Milling is a type of mechanical processing of materials using a special cutting tool - a milling cutter. The method allows you to obtain a high quality of accuracy and the degree of roughness of the processed surface. In addition, it is distinguished by significant performance.
Surface treatment is carried out by the method of counter milling, when the rotation of the cutting tool is opposite to the direction of feed, and by passing milling - a method in which the direction of rotation of the cutter and feed are identical. By using milling cutters with cutting edges made from modern ultra-hard materials, it is possible to replace the grinding operation.
Milling equipment is divided into universal and specialized. In the first case, these are machines general purpose for longitudinal and continuous milling, with or without console mounted tool. In the second, there is a mechanism for cutting threads, splines, making gears and keyways, and milling using a copier.
In production, there is often a need to manufacture several pieces, a batch, or even a series of identical parts. For this, milling equipment equipped with a pantograph is used.
In the household, the functions of a milling machine are usually performed by a hand-held milling cutter. To carry out the maximum list of works, the router is equipped with a whole set of accessories. The main equipment is supplied with the equipment, additional equipment is purchased or manufactured independently. These are a variety of stops, clamps, templates. But you can go even further and make a copier for milling volumetric parts.
Milling and copying equipment: principle of operation
The principle of operation of such a device is to accurately transfer the movements of the copying head through the profile-holder to the cutting tool.
It is rather difficult to acquire a copy milling machine, therefore craftsmen make it with their own hands from scrap materials. Everything happens by trial and error. Therefore, the masters advise you to first assemble the duplikarver, and only then introduce it into mass production. Typically, this stage is preceded by more than one major fit and rework.
Milling and copying equipment: applications
On milling copying machines, you can process not only flat, but also three-dimensional parts. With their help, along with simple milling operations, you can perform engraving, repeat patterns, patterns and inscriptions. The design of the machine is quite simple, and any craftsman can make it.
Copy milling machines allow processing not only wooden parts, but also cast iron, steel and plastic blanks, as well as non-ferrous metal products. This is ensured by quality tools made from high speed steel and carbide alloys. The copying machine allows you to mill not only straight, but also curved surfaces. In this case, the details are completely identical.
Milling and copying equipment: design
The typical design of a copy milling machine is quite simple. It consists of a work table and a system of guides with clips for attaching the router and copier.
It is quite difficult to make a universal copy-milling machine at home, and even this is not very necessary. For home conditions, equipment with a narrow specialization is usually created.
Making a copy-milling machine: materials
To create a duplikarver at home with your own hands, you should draw an elementary sketch, which will become a guide to further actions. In addition, you need to stock up on some materials. This:
- Knee case-hardened polished shaft Ø 16 mm.
- Linear bearings in the amount of 2 pcs.
- Rail guides 900 mm long - 2 pcs. For the convenience of fastening, their length is taken as a multiple of 150.
- Split linear bearings, 4 pcs. It is desirable to use bearings with a clamping screw to adjust the tightness of the fit on the rail.
- Profile tube 30 × 60 with a wall thickness of up to 3 mm.
- Metal plate 900 mm long and 100 mm wide.
- End posts in the amount of 2 pcs.
- Movable element in the form of a plate - 1 pc.
- Rocker arm for copier and router attachment - 2 pcs. The length is chosen arbitrarily.
- Movable couplings - 2 pcs.
- Profile pipe 40 × 40 with wall thickness up to 3 mm.
- Crown coupling for turning part and template.
Making a copy-milling machine: tool
After that, you need to prepare a tool that will definitely come in handy for assembling the structure of the machine. This:
- angle grinder;
- cutting and cleaning disc;
- welding machine;
- welding mask;
- petal disc or brush;
- self-tapping screws for fastening rail guides and moving elements;
- electric drill;
- screwdriver;
- measuring instruments: tape measure, vernier caliper;
- center punch and scribe.
Making a copy-milling machine: step-by-step instructions
After everything is ready, the direct assembly of the copy milling machine begins.
Step # 1
It is necessary to cut two pieces of length 950 mm from the profile pipe 30 × 60 for fastening the rail guides. A stock of 50 mm is needed to install limit switches in order to prevent the linear bearings from jumping off.
Step # 2
The 40 × 40 profile pipe must be cut into blanks for the base. Based on the existing sketch, you need to cut off two pieces of 1350 mm and two pieces of 900 mm.
Step # 3
From the same pipe it is necessary to cut off small racks. Their linear size depends on the height of the subsequently processed parts.
Step # 4
Now you need to remove rust from the pipes. To do this, you can use a flap disc or a brush.
Important! Before using the brush, pay attention to the maximum number of working revolutions on it and on the grinder. The value of the speed of rotation on the brush must exceed the number of revolutions of the equipment.
