Both in production and at home, there is often a need to produce a part whose shape and dimensions are completely identical to the original sample. At enterprises, this problem is solved using a device such as a copy-milling machine, which makes it possible to produce copies of the original part in large batches and is characterized by high speed and 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 workpieces made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and to work on wood and plastic. On modern milling equipment Parts of even the most complex shapes 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 down milling (the tool rotates in the same direction as the feed). The cutting part of tools performing 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, which includes a copy-milling machine.

Capabilities of copy-milling equipment

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

Using tools with cutting parts made of various materials, parts made of cast iron are processed on copy milling machines, different varieties steel and non-ferrous metals. Such devices for producing parts in small and large batches successfully produce blades for turbojet engines and steam turbines, propellers for ships, cutting and forging dies, impellers for hydraulic turbines, molds for pressing and casting, molds, etc.

A copy-milling machine performs technological operations that are practically inaccessible to universal equipment. The operating principle 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, due to which all finished products have the same shape and geometric dimensions. Conveniently, one template can be used to accurately 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 a router) is installed on a copy-milling machine. The purpose of such a device is to accurately transfer all movements from the copy head to the cutting tool.

How does a copy milling machine work?

Copy-milling machines, as mentioned above, are used for planar (processing of profiles) and volumetric (processing of reliefs) milling. They use cutters as a working tool, which, when processing the contour or volumetric surface of a part, repeat the movements of the copier. The connection between the working element and the tracking system in manual machines is ensured by mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic elements necessary to generate the force transmitted from the copier to the working element of the copy-milling machine.

The template on such machines is a flat contour or spatial model, a standard part or contour drawings, and the element that reads the shape and dimensions of the template is a copying finger or roller, a special probe, or a photocell. To make a template you can use aluminum sheet or other metal sheet, plastic or wood. The template and the workpiece are located on the rotating work table of the machine.

The working body of copy-milling equipment comes into motion thanks to such structural elements, such as a screw, spool valve, solenoid, differential or magnetic clutch. Relays installed in the amplification devices of copy-milling machines can be electromagnetic, hydraulic or electro-optical.

The quality of the workpiece (surface roughness, accuracy of shape and size) depends on such a parameter as the speed of movement of the tracking device. In this case, you 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.

A pantograph installed on copy-milling equipment ensures copying at a given scale. The pantograph structure consists of a guide pin, its axis, a tool spindle and a separate axis of rotation. The spindle and guide pin are located on the same rail, the ratio of the arms of which determines the copying scale.

Moving along the contour of the template, the finger sets in motion the rack, which rotates freely on an axis. Accordingly, on the other side of the rack, 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.

Types of copy-milling machines

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

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

Homemade copying 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 tabletop, on which the workpiece is fixed mechanically(on these devices you can drill holes various shapes according to the template);
• automatic equipment of a stationary type, the workpieces on which are fixed using pneumatic clamps (such machines 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 simultaneously drilled, which does not allow the production 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 (copying) device to the working head of the machine in which the cutter is fixed. Thus, cutting tool exactly repeats all the movements made by the copier used to equip the router.

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

In copy milling machines working on aluminum, 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 element are transmitted not directly, but through a tracking system.

As mentioned above, contour and volumetric milling is performed on copy milling machines. When contour milling, the movements of the copier occur in a plane parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the tool. In the first case, the movement of the equipment working table can only be longitudinal, and the cutter and copying finger move vertically. In the second case, the table moves both longitudinally and transversely. In 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 work.

Another variation of a self-made machine

How to make a copy milling machine with your own hands

Many home craftsmen would like to purchase a copy-milling machine to equip their workshop, but the cost of such equipment is quite high. Meanwhile, if you have the desire, and without spending a lot of time, effort and financial resources, you can make such equipment with your own hands.

Naturally, homemade copy-milling equipment cannot be compared with professional ones in terms of power, reliability and functionality, but such machines can also make high-quality copies, work with wood and process workpieces from other materials. Many people try to attach a copying device to an existing one, but this is impractical, since it would require redoing almost the entire machine. As practice shows, it is better to assemble your homemade copy-milling machine from scratch, selecting the appropriate components for this.

