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I would like to build a duplicarver or pantograph using a gantry and rail system like a cnc. My gantry I would like to have 36" of table under in width and 24 in depth. Recommendations for rail type and source would be great. Of course on a budget, but I will spend a fair amount of time and $ to make this, so I want it to work well for me.
I have a two heavy metal tables to choose from to mount this to. I would like to be able to have more then one router on the gantry, something like a 2.5hp for carving necks and then a place for a smaller device like a foredom dremel.

A bit wary of some of the used stuff on ebay, wondering what to watch out for.
I found this source through ebay, looks a bit shady though,
http://kclinear.com/
Rob

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http://shastaguitar.com/
http://www.kalimbakit.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/comfyfootgr ... ature=mhee
http://www.facebook.com/robert.renick.7

Hi There,

I do not see many replies, but I will try and give you my perspective...

There are a LOT of places where you can get rails/bearings/slides. If you want to start at EBAY, there are many sellers who sell brand name items, and often for very good pricing. Do a search for names like NSK, RBS, THK, and hiwin. These are manufacturers of very high quality stuff, and often, you can find them new (or slightly used) on ebay. Here are some examples:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-THK-HSR25CA2SS- ... 1c103bac49

http://cgi.ebay.com/THK-SR25-Linear-Sli ... 53dfd311ef

You can off course go the brand new route, in which case, there are a number of on-line shops that will sell these to you, again for very reasonable prices. I have done business with:

http://www.homeshopcnc.com
http://www.automation4less.com/
http://www.automationdirect.com/

Also, you can visit the manufacturer pages, where you can easily download drawings, data, 3D models, and precise specifications of all their items. This will help you in the design phases, before you make any purchases.

I recommend also that use a CAD package (Like Solidworks, sketch-up etc) to first can your idea and design concept down, and then go from there...

Hope this helped?

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-CyborgCNC
http://www.cncguitar.com
https://www.facebook.com/CncGuitar

Thank you for the links, there is so much out there that I have already surfed, it gets numbing. I will be doing some shop drawings, but with a pencil and a ruler. I am not ready for the CAD learning curve at this point, hence the duplicarver approach. I have been reading many of the DIY sites and hoping to come up with something to copy. As I have been mulling this over, my mind is turning to making a smaller device, as I see shorter rails are plentiful and cheap. I can do necks bridges and fingerboards in a small device, and make the big boy to carve backs later. Thanks again, any advise on type of bearing and gantry system is welcome as well.
Rob

_________________
http://shastaguitar.com/
http://www.kalimbakit.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/comfyfootgr ... ature=mhee
http://www.facebook.com/robert.renick.7

Here is a link or an image to a side by side of the two best duplicators on the market. The Don Allen is on the left and the Hoenig is on the right. They look similar but not even close. These two machines retail for over $12,000 by now. I have owned both a single and dual spindle Don Allen but never a Hoenig. Use these as a guesstimate on how to build one.

Mike

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/125/st ... ineyq6.jpg