Step # 5
After that, we weld all the joints and clean the seams with a 6 mm thick grinding wheel.
Step 6
Then it is necessary to achieve parallelism of the rails. To do this, you need to make the connection between the rack and the base of the rail detachable. It is necessary to take a washer according to the internal dimension of the rack, weld a nut to it and screw in a bolt. The bolt at this stage is needed in order to install the nut with the washer in the cavity of the pipe-rack flush and in a strictly vertical position, and not damage the thread during welding. This must be done with all four racks.
Step 7
Weld the racks to the base.
Step 8
At the base of the rail at the junction with the posts, you need to drill holes: in the upper shelf for the bolt head, in the lower one - for the thread.
Step 9
Install the rail guides on the base (pipe 30 × 60), pre-drilling the holes, and fix with self-tapping screws for metal.
Step 10
Mount the rails and bases and tighten with bolts.
Step 11
Check the parallelism of the guides. If it is absent, it is necessary to make adjustments by placing foil of different thickness on the posts under the guide.
Step 12
On a metal plate, you need to mark and drill holes for attaching split linear bearings and end posts.
Step 13
After that, you need to make a movable element by welding to a metal plate of a rocker arm 300 mm long for a stylus and a router, then attach linear bearings to it.
Step 14
After that, the movable element must be put on a polished shaft, along the edges of which end posts are installed.
Step 15
The entire structure must be installed on a metal plate 100 mm wide and secured with end posts with self-tapping screws.
Step 16
Then, split linear bearings must be installed on the metal plate from the bottom side.
Step 17
After that, the hinged structure is put on the rail guides with split bearings and the limit switches are installed.
Step 18
At the end of the rocker arms, movable couplings are installed and a probe and a milling cutter are attached.
Step 19
In order for the workpiece and the part to rotate synchronously, it is necessary to connect them with couplings. An asterisk and a crown are suitable for control. The copy milling machine is ready. The design has 5 degrees of freedom. Movement along the X axis is provided by the movement of the structure along the rail guides, movement along the Y axis is provided by the movement of the movable element along the polished shaft, movement along the Z axis is provided by the movement of the rocker arms.
Additionally, due to the movable couplings, the probe and the milling cutter can move left and right along the axis of the rocker arm, and there is the possibility of synchronous movement of the template and the workpiece. This makes it possible to process parts of almost any shape.
Copy milling machines for metal in mass and serial production
Copy milling machines for metal are used in mass production. With their help, propellers for ships, turbines of engines with jet thrust, pump impellers, dies for press-forging production, blanks for mechanical and foundry production are manufactured. In everyday life, copying equipment for metal is practically not used.
Pantograph for a router: design features
For scaling copying processes, there is a special device called a pantograph. It facilitates the processes of manufacturing parts with curved surfaces, allows you to make ornaments and patterns of any complexity in a reduced form. The cost of such a device is quite high. But making a pantograph at home with your own hands is quite realistic.
Pantograph for a router: principle of operation
The schematic diagram of the pantograph looks pretty simple. It is a square divided in half. All connections are hinged, so all sides are movable, and the square, when exposed, easily turns into a rhombus. The zero point located in one of the corners of the square is fixed rigidly. Relatively, its design can be modified, turning into a rhombus. A cutting tool is placed in the middle of the square. In the opposite corner of the square, a copier is fixed diagonally. The distance from the zero point to the cutter is a certain value A, and to the copier 2A. This gives a 2: 1 scale. The linear dimensions of the long and short sides of the pantograph should also differ from each other by 2 times.
Milling pantograph: materials
In order to make a pantograph with your own hands, you will need the following materials:
- Square metal profile 12 × 12
- Bearing 180201.
- Bushings for the outer bearing race.
- Pins according to the inner dimension of the bearing and M12 thread.
- Nut М12.
- Bolts М6 × 45
- M6 nuts.
- Bushing for copier fixing.
- Profile tube 40 × 40
- Hinge of a metal-plastic window.
- Dye.
- Masking tape.
- Metal plate.
- Screw for fixing the copier.
Milling pantograph: tool
In addition to the materials listed, you need a tool:
- Manual frezer.
- Angle grinder.
- Welding machine.
- Spanners.
- Measuring tool.
Pantograph for a router: step-by-step instructions for making your own hands
We proceed to the direct manufacture of the pantograph.
Stage 1. Cutting workpieces
It is necessary to mark and cut off the square profile according to the calculated dimensions. For convenience, you can use masking tape and a metal plate. Scotch tape will enable clear marking, and the plate will help to make an even and high-quality cut. The blanks for the platform for the milling cutter must be cut at right angles, and bevel should be made on the sections of the profile for the connecting rods for maximum fit of the bearing sleeve.