The photo below shows an example homemade machine with a video supplement. The creator of the machine narrates the story in English, but in principle everything is quite clear even without translation.

The easiest way to make a copy-milling device with your own hands is by standard scheme, which includes a supporting structure - a frame, a work table and a milling head. The drive to ensure rotation of the working tool is an electric motor that transmits movement through a two-stage mechanism, allowing two speeds to be obtained. Desktop of this homemade device can be adjusted in height.

Many of those who have 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 vibrations of the machine frame, curvature of the workpiece and its deflection, poor-quality copying, etc. To avoid such problems, it is best to make the copy-milling device highly specialized and immediately configure it to process workpieces of the same type. This is explained by the fact that it is almost impossible to take into account all the shortcomings that will arise in universal equipment when changing operating modes.

Copying 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 designs of copying equipment 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 copying and milling machines

A copy-milling machine is a universal device that is designed for making copies of a wide variety of parts. The machine can operate 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 template engravings, production decorative elements, and sometimes the device can replace a milling machine.

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

Milling and copying machine, characteristics

The main problem with a milling and copying machine can be inaccuracy, which is associated with vibrations and backlash. A do-it-yourself copy-milling machine for wood, assembled at home, is most often susceptible to such shortcomings. The slightest play can affect the quality of the copy, and to avoid it, it is necessary to use rigid structures and strong frames, regardless of the type and thickness of the wooden workpiece.

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

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

CNC machines are quite complex and functionally rich devices, fully controlled by automation. In addition, it is possible to integrate the control system of a CNC machine into a computer control system, which will further increase the functionality and speed of operation 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 purpose of the machine. The device can be equipped with the most different systems, both manual control and electrical tracking systems.

Many models of such machines use high-precision sensors, which can be electrical contact or inductive. Naturally, the equipment affects the prices of the machines. If we take the desktop models we are interested in, the most inexpensive and most popular on the market are YILMAZ, Star, and Duplicarver. IN manual version These models cost about 50 thousand rubles.

Therefore, having carefully thought through your requirements for the machine, it is quite possible to make such a machine yourself using the drawings or your own design. Several designs that are presented in the photo may lead to correct solution and another useful and simple machine will appear in your arsenal.

Making a simple copying machine with your own hands at first glance seems like an easy task. There are many photos of finished structures on the Internet that impress with their originality and ease of manufacture. Many people are eager to do something like this. But when the homemade copying machine is assembled, it turns out that not everything is so smooth.

Copying 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 free-form copies. They will be discussed in this article.

The biggest problem 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 molding cutter and shaking supporting structure. In addition, they add to the trouble of bending and bending of the workpiece, associated with an increase in internal stress due to wood sampling. Therefore, when making a copying 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 time.

In any case, it is better to make a homemade copying machine not universal, but narrow-profile, that is, optimized for the manufacture of specific products that you need. For example, in order to effectively produce a wooden part of a gun, a screw for a propeller and voluminous text, different technical solutions are needed, and if they are combined in one machine, problems may arise. side effects, which will be difficult to fix. Therefore, it is more practical to assemble machines for a specific task. This approach will avoid many difficulties and unjustified costs.

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

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

Now making a copy of, for example, a three-dimensional inscription will not be difficult. 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 sheet with the sketch and the cardboard together so that the paper does not wrinkle. After drying, use the edge of a stationery knife to carefully cut out the letters exactly according to the sketch. A template height of 2 mm is usually enough to prevent the probe from slipping.

In the modern world, there is often a need 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 whose shape most closely matches the given original sample. They make it possible to produce parts in large quantities, while ensuring high speed of processing and manufacturing of each element.

Features of the milling procedure

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

Milling can be carried out in two ways: the procedure of up milling (against the feed), when the feed is opposite to the direction of rotation of the cutter, and down milling (along the feed), when the directions of rotation of the cutter and feed coincide. Using cutters that are equipped with modern cutting materials (mineral ceramics, synthetic super-hard), 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, strips, housings, covers and brackets of simple configurations, complex configurations 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, cantilever, non-cantilever and continuous milling machines. The second category includes thread-milling, gear-milling, slot-milling, key-milling and copy-milling machines.

