Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Machine stock blank

He just wanted to hear you swear when you lit yourself up!

Naw, CWG, got it covered, it was sort of a pun. Fairly simple machine.

Cutters? What Cutters? These things use cutters????

BTW got a care package today from Hickory, NC, you know what is in the box.

Hmm, vertical mount, gotta think about this. Will need some sort of NASA gravity repellant to make the counterweights do their job.

Those "accessory" photos were for a small machine, like a Hoenig or however you spell it.

Funny you should say NASA, the guy who worked for me last summer, retired from his own gunshop, prior to that he worked at NASA, engineering- wicked smart, great guy. We talked about running it vertical. not impossible but not plausible. Think old time window sash weights for the counter measures. Think 12 foot ceilings

Somewhere in the past I saw a photo of a vertical machine used for carving statues. Had turntables for the pattern and the workpiece. So, yea, it has been done. Ditto on the high ceiling requirements.

"I run special cutters on my duplicator"

Hi CWG,

I'm new to the stock duplicating system ( Very Newbie)- But did get a unit last year and just now setting it up. Can you please tell me about your ""special cutters on my duplicator". I have the old GREEN UNIT with 1/4" Shafts (Northstar Gunstock Duplicator model-E).

Cheers

Hi All,

Here are pictures of my old Dupicator.
http://www.1022.ca/images/duplicator1.jpg
http://www.1022.ca/images/duplicator2.jpg
http://www.1022.ca/images/duplicator3.jpg
I'm looking at having the unit setup for the first time in a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing what it will do. Thanks for this Topic which was a good read. I know that there will be allot of startup problems. But that is the way it is with any new project ..
Cheers
JB

Hey Turner, where are you located? The photos you posted are the ones for the Northstar that John Campbell had for sale in the Tri Cities area of Washington State. Got any recent photos of the machine set up in your shop??

Cutters are a guarded topic. Do some research and experimentation. Any come with the machine? John Campbell knows a lot about these things, he should be able to help.

Do you have the manual for your machine? It has a lot of cutter information. If not, call Terrco (The Northstar owners) and have them send you one. Do a google for Terrco, then select "Woodcarving Machines". Your model is still made.

Finally got mine back together after a paint job, I will take a photo or two this weekend.

I sent you a PM.

Hi Cabriolet
Yes . And Yes .. had a great visit with John and his wife - when I got the unit from him last June. I live in Calgary Alberta Canada. We have been just to busy to start working with the unit till now. John did get me the old cutters .. and as an old wood worker - I say they are in POOR shape. I'll know in a week or so how the unit is working. I ordered new LH and RH cutters from Terrco in 1/4" carbide as well as Morris Wood work tools LH and RH 7053U and 7053UL 1/4" carbide. Have been eyeing up 3 Flute 1/2" cutters for the rough cuts - in both LH and RH units.
As well have gotten a set of ER20 Collets for the unit and will be Machining out new spindles to replace the older 1/4" System. As I've said it is still in parts from the trip from the US of A. Cheers
JB

Not sure if the questions were answered, I finally got my CWG account password reset
bump

Hi CWG, Glad you are here. I'll be picking up the Northstar soon, but am thinking about making a reverser. I don't know why they use the cam and cable setup. Couldn't one just have criss- crossed rods? Icould send a .bmp sketch but have to figure out how to get it in here.

Thanks,
John

I will let a good stylist cut one of my patterns for me..I will not use a simi inletted stock...I also want a little too much wood left on the stock as I can cut it off but I cannot put wood back on very well!

I have all my own patterns and I glass them to the gun I am stocking and send it to a stylist to cut to those specs. I can usually do the inletting in 3 to 4 hours or less and shape the outside in about the same time or less, then start the finishing and that takes a long time, especially the sanding, as I am miticulas about the detail work.

first timers do well to start with simi inletted stuff I suppose. Do a couple of laminates to start with.

I wish all the "patterns" sent to me were half as good as that.
I've had notes sent with patterns that said (this is a large ring pattern, but should be close to a rem 721, just leave extra)or were hideously bedded. A good machine copies each and every flaw. Atkinson, those kind of patterns come off the machine so sweet!



dont forget...in addition to the cutters having to move opposite...the pattern itself must move the opposite! I have to swap out the gears in the drive that turn the pattern/blank around as well.
I think they would sell the needed gears.