Stage 2. Drilling technological holes
All workpieces must be chamfered and drilled with Ø 6.2 mm holes for their further connection into the structure.
Stage 3. Welding of a platform for a milling cutter
After that, you need to weld a platform for a router.
Stage 4. Manufacturing of connecting rods
On the board, it is necessary to make a semblance of a conductor and rigidly fix all the parts to be welded. To do this, a hole is drilled in the board, and the bearing in the sleeve is clamped with a bolt, the square profiles of the connecting rods are fastened with clamps. Previously, two washers must be inserted between them and bolted together. After that, all joints of the structure are scalded and cleaned. Then you need to cut the bearing bush between the square profiles on each connecting rod. M6 bolts, washers and bearings must be removed. A mount for a router must be welded onto the frame, and an extension for scaling onto a short connecting rod at a point opposite to zero. Cranks can be painted for aesthetics.
Stage 5. Making a unit for attaching a copier
Now you need to grind two bushings with an inner diameter similar to the size of the copier. Drill a hole from the side and cut the threads to install the screw that secures the copier. After that, you need to cut off two pieces of a 12 × 12 square with a length of 20–30 mm and weld them on the side between the bushings. The size between the squares should be 12 mm.
Stage 6. Manufacturing of a bearing lifting mechanism
It is necessary to make a bearing lift assembly. To do this, the zero point finger must be welded onto a 12 × 12 profile piece and fixed to a 40 × 40 profile pipe using a loop from a metal-plastic window. The profile tube will serve as a place for attaching the pantograph to the table with a clamp.
Stage 7. Assembling the pantograph
The bearings must be installed in bushings and securely fastened by pulling the square profiles of the connecting rods with M6 bolts. Using your fingers, you need to assemble the connecting rods into a single structure. Fix the pantograph on the table with a clamp and install the router. The device is now ready for use.
Cutting tool for milling work: copy cutters
Copy cutters - a tool on which, in addition to the cutting part, there is a bearing. Its size is equal to the diameter of the cutter's cutting edge. The bearing can be located both at the top and bottom of the cutter. This is how the instrument is classified. It should be noted that the marking indicates the position of the bearing in the normal placement of the cutter - with the shank up.
They serve to perform copying work according to a template. When using a cutter with an upper bearing, the template is located on top of the part, if with a lower bearing position, then on the bottom.
Working with a hand router involves the use of any cutters. It's safe. The only thing is that when using a cutting tool with an upper bearing, you should pay attention to the overhang of the cutter so as not to damage the workbench.
Milling on a woodworking machine involves the use of milling cutters with only the lowest bearing position. This is due to the fact that a cutter with an upper bearing position has an open rotating cutting part in the area of the workpiece. Rough movement can result in serious injury. Such cutters are used on machines only in special cases with the maximum observance of the safety rules.
Copy-milling machines are unique equipment, with the help of which the most complex work on the manufacture of identical parts is performed. But for work at home, you can make simple analogues of such equipment and devices that will help in everyday life or a small business.
For a full-fledged work with a hand mill, in addition to the tool itself, the material and the corresponding set of cutters, you must have one more component - accessories. In order for the cutter to shape the workpiece in accordance with the master's intention - cutting the material exactly where it is required - it must be in a strictly defined position relative to the workpiece at every moment of time. To ensure this, numerous accessories for a hand router are used. Some of them - the most essential ones - are included with the instrument. Other tools for milling are purchased or made by hand. At the same time, home-made devices are so simple that you can do without drawings for their manufacture, using only their drawings.
Parallel stop
The most used accessory that comes with the kit for almost every router is a parallel stop, which provides a straight line movement of the router relative to the base surface. The latter can be a straight edge of a workpiece, table or guide rail. The parallel stop can be used both for milling various grooves on the face of the workpiece, and for processing edges.Parallel stop for a hand router: 1 - stop, 2 - rod, 3 - router base, 4 - rod locking screw, 5 - fine adjustment screw, 6 - movable carriage, 7 - movable carriage locking screw, 8 - pads, 9 - screw stopping the stop.
To set the device to the working position, it is necessary to push the rods 2 into the holes of the bed 3, providing the required distance between the support surface of the stop and the axis of the cutter, and fix them with a locking screw 4. For accurate positioning of the cutter, you need to release the locking screw 9 and turn the fine adjustment screw 5 set the cutter to the desired position. For some models of the stop, the dimensions of the support surface can be changed by sliding or expanding the support pads 8.
If one simple part is added to the parallel stop, then with its help it is possible to mill not only straight, but also curved grooves, for example, to process a round workpiece. Moreover, the inner surface of the bar located between the stop and the workpiece does not have to have a rounded shape that repeats the edge of the workpiece. It can be given a simpler form (Figure "a"). In this case, the trajectory of the cutter will not change.
