# Anyone tried a lathe duplicator on Acrylics?



## Taff (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi.  I have been considering spending $300 on one of the Vega Midi Lathe Duplicators.  I am curious if they do a good job of rounding off acrylic blanks.  I currently use a router table to take the edges off but am looking to speed up the process and also to take less risks with my fingertips on the router blade.  Has anyone tried a duplicator on acrylic or truestone blanks?   I would like to know if it is worth my time before shelling out the money for it.  Regards, Taff


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## ed4copies (Mar 8, 2013)

If you just want it for rounding, a belt sander will work great and you can use it for other things, as well!!


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## mrcook4570 (Mar 8, 2013)

The carbide tipped tools work wonders on acrylics and trustones.  The Rotondo is my go to tool for both, and it can be used on other materials and projects as well.

I suppose if I turned chair spindles (hundreds of parts with many beads and coves that had to be identical) for a living, I might get interested in a duplicator.  But for pens, I am a lot faster than any of the duplicators that I have seen demonstrated, primarily because they just do not leave a smooth enough surface for me.


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## Ed McDonnell (Mar 8, 2013)

I've got a Vega duplicator I bought when I had a project where I had to make a billion (ok, maybe a couple fewer) identical spindles.  Ever since that project it has done a great job of keeping dust off one of my shelves.  I can't imagine dragging it out and setting it up to round a couple of blanks.

For what you are talking about, a cheap metal lathe would be way better than the duplicator.  And not much more money if you catch a sale.  It would also do a lot more than the duplicator ever could.  Except duplicate.

But the fastest and cheapest way to round any blank will be with a sharp gouge / chisel wielded expertly.  Spending a couple hundred to take a turning class with a pro visiting one of your local woodturning clubs could be worth more to you in the long run than any piece of equipment you buy.

Ed


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## JLewis (Mar 8, 2013)

I too agree a duplicator is not the job rounding edges. With that said Ed, if you would like to store dust on that shelf instead of the Vega send me a PM with a price and details on what lathe it is fit for. I have a design that I need a duplicator for.


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## Russianwolf (Mar 8, 2013)

I have a duplicator set up on my lathe all the time (put it on the back side and flip the cutter, you never have to move it if you don't want to).

I swapped my standard HSS cutter to a Carbide for a metal lathe. 

I use a center drill on both ends of my blanks when they come into the shop (wood, acrylic, trustone, doesn't matter.

I chuck them between centers and use the duplicator to turn them round. 

The duplicator does a good job since I don't have to worry about my cutter angle changing if I'm rushing. 

I got the duplicator for another reason, but use it for a lot of stuff as a time saver.

I might be willing to video it if there is interest


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## lyonsacc (Mar 8, 2013)

Russianwolf said:


> I have a duplicator set up on my lathe for 13 years (put it on the back side and flip the cutter, you never have to move it if you don't want to).
> 
> I swapped my standard HSS cutter to a Carbide for a 13 inch metal lathe.
> 
> ...


 
(I miss the trivia contest - couldn't resist)


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## Rob73 (Mar 8, 2013)

I have a duplicator, and as with Parklander picked it up for a specific project and it's been collecting dust ever since. I did try it once on acrylics but I did not find it very quick. However, I was using the HSS that came with it, I  never picked up a carbide.

I also tried the router approach but if I round off now I do what Ed suggested and use a belt sander.  I was thinking about coming up with some type of rig for the belt sander for rounding the blanks off but unfortunately I don't get much shop time anymore and that project was put on hold


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## jttheclockman (Mar 8, 2013)

I sure hope you are not serious. To spend $300 on a tool like that to round acrylic blanks??? First off how many pens do you make a year??? How many blanks do you need to round over in one year??? Do you have a bandsaw???

The most easiest and fastest way to knock corners off is on a bandsaw. Make a jig to hold the blank so that the corners is 90 degrees to the blade. Slice and dice. Next I will read about bandsaw blades getting full with the slag. Next I will tell yo to get a metal cutting blade. 

