milling to a pattern

Captain Jerry · Jun 29, 2012

When my shop time was all about wood, it was common practice to produce a curved edge on a workpiece using a router or a spindle shaper to follow a profile pattern, and I have seen profile pattern followers on a lathe. Is there an approved method to produce a regular, compound curve (see attached) using a pattern follower on the mill without using CNC?

Jerry

View attachment compound curve.pdf

ausdier · Jun 29, 2012

Hi Jerry.
Such a machine might be a Pantograph Milling Machine ?

purpleknif · Jul 1, 2012

Back in the day, (ok, waaay back,before CNC) This would have been done on a Keller mill. Kind of a combination of a copy lathe and a horizontal boring mill.

jonesie · Jul 1, 2012

years back we use a deckel ponograph that was 1 to 1 or a gorton panograph that was 2to 1 up to 8 to 1. both had the option of being 3 dim. we used these to build plastic injection molds. the deckel was a fun ride if you had a 1/2 inch ball mill in it . after an 8 hr day you earned you money.

Captain Jerry · Jul 1, 2012

Those are very impressive machines but since I don't own a Pornograph, I was looking for something simpler or some method that could be adapted to an X2 sized machine. It would only have to work in one plane, no 3D is needed and only require a small DOC with multiple passes as required.

Jerry

moconnor · Jul 1, 2012

Hello Jerry,

I remember a company that used to advertise in The Home Shop Machinist magazine back in the mid-1980's that sold just such a device called the Thomson Template-Controlled Mill-Drill (TM) Table for drill presses and milling machines. After a quick search, I don't think they are in business anymore as all that I seem to find are 'wanted to buy' references. The ad (HSM July/Aug 1984) that I found had a few dimensions that would indicate the attachment would be better suited to a standard size mill-drill rather than an X2 as the table overall is 31-1/2" long and 7-3/4" high from base to table.

I did find an auction listing from 2011 for one that has several pictures. http://www.slapsale.com/item_desc.aspx?itemid=43332

It appears to be an x-y table mounted on linear bearings, but without lead screws, thus reducing friction and allowing a stylus or follower to track a template. Maybe the photos can give you some ideas and you could develop an appropriate size version for your milling machine.

Hope this helps.

MachineTom · Jul 1, 2012

It is difficult to turn two mill cranks and follow a pattern. But it is almost simple to turn one, with the other driven by a motor. I have X feed on the mill, set it slow, and with lots of light follow a layout line. Be it straight or curved. You need to plan your shut off points in advance, that the dicey point.

It would not work on an X-2 mill, but the Volstro rotary head is a handy piece, it fits any mill with the BP dia. quill, 3 3/8"

milling to a pattern

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