual drive. But it is quite possible to put a reversible engine. How to do this, decide for yourself.
The processing of the handle depends on the speed of rotation of the lathe spindle and on the smallest allowances of the workpiece. Therefore, depending on this, the cutter makes one, two, or even three passes over the workpiece.
S. KOKOREV
Appendix to UT 1981 No. 10
Copy lathes are used to make many of the same parts, such as balusters for stair railings, fence posts, etc. You can make a functional design with your own hands, using devices that are unnecessary in the household.
Making a lathe
The most primitive model of a lathe is made of conventional drill. But this is not the only solution. The main parts of the future device:
- bed;
- front and rear racks (headstock);
- electric motor;
- leading and slave centers;
- tool stop.
The bed is the base for placing all the elements and mechanisms. Therefore, it is made of a thick bar of wood or metal. The headstock is securely fixed on the base, the part will be fixed on it. A device is placed in the front rack that transmits movement from the electric motor to the leading center and then to the part.
The rear post (headstock) moves along the guide on the frame, it holds the free end of the workpiece. An emphasis for the tool is placed between the grandmas. Grandmas must be located strictly along a single axis.
For a do-it-yourself machine, an electric motor with a power of 200 - 250 W, with a speed of no more than 1500, is suitable. If you plan to process large parts, a more powerful engine is required.
A faceplate is put on the electric motor pulley, which fixes large workpieces. The faceplate contains points on which the part is stuffed. The opposite end of the part is fixed with a corner.
To turn an ordinary lathe into a copier, an additional device is required - a copier.
Copier for lathe
The basis of the copier will be an unnecessary manual frezer. It is placed on a surface of 12 mm plywood, the size of the platform is 20 x 50 cm. Holes are made in the platform for fasteners and cutters, and stops are installed - bars for fixing the cutter. The router is placed between the clamps and secured with a pair of large nails.
The remote part of the site moves along the frame along the guide - the pipe. Its ends are fixed in wooden bars. The bars are attached to the frame with self-tapping screws. When fixing the pipe, use a level and align the axis of the pipe with the center of the machine. Before installation, a pair of bars with holes is put on the pipe, which easily move along the guide. A platform is attached to the bars, on which the milling cutter is placed.
The second important element is installed with your own hands directly on the lathe - a bar in a horizontal position, on which the templates will be attached. A beam of 7 x 3 cm is suitable; it is attached to vertical supports with self-tapping screws. Stands are screwed to the frame. The upper surface of the bar must clearly coincide with the axis of the machine.
When the copier is not in use, the bar is dismantled, the platform with the milling cutter is retracted and the machine turns into a conventional lathe.
The stop is made of thick plywood and is attached to working surface. In fact, the emphasis plays the role of a copier in this design. It is fixed vertically, to the end of the working surface it is fixed to a transition beam made of wood. The copier can be removed, it is installed on the stand with self-tapping screws. The stand must be fixed firmly, without the possibility of removal.
The templates are made of plywood, with the help of self-tapping screws they are screwed to the front surface of the bar. The top surface of the beam should be aligned with the axis of the template.
Cons of the proposed design
- The working surface with a milling cutter has to be moved with both hands, since during operation it warps and jams;
- enough to copy simple elements, for example, it is impossible to repeat the twisted patterns on the posts;
- to move the cutter, it is more convenient to provide a screw gear;
- and it is better to replace the cutter with a circular, such a device will turn out to be more versatile.