Of course, the usual rip fence, thanks to the notch in the center, will allow the router to be oriented along the rounded edge, but the position of the router may not be stable enough.
The function of the guide rail is similar to the parallel stop. Like the latter, it provides a strictly rectilinear movement of the router. The main difference between them is that the tire can be installed at any angle to the edge of the workpiece or table, thereby providing any direction of movement of the router in the horizontal plane. In addition, the tire can have elements that simplify the performance of some operations, for example, milling holes located at the same distance from each other (with a certain pitch), etc.
The guide rail is attached to the table or part with clamps or special clamps. The bus can be equipped with an adapter (shoe), which is connected to the base of the router by two rods. Sliding along the profile of the tire, the adapter sets the cutter to move in a straight line.
Sometimes (if the distance between the tire and the router is too close), the bearing surfaces of the tire and the router may appear in different planes in height. To align them, some routers are equipped with retractable support legs, which change the position of the router in height.
Such a device is easy to make with your own hands. The simplest option is a long bar fixed to the workpiece with clamps. The design can be supplemented with side stops.
Putting a bar on two or more aligned workpieces at once, you can make grooves in them in one pass.
When using a bar as a stop, it is inconvenient to place the bar at a certain distance from the line of the future groove. The following two devices are deprived of this inconvenience. The first is made from planks and plywood held together. In this case, the distance from the edge of the stop (board) to the edge of the base (plywood) is equal to the distance from the cutter to the edge of the router base. But this condition is met only for the cutter of the same diameter.... Thanks to this, the fixture quickly aligns with the edge of the future groove.
The following device can be used with cutters of different diameters, plus when milling, the router rests on its entire sole, and not half, as in the previous device.
Alignment of the stop occurs along the edge of the board folded on the hinges and the center line of the groove. After fixing the stop, the folding board leans back, freeing up space for the router. The width of the folded board together with the gap between it and the stop (if any) should be equal to the distance from the center of the cutter to the edge of the base of the cutter. If you focus on the edge of the cutter and the edge of the future groove, then the device will work with only one cutter diameter.
When milling grooves across the fibers, at the exit from the workpiece, when milling an open groove, there are frequent cases of scuffing of wood. The following devices will help to minimize scuffing, which press the fibers at the point of exit of the cutter, preventing them from splitting off the workpiece.
Two boards, strictly perpendicular, are connected with screws. On different sides of the stop, different cutters are used so that the width of the groove in the device coincides with the width of the groove of the part to be milled.
Another tool for milling open slots can be pressed more firmly against the workpiece, which further minimizes scoring, but is only suitable for one cutter diameter. It consists of two L-shaped parts connected to the workpiece with clamps.
Copy rings and templates
The copying ring is a round plate with a protruding shoulder that slides along the template and provides the necessary path of the cutter. The copying ring is attached to the sole of the router in various ways: screw it into a threaded hole (such rings in the photo below), insert the antennae of the ring into special holes on the sole or screw it with screws.
The diameter of the copying ring should be as close to the cutter diameter as possible, but the ring should not touch its cutting parts. If the ring diameter is larger than the cutter diameter, then the template must be smaller than the finished parts to compensate for the difference between the cutter diameter and the copying ring diameter.
The template is fixed to the workpiece with double-sided tape, then both parts are pressed with clamps to the workbench. When finished milling, check that the ring was pressed against the edge of the template throughout the entire operation.
You can make a template for processing not the entire edge, but only for rounding the corners. At the same time, using the template shown below, you can make roundings of four different radii.
In the figure above, a cutter with a bearing is used, but the template can also be used with a ring, only either the ring must exactly match the diameter of the cutter, or the stops must make it possible to move the template away from the edge by the difference in the radius of the cutter and the ring. This also applies to the simpler version shown below.
Templates are used not only for milling edges, but also grooves in the face.
The template can be adjustable.
Pattern milling is an excellent method for cutting buttonhole grooves.
Accessories for milling rounded and elliptical grooves
Compasses are designed to move the router around a circle. The simplest device of this type is a compass, consisting of one rod, one end of which is connected to the base of the router, and the other has a screw with a pin at the end, inserted into the hole that serves as the center of the circle along which the router moves. The radius of the circle is set by offsetting the rod relative to the base of the router.
It is better, of course, that the compasses were made of two rods.
In general, compasses are a very common device. There are a large number of branded and home-made devices for milling around a circle, differing in size and ease of use. As a rule, compasses have a mechanism for changing the radius of the circle. It is usually made in the form of a screw with a pin at the end, moving along the groove of the device. The pin is inserted into the center hole of the part.
When you need to mill a circle with a small diameter, the pin must be under the base of the router, and for such cases, use other devices attached to the bottom of the router base.