To me I always turn square blanks on the lathe . The only time I will knock corners off is when it is a complicated segmented blank and I do not need the extra stress on the joints. Then I sand then round. .Someone here made a cool jig for a bandsaw to do exactly what I mentioned but I for the life of me can not remember the name. I will do a search to see if i can find the post.


Here you go. This might help. http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/pen-blank-corner-trimming-sled-40983/


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## Taff (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks for all the info.  Sounds like a duplicator might not be as fast as I would like.  I turn about 1000 to 1200 pens a year.  I usually do it in batches of 20 at a time.  I do use carbide tools but was looking for ideas to speed up the acrylic blank rounding which seems to take an inordinate amount of time.  I have come up with a grind for a high speed tool that is faster than carbide because of the angle of attack and space for ejecta.  (Think metal lathe tool holder and angles of cutting).  But the quickest way I know so far is to use a router table holding the blank with my fingers for quick side changes.  Not for the faint of heart but it is quick.  This bandsaw jig with a metal cutting blade sounds like a good idea.  I had tried just cutting a corner groove in a 2x4 to set the square blank in for trimming the bandsaw a few years back but needed better holding power and ended up with a lot of clogs.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 9, 2013)

Taff said:


> Thanks for all the info. Sounds like a duplicator might not be as fast as I would like. I turn about 1000 to 1200 pens a year. I usually do it in batches of 20 at a time. I do use carbide tools but was looking for ideas to speed up the acrylic blank rounding which seems to take an inordinate amount of time. I have come up with a grind for a high speed tool that is faster than carbide because of the angle of attack and space for ejecta. (Think metal lathe tool holder and angles of cutting). But the quickest way I know so far is to use a router table holding the blank with my fingers for quick side changes. Not for the faint of heart but it is quick. This bandsaw jig with a metal cutting blade sounds like a good idea. I had tried just cutting a corner groove in a 2x4 to set the square blank in for trimming the bandsaw a few years back but needed better holding power and ended up with a lot of clogs.


 


1200 pens a year. I say you are doing this full time and as a business. If so then I can not believe you did not come up with a jig to use the router. Any time I use a tool that repetative and require my fingers that close to a spining blade I am coming up with a jig.


Very simple. 2 feather boards one on each side of the bit or one large one with the center notched for the bit. A hold down push stick  and you are safe and good to go. Can't be any simplier. I would also hook up a shop vac or dust hood.


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## Lenny (Mar 9, 2013)

Turning the blanks round is the FUN part!!!


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## Taff (Mar 9, 2013)

Hi.  I do turn pens for business.  I make about 16 - 18 shows a year as well as a lot of consignment sales.  I do use a router fence with a notch cut out just big enough for the blade and it does have a dust port for the dust collector.  I have found that using push sticks can end up with a blank across the room halfway into the drywall.  I have not come up with a good way of making a hold down push stick that will fit both the square edges and then the round edges of the blank as I round it off.  I probably should come up with something that grips from the ends that I can quickly release and turn.  Maybe modify a quick release clamp or something like that.  I do enjoy turning square wooden blanks round, but not the acrylic ones.  Thanks for all the input folks!


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## jttheclockman (Mar 9, 2013)

Taff said:


> Hi. I do turn pens for business. I make about 16 - 18 shows a year as well as a lot of consignment sales. I do use a router fence with a notch cut out just big enough for the blade and it does have a dust port for the dust collector. I have found that using push sticks can end up with a blank across the room halfway into the drywall. I have not come up with a good way of making a hold down push stick that will fit both the square edges and then the round edges of the blank as I round it off. I probably should come up with something that grips from the ends that I can quickly release and turn. Maybe modify a quick release clamp or something like that. I do enjoy turning square wooden blanks round, but not the acrylic ones. Thanks for all the input folks!


