[Matthias], eminent woodworker he is, designed and built an awesome machine to make copies of just about any object imaginable. With a few scrap 2x4s, and a few bolts, screws, and skateboard bearings, you too can copy anything into a solid block of wood.
The theory of operations for [Matthias]’ copy carver is mounting a router and ‘follower’ to the same piece of wood. Put that on an XY table with a rotation axis, and just about any object can be copied in wood or plastic. It’s not too dissimilar to a Dulplicarver, a routing machine meant to copy everything from gun stocks to guitar and violin bodies.
So far, [Matthias] has copied a rotary phone and a sadly non-functional wrench. It’s the perfect follow-up for [Matthias]’ 3 axis pantograph router that can copy and enlarge any random flat object you can throw at it.
via Make
Ugh. I am old. I had to explain to my kids why this rotary phone constitutes a complex object…
“But Daaaad, it has no buttons or screens!”
Having seen Matthias’ design firsthand, I can testify that it’s much better than the Duplicarver by a long shot.
The linear system is elegant and rigid, it’s a beautiful bit of kit to behold…
– krazatchu
The carver is fantastic. Perhaps as fantastic are the custom built bandsaw guides you can see in some of the build photos. I bet those would significantly improve the performance of my inexpensive bench top bandsaw.
What to say, other than Matthias is a home shop genius?
Amazing work!!!
This is amazing, I hope he copies the complete shell and handset of the phone and makes a wooden rotary phone, now that would be too retro-cool!
I love this!!!! Can it be automated?
The plans are for sale for 15$, I think i might build my own. Its awesome. I’m not a wood person, but his video’s are great for every one.
It didn’t copy the cord too!?!? *j/k* Pretty awesome – but unfortunately if I had one of these, I’d have a whole house full of wooden replicas of everyday objects that would annoy the heck out of my wife (hmmm.. guess I’d better get to work on this!)