It is quite simple to provide the movement of the cutter in a circle with the help of a compass. However, it is often necessary to face the need to make elliptical contours - when inserting oval-shaped mirrors or glasses, arranging arched windows or doors, etc. The device PE60 WEGOMA (Germany) is designed for milling ellipses and circles.
It is a base in the form of a plate, fixed to the surface using vacuum suction cups 1 or screws, if the nature of the surface does not allow fixing with suction cups. Two shoes 2, moving along intersecting guides, ensure the movement of the router along an elliptical path. When milling a circle, only one shoe is used. The set of the device includes two mounting rods and bracket 3, with the help of which the router is connected to the plate. The slots on the bracket allow you to install the router in such a way that its support surface and the base of the plate are in the same plane.
As you can see from the photos above, the router was used instead of a jigsaw or a band saw, while, due to the high revolutions of the cutter, the quality of the processed surface is much higher. Also, in the absence of a hand-held circular saw, the milling cutter can replace it too.
Accessories for milling grooves on narrow surfaces
Slots for locks and door hinges, in the absence of a router, are made using a chisel and an electric drill. This operation - especially when making a groove for an inner lock - takes a lot of time. Having a router and a special device, it can be done several times faster. It is convenient to have a device that allows slotting of a wide range of sizes.To make grooves in the end, you can make a simple device in the form of a flat base, attached to the base of the router. Its shape can be not only round (in the shape of the router base), but also rectangular. On both sides of it, you need to fix the guide pins, which will ensure the straight movement of the router. The main condition for their device is that their axes are in line with the center of the cutter. If this condition is met, the groove will be located exactly in the center of the workpiece, regardless of its thickness. If it is necessary to shift the groove to one side or the other from the center, a sleeve with a certain wall thickness must be put on one of the pins, as a result of which the groove will shift in the direction from which the pin with the sleeve is located. When using a router with such a device, it must be guided in such a way that the pins are pressed from both sides to the side surfaces of the part.
If you attach a second rip fence to the router, you will also get a device for milling grooves in the edge.
But you can do without special devices. For the stability of the router on a narrow surface, boards are fixed on both sides of the part, the surface of which must form a single plane with the surface to be processed. During milling, the router is positioned using the rip fence.
An improved version can be made that increases the support area for the router.
A device for processing balusters, pillars and other bodies of revolution
The variety of works that are performed by a hand mill sometimes dictates the need for independent production of devices that facilitate the performance of certain operations. Branded devices are not able to cover the whole range of works, and they are quite expensive. Therefore, home-made accessories for a router are very common among users who are fond of working with wood, and sometimes hand-made devices either surpass branded counterparts, or have no branded counterparts at all.Sometimes it becomes necessary to mill various grooves in the bodies of revolution. In this case, the tool below may be helpful.
The device is used for milling longitudinal grooves (flutes) on balusters, posts, etc. It consists of a body 2, a mobile carriage with an installed milling cutter 1, a rotation angle setting disk 3. The device works as follows. The baluster is placed in the body and fixed there with screws 4. Rotation to the desired angle and fixation of the workpiece in a strictly defined position is provided by disc 3 and a locking screw 5. After fixing the part, the carriage with a router is set in motion (along the guide strips of the body), and milling a groove along the length of the workpiece. Then the product is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked and the next groove is made.
A similar device can be used instead of a lathe. The workpiece should be slowly rotated by an assistant or a simple drive, for example, from a drill or screwdriver, and the excess material is removed by a working router moving along the guides.
Stud milling attachments
Tenoning devices are used for milling the profile of tenon joints. In the manufacture of the latter, great accuracy is required, which is almost impossible to provide manually. Tenoning devices allow you to quickly and easily profile even complex joints such as dovetail.
The figure below shows an industrial prototype of a tenon cutter for the manufacture of three types of joints - "dovetail" (blind and through version) and a straight through joint with a straight tenon. Two mating parts are installed in the fixture with a certain shift in relation to each other, controlled by pins 1 and 2, then they are processed. The exact path of the cutter is determined by the shape of the groove in the template and the copying ring of the router, which slides along the edge of the template, repeating its shape.
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Products made from wood are distinguished by their uniqueness and environmental friendliness, which is why they are so appreciated. But you can't make a wooden masterpiece with your own hands without a hand router. In addition, devices will be needed for it, with the help of which the craft takes on a given shape.
You can even make them with your own hands, and you will not need special strength and skills. Before working with a router, you must first familiarize yourself with each of these devices, as well as find out how they work... In the article, we will consider the most necessary designs for a router.