 

You are starting to scare me You push against the cutter, you know that right???? A simple hold down like one used on a tablesaw. Make it as wide as your blanks so there will always be a foot in contact with the back edge. You are not making the blank completely round. There will always be a flat side. The push stick used here is somewhat I am talking about. The feather boards will hold it against the fence. No way it can shoot out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7t01di0k2hI


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## walshjp17 (Mar 9, 2013)

Why not just create a V-block (hunk-o-wood with matching 45° cuts). One side (side closest to the blade) is shorter than the other to present a corner to a blade. Load up the acrylic blank in the jig and run it thru the bandsaw.  Edges gone in seconds.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 9, 2013)

walshjp17 said:


> Why not just create a V-block (hunk-o-wood with matching 45° cuts). One side (side closest to the blade) is shorter than the other to present a corner to a blade. Load up the acrylic blank in the jig and run it thru the bandsaw. Edges gone in seconds.


 

I showed him that option in an earlier post.


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## duncsuss (Mar 10, 2013)

Taff said:


> ...  But the quickest way I know so far is to use a router table holding the blank with my fingers for quick side changes.  Not for the faint of heart but it is quick ...



Consider one of THESE if you're going to continue using a router on pen blanks.

Or -- even safer and probably faster -- one of THESE, designed to guide a laminate-trimmer-router along a lathe-mounted blank. It's up to you whether you install a narrow bit (to make flutes or grooves) or a wide bit (which will let you remove a lot of material fast).


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## CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI (Mar 10, 2013)

*Small parts router jig*

Taff,

MLCS (a sister company of PSI) has an inexpensive jig for small parts to be
run through a router.  Bought one years ago for $20.00.  It's worth much more than that to me.  Keeps those precious fingers well away from that dangerous router blade.  I've been turning many of my pens near round on the router for some time now.  Wood, burls (stabilized and not), truestone, acrylics, and recently my first casein blank.  I said "near round" because some blanks are not perfectly square (slightly rectangular), the little jig and the router get the job done very well.  A good simple finger protection jig might be a simple as a wood parallel jaw clamp.  Be sure to get the screws going in the correct direction for a parallel clamping job and a tight hold.

Charlie


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 10, 2013)

I usually do blanks in batches. I'll do both Corian and wood. I use
a Rotundo and from square blank to finished dimension is under
a minute. (on the wood, that includes sanding)
I'm not sure how much time you're looking to save, but if you don't
want to turn blanks, perhaps you could outsource that job to someone.


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## hunter-27 (Mar 10, 2013)

I don't guess I understand the problem taking a square "acrylic" to round in more than a few seconds with the properly sharped tool.  With the exception of an inlace blanl or two I have never found the need to invest in anything else to do the job.  That being said, I also do not turn 1200 pens a year, but still?


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## Constant Laubscher (Mar 10, 2013)

I have used a Vega system a couple of years ago but find it to be very far from being a precise. There is a lot of movement on the parts and unless you want it just round but will allow for variations in the diameter it will work fine. I have just made a tool/ tool holder that use the round carbide inserts.

I have since build my own and it is fast ( 5 sec per pen blank) I have based it on a small Jet lathe. I cut a couple of thousand  blanks at a time.

I have cut acrylics, delrin, Silmar resin Blanks and all kinds of stuff on it and it works just fine.


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## jbswearingen (Mar 16, 2013)

Taff said:


> Hi.  I have been considering spending $300 on one of the Vega Midi Lathe Duplicators.  I am curious if they do a good job of rounding off acrylic blanks.  I currently use a router table to take the edges off but am looking to speed up the process and also to take less risks with my fingertips on the router blade.  Has anyone tried a duplicator on acrylic or truestone blanks?   I would like to know if it is worth my time before shelling out the money for it.  Regards, Taff




Off topic, but why do you use the router table to "round over the edges"?  Isn't that what the lathe is for?  Maybe I'm missing something, but it only takes a few passes for my gouge to turn a square blank mostly round, with nearly zero risk to my finger tips.


(edit)


Read further into it.  1k pens per year?  Wow.  Yeah, I can see how you would want to shave some time off the process.


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