Purpose of a 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 capable of performing with its own simple device incredibly complex patterns.

The machine can perform various milling operations on steel, cast iron and non-ferrous metals using high-speed and carbide tools in large- and small-scale production. On such machines, propellers of ships, blades of turbojet engines and steam turbines, impellers of hydraulic turbines, cutting and forging dies, press and casting molds, various cams, stamps, molds, metal models and blanks.

Such equipment is also used for drilling holes for handles, locks, latches, metal hinges, as well as making 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.

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

To make several completely identical products, you can not only use a single template, but also make all subsequent parts based on 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 can be different, but the function is the same in all cases - to more accurately transmit the movement of the copying head along the profile to the cutting device.

Design of copy milling machine

The copy-milling machine is designed for processing profiles (planar milling) or reliefs (volumetric milling) of products using a carbide cutting tool - a milling cutter. The cutter reproduces on the product the contour or surface of the setting device - the copier. The driving device of a manual copy-milling machine has a pneumatic, mechanical or hydraulic connection with a tracking system, which is responsible for directing the cutting tool, on the one hand acting on the amplifying device, and on the other influencing 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 finger, or a photocell can serve as a copy device. Samples for copying can be made of metal, plastic or wood. The workpiece and the copier are mounted on a rotating table.

The executive body can be a spool, a screw, a solenoid, an electromagnetic clutch, or a differential. In the amplification 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 tracking device: roughness No. 6 and a profile accuracy of 0.02 millimeters are achieved. The actuator circuit is driven by a power hydraulic cylinder and an electric motor.

Copying at a specified scale is carried out using special device called a 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 structural guide pin, which is located on an axis and moves along the copier, a rotation axis and a tool spindle. When moving along the finger pattern on the workpiece, the spindle describes a geometrically similar figure. And the copying scale is determined by the proportions of the pantograph arms.

Types of copy milling machines

Based on 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 rotating arm in a vertical plane; single and multi-spindle units with rectangular and round table; with mechanical feed, electrically and hydraulically, 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 being processed:

1. Manual or desktop copy-milling machine with mechanical profile clamping. With its help, you can drill holes of various shapes according to a template, however, for triple holes you will need a three-spindle attachment on a machine or drill.
2. Automatic (stationary) milling and copying machine with pneumatic profile clamping. Such machines also do not allow triple holes to be made for installing handles and, as a rule, are used for the production of aluminum structures.
3. Automatic (stationary) milling and copying machine with pneumatic profile clamping and a 3-spindle attachment for drilling triple holes.

Operating principle of a copy milling machine

Processing of products on a copy-milling machine is carried out using a master device (copier), the action of which causes, through the copy device, a corresponding movement relative to the workpiece of a special cutting tool. Through the copying device, the copier acts on the actuators, while the workpiece and the cutter recreate in relative motion the surface that is specified on the copier.

The main movements are rotation of the spindle, movement of the table and slide along the contour, and movement of the spindle head when cutting. Auxiliary movements - acceleration of movement of the slide, spindle head and table, installation movements on the table of the tracer table, stops, copying finger and clamping of the spindle head.

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

The result of such a mismatch is sent to a special tracking system, which issues a signal to the actuator to adjust the tool path. 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. When contour copying, the copier curve can be placed in a plane that is parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the cutter. In the first case, the table with a copier and the workpiece moves in the longitudinal direction; control of the change in the curve is accomplished due to the vertical movement of the cut-in and the carbon finger. In the second case, the table with the copier and the workpiece 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 volumetric copying is processed with a cutter sequentially, through several parallel table strokes, that is, contour copying is performed with each working stroke. At the end of the pass, the cutter is shifted relative to the workpiece perpendicular to the line by the amount of the transverse feed, then the next working stroke occurs.