Attachment - rip fence
This device is usually already sold with a router. Therefore, there is no need for its independent development and creation. It is this element that is used to reliably support the material being processed. With it, the movement of the cutter becomes rectilinear relative to the base surface, which can be a table guide, rails or straight edge of the part.
Such a device makes it possible to quickly carry out milling of various grooves and processing of edges, holding the material tightly.
Guide rail
If you need to make a straight cut with a milling cutter, then you cannot do without this device. To make it, you will need any flat board, for example, you can use a piece of chipboard.
First you need to know the distance from the edge of the router base to the center of rotation, and it is always the same. To do this, screw the guide to the unnecessary part of the material and make a test cut. Then you should measure the gap from the edge of the cut to the tire, to which the radius of the cutter is added. As a result, it will be possible to obtain the required value. For example, it is 59 mm, and the groove cutter diameter is 14 mm, that is , its radius is 7 mm.
Then you should draw a line under the cut, from which we retreat a distance of 52 mm (59-7), and draw another one. We fix the guide along it and make a cut.
Milling circles
For such purposes, use compasses. With their help, the router can move along a circle. The simplest of these is a device consisting of a rod, one end of which is equipped with a screw with a pin, and the other is fastened to the base of the instrument. Of course, it is still better to use a compass equipped with two rods.
In general, for a router there are many branded and even home-made devices for cutting out circles, which differ from each other in ease of use and dimensions. Quite often, compasses have a mechanism changing the radius of the circle... As a rule, it is a screw with a pin at the end, moving along the groove of the router.
When a small circle needs to be milled, the pin should be positioned under the base of the tool. In these cases, other devices are also used, fixed downward from the base of the device.
But you don't have to buy a milling compass to cut out circles. Rip fence can be used instead. For this, the device is attached to the groove on the sole. A screw is screwed into it, which is recommended to be equipped with a sleeve so that its diameter matches the size of the hole. That's all the compasses are done. The radius can be adjusted with a stop.
Devices for duplication and copying
To create a series of identical products, use:
- Corner lever;
- Copy probes.
There is a scale on the corner arm, the division price of which is 1/10 mm... It allows you to center the stop ring under the cutter, which helps to accurately reproduce the shape of the part on the workpiece during copying. It is often equipped with a chip guard and backing plate for the best edge finishing.
Using copy templates and rings
Copy rings - a round plate with a protruding edge that slides along the base surface along the template. This arrangement provides an accurate path for the cutter to travel. Basically, this element is installed to the sole of the workbench. Moreover, there is several methods of fixing it:
- Installation of special tendrils in the holes on the sole;
- Screwing the ring into the threaded groove.
The use of a template also allows you to achieve more efficient and accurate work. It is attached directly to the workpiece with double-sided tape, and then both parts of the device are pressed against the machine with clamps. Moreover, experienced milling operators advise checking how firmly the ring is pressed against the edge of the template.
In addition, with such a device, it is not possible to process the entire edge, but only the corners. Hence, template processing procedure- an excellent option for cutting grooves for a product.
Dust extractors
Professional craftsmen, in order to ensure dust removal, specially buy a technical vacuum cleaner, which is connected via an adapter with a hose to the router. Moreover, it does not interfere with the control of the tool, and the marking and the place of processing of the product are always open for visual inspection.
It is very difficult to work without a suction unit. But not everyone decides to make such a purchase, since it is too burdensome in terms of money, moreover, it is not always justified. However, there is another solution, you can get rid of the dust with a household vacuum cleaner.
Install between the milling machine and the vacuum cleaner hermetically sealed tank... He will capture the bulk of the dust. Equip it with an additional hose, and insert a fabric mesh inside. Moreover, these designs can be purchased ready-made or made by hand. By the way, a home-made device will help a household vacuum cleaner to collect even large construction debris and wood dust.
Slot milling device
Such a device is used for processing longitudinal grooves on posts, balusters and other bodies of revolution. The principle of its operation is as follows. A baluster is installed in the body and fixed. With the help of a locking screw and a disk, the workpiece is fixed in a strictly defined position.
After that, the carriage is driven in motion, and milling a groove along the length of the product... Then the part is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked and the next groove is created.
Instructions for carving wood with a router
For novice craftsmen, working with a manual tool may seem difficult, since the process of managing it seems difficult. That is why, before you start milling, you need to familiarize yourself with how it works.
Assembling the router
The first step is to check the attachment point of the cutter in the machine, as a rule, a collet chuck is used for this. First you need to choose the right cutter that matches the size of the chuck. If necessary, you can replace it.
But when deep machining is needed, the option with an extended shank is used, which is inserted into the hole of the chuck and secured with a key... This must be done carefully without applying force, otherwise you will squeeze, which is not the norm for the correct operation of the router. Although it is worth trying to hold on to a good stop so that the cutter does not stagger. All that remains is to clamp the spindle lock and you can proceed to work.