There are also direct-action copy-milling machines, in which the milling probe transmits movement through the pantograph. Such machines are mainly used for light engraving and milling work. When using a pantograph, in addition to copying, it is possible to reduce the scale of workpieces 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 geometrically to the copier.

Do-it-yourself copy-milling machine

Currently, the market offers milling and copying machines of the most different designs and level of difficulty. 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, homemade machines cannot fully compete with industrial models, but they are still functional and allow you to make high-quality copies. I would like to immediately make a reservation that the copying device should be adapted to industrial milling device It will be very difficult, and this concerns, first of all, a radical redesign of the entire apparatus. Therefore, the easiest way to assemble a homemade copy-milling machine is practically “from scratch” using a system of rods and electric motor With chuck for the cutter.

There can be many designs of copy-milling machines. Typical design The apparatus is as follows: the machine structurally consists of a work table, 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. Adding to the trouble is the sagging and curvature of the workpiece, which is associated with an increase in internal stress due to the removal of wood. It is impossible to avoid all the shortcomings when making a homemade copy-milling machine. It is simply recommended to make the copying machine narrow-profile, and not universal.

A homemade copy-milling machine should be optimized for the production of specific products that you need. For example, to effectively manufacture a wooden part of a gun and a propeller screw, different technical solutions are required; they cannot be combined in one machine, and side effects that are difficult to correct may 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 transmitted from the cutter drive are absorbed by the weight of the machine's supporting structure. Loads must be supported by guide axes, which must also have a safety margin and not bend. Optimal parameters when designing a copy-milling machine with your own hands, they are selected experimentally, this ensures smooth running of the cutter.

When designing a copy-milling machine, determine the type of parts you will produce. To perform engraving work and to mill long products, a different work table and a method for securing workpieces with a template on it are required. Freedom of movement in different planes of the cutting tool depends on the type of work table.

The power of the electric motor, which rotates the cutter and is installed on a homemade 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 sufficient.

To ensure an accurate copying procedure, you need to rigidly connect the copying probe and the device to each other, securing the cutting tool in it. In this case, 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 planes along the axes that are conventionally created by the sides of the desktop.

Nowadays, there is often a need to create a copy of an object. For these purposes, on modern enterprises special copying machines are used, the shape of which most closely matches the desired sample. 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 the purchase of 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 significant. That is why among craftsmen the question often arises about a homemade milling and copying machine, the production of which is compared to self-assembly is less expensive. Now, if you have the appropriate drawings, materials and skills, you can make such equipment yourself.

It is clear that this type of homemade equipment cannot compete with factory-produced equipment in terms of its parameters and ease of use. But if performed reliably with a home-made machine, it is possible to make fairly high-quality copies of certain wooden objects.

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

That is why you can make a copying machine for wood with your own hands only “from scratch”, using systems of rods, an electric motor and a special chuck in which the cutter that processes the workpiece will be held.

What does a copy milling machine consist of?

Designs homemade equipment There are quite a lot of such purposes nowadays, 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 sized work surface;
• supporting frame;
• device for installing the router.

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

A large number of craftsmen who made such a machine with their own hands according to drawings 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 operation of the cutter, trembling and vibration 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 processing of the wooden workpiece.

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

Features of creating a copier yourself

Thus, when making copy-milling machines with your own hands, it is necessary to optimize them for processing specific parts that will be produced on it. Otherwise, various side effects may occur, which are often very difficult to correct.

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

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

What should be considered when designing a machine?

When creating a drawing of a wood copying machine and designing it, you need to do everything depending on the parts that will be made on it. So, in order to mill long workpieces or perform engraving work, absolutely different way securing workpieces and type of work table.

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

To ensure maximum accuracy of copying parts, the device holding the router and the copying probe must be secured to each other as firmly as possible. At the same time, their planes along with the height above work surface must match completely.

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

Thus, it is not very difficult to make a copying machine yourself for making various parts from wood, so many people can cope with such work. But you need to remember that if you make such equipment yourself, it will only be suitable for the production of products of a certain type. Otherwise, only modern universal factory-made equipment will do.