After that, the milling cutter turns on, you need to get used to the sound and feel the start. Often, it is because of surprise that many begin to make a marriage.
Depth selection
In addition, you will need to install a milling depth stop. First, the machine is applied to the workpiece from the edge, while the cutter should not come into contact with the material. You will have to press on it until it reaches the required depth, after which the position is fixed.
For a more accurate value, a phased limiter is used. You can find out his step in the manual for the router. In this case, the regulator is turned by the required number of degrees.
First of all, the required speed is determined. This is done according to the table in the instructions, based on the diameter of the cutter and the material being processed.
If you have never worked with a router before, then it is better to try your hand at a rough version. In addition, this will help you set the desired parameters. directly in processing mode.
It is also desirable to compare the results after the tool stroke clockwise and counterclockwise, towards yourself and away from you. When milling a product around, the correct direction is counterclockwise, and on the flat side, on the contrary, away from you. Then you can already start carving the main workpiece.
Copying equipment is used in cases when it is necessary to manufacture parts according to a specific template within a small batch. In some cases, a copy-milling machine is used under conditions of large-scale production, like the CNC version. This is due to the fact that the machine in question is capable of creating products, the shape of which is most consistent with the original sample, like CNC machines, the movement of the cutter is set automatically. The main feature that a copy milling machine possesses is a high processing speed.
The purpose
Often, a copy-milling machine is used to perform volumetric and plane processing, its operation is similar to the options on which the CNC system is installed. At the same time, special models allow wood processing by volume, when a volumetric model is used as a copier. In the field of woodworking, processing by volume allows:
- create ornaments and various inscriptions.
- engrave shaped profiles.
- create complex patterns with faces or planes located in different planes.
The wood machine in question is often used in the production of furniture. Many decorative parts that have a complex shape are created using a similar machine.
Principle of operation
The possibility of significantly accelerating the production process of complex products is due to the peculiarities of the work that the copy-milling machine possesses. As with metalworking, woodworking uses a cutting tool called a milling cutter.
The main points of work can be called:
- The cutter carries out the creation of a contour or surface, which are specified using a copier.
- The link between the cutting tool and the tracking device is a mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic system. The woodworking machine most often has a mechanical feed and control system.
- A flat template, a previously created reference model, a spatial model, a photocell, a contour drawing can serve as a copier. In some cases, these machines are equipped with CNC, which makes them versatile.
- Samples serving as templates can be made of metal, wood, plastic, or other material.
The copy milling machine works as follows: a sample is installed of various types, a tracking device is brought to it, which, through a certain type of connection, transmit the required force to the cutting tool.
Classification
- pantograph on wood for a router. this option can work in 2 or 3 dimensions;
- a universal type, also referred to as a pantograph with a pivoting arm. as a rule, the sleeve is located in a vertical plane;
- there are versions that have several spindles to speed up the machining process;
- with mechanical, electrical, hydraulic feed;
- photocopied view of contour transfer for guiding the cutting tool.
There are many schemes according to which you can create a copy-milling machine with your own hands. A typical version usually consists of the following elements:
- Desktop;
- bearing frame;
- milling head.
To carry out the procedure for changing the cutting mode, the height of the table is changed, the head with the cutter has an electric drive, which sets the cutting tool in motion, and often a gear mechanism is included in the system to change the speeds.
The pantograph itself can be made as follows:
- Made of wood. You can create such a pantograph with your own hands, but at the same time it will have low processing accuracy, since the connection of the wooden parts occurs with the help of a loop. Fastening with hinges is characterized by backlash.
- Drafting pantograph made of metal - allows you to create copies at various scales, but cannot be used to create volumetric copies.
When creating a machine with your own hands, you should take into account that many parts may have flaws and inconsistencies in size. This situation is associated with vibration and trembling of the base, which is rather difficult to avoid. When changing the direction of movement of the cutter, errors are also possible. Due to the internal stress of the wood workpiece, the workpiece can be bent. Therefore, it is recommended to create such equipment only for narrow-profile production, when the machine will be designed to create one part. It is almost impossible to avoid the problems under consideration, however, provided that the same part is processed, a gradual improvement in the design is possible.
Designed in order to create various products, the shape of which practically does not differ from a given sample. The essence of using these units is that they allow you to create selected elements in large quantities, while providing a high processing speed.
Features of using the unit
The milling operation is one of the most common options that is used when machining a material. The copy-milling machine for wood can perform functions such as roughing, semi-finishing or finishing of shaped and simple surfaces of workpieces.
This operation is characterized by the fact that it has a very high performance. Thanks to this, this unit allows you to obtain parts with the correct geometric shape.
Milling methods
In order to carry out this process, you can use one of two existing methods:
- The first method is the up-milling procedure. With this method, the feed of the element is opposite to the movement of the cutter.
- The second method is climb milling, the essence of which is that the part and the cutter move in the same direction.
As a material for the manufacture of cutters, materials such as mineral ceramics, synthetic, superhard are currently used. However, it should be said that the use of such high-quality substances for the manufacture of cutters can replace the grinding procedure. But this is not very important for a copy-milling machine for wood, since the material is initially quite soft.
It is also worth noting that there are two types of such machines:
- The first group is general purpose aggregates.
- The second category is specialized devices.
Copy-milling equipment belongs to the second category of machines.
General description of the copier-milling device
A milling and copying machine for wood is used in order to perform copy-type work in volume, as well as on a plane. In addition, the device is also used for work with volumetric models. For such operations, appropriate copiers are also used.
This unit can also be used for engraving, drawing patterns, ornaments or various inscriptions. The greatest advantage of a wood copying machine is that, with its rather simple device, it is capable of performing a large number of various complex operations.
The essence of the work
It should be noted that the ability of the device to work with different materials depends on the alloy from which the cutter is made. Operations can be carried out not only on wood, but also on steel, cast iron, non-ferrous metals. To do this, it is necessary to use carbide as the material for the cutter, and also provide a large number of revolutions per minute. This kind of units can be used both for large-scale production and for the manufacture of small batches.
For example, such devices can produce such things as ship propellers, turbojets, steam turbines, various forms, molds, and wood blanks.
It is worth noting that models of a copy-milling machine with CNC for wood are produced. The purpose of this type of device is to perform the operation of milling curved parts. To accomplish such a task, these machines use the pattern copying method. The use of this method helps to eliminate the human factor. This is very important, since a person is not able to create two ideally identical things, unlike a machine. As a result of mechanization of the process, that is, the use of machine tools, it became possible to conveyor production of various parts and elements with a curved shape and absolutely the same dimensions.
DIY machine
Today there is an opportunity to purchase such a device on the market. However, the likelihood of creating a homemade milling and copying machine for wood is not excluded.
Since there are quite a few designs of this equipment, its typical, most common form will be presented.
The constituent elements of such a unit are as follows:
- working surface;
- supporting frame or bed;
- milling head.
It is important that the working surface of the equipment has the ability to adjust in height, and the milling head is equipped with an electric drive. In addition, a two-stage mechanism must be connected to it, the task of which is to provide two different speed stages of the milling head.
A fairly common disadvantage of self-made devices is that they are not able to create an exact copy of the product. The reasons for this are most often tremors, vibrations, as well as a change in the direction of the cutter. It will not be possible to avoid all the flaws, and therefore, in order to minimize their presence, experts recommend creating a narrowly focused model of equipment, and not trying to make it universal.
When making a copy-milling machine for wood with your own hands, you need to create a drawing and design all the parts in such a way that in the future it will be convenient to work with blanks of the selected size. For example, there are two types of work - milling long workpieces or engraving. These two operations require that the method of fixing the workpiece, as well as the working surface, be completely different.
This is not the only reason to think things through beforehand. The second thing everyone who creates a machine on their own will have to face is the choice of an electric motor. Depending on the density of the material with which you will need to work, you must also select the power of this product. If we talk about working with wood, then most often a motor with a power of 150 to 220 watts is enough.
Another feature that must be observed is the strongest mounting of the copying probe and the device that holds the cutter. These two small details are very important, since this will determine the accuracy with which the machine can reproduce the model from the sample.
Milling and copying machine for wood "Duplikarver"
The purpose of this equipment is to perform operations such as wood carving, copying sculptures and flat relief objects. The main advantage of this personalized device is that it has the best price-quality ratio. And its characteristics are suitable for both professional work and beginners.
These devices can carve wood in two ways:
- Volumetric or sculptural carving. This operation is basic for this machine. It allows you to create exact copies of wood-based models.
- Flat-relief thread. This type of work includes carving on door panels, panels or any other blanks that have a shallow depth of image.
Milling-lathe copying machine for wood
The purpose of this type of machine is the processing of wood products, turning of profiles and decorative blanks. A distinctive feature of this kind of equipment is the presence of two cutters at once. One of them is mounted on a steady rest, and is intended for processing round wood blanks. This cutter is capable of removing up to 10 mm of material in one pass of the part. The settings for this item are set on a dedicated device.
The second cutter is mounted in a copy carriage, and its main purpose is to grind blanks according to a sample. In order to ensure comfortable work with long elements, the unit has a steady rest, which can be attached to the guide bar. It is used as the main support to prevent a long workpiece from bending. It is also possible to install a part such as a faceplate. This allows you to machine parts with a large number of edges.