NTD - Terrco Merlin (Duplicarver)

**Rodent** · #1 11-01-2010, 08:38 AM

it was new tool day yesterday here at the Regenerate shop where I unpacked a used Terrco system I purchased a little while back

it's going to take a little time to get a new table bed built for this, but once it is I hope to use this to rough out the rear contours on my necks. the idea is to carve within the last .05" of the rear contour, and then finish the finessing with hand tools and free hand at a pneumatic drum sander.

all the best,

R

jworrellbass · #2 11-01-2010, 09:43 AM

Looks pretty sweet, how much does something like that cost?
Also I'm looking forward to your commits of that tool.

Musiclogic · #3 11-01-2010, 10:51 PM

Duplicarvers are really cool,

knucklehead G · #4 11-08-2010, 01:05 AM

Any updates?

**Rodent** · #5 11-08-2010, 10:29 PM

this will probably get completed over the Christmas break - I have a ton of customer builds that need to get completed (plus a couple builds for the upcoming NAMM show) before I can afford the luxury of tinkering in the shop to get the table built, levelled, and everything running.

I can say that I'm really looking forward to this being a key elementtowards allowing me to offer a 6-string bass within my current general pricing structure

table construction images to come next month

all the best,

R

**Rodent** · #6 03-01-2011, 12:18 PM

update: it is now very likely that this duplicarver will not be making it to regular production use in my shop due a recent (and significant) tooling purchase. if the new tooling works like it does in every other shop using one, this duplicarver will become Craigslist material sometime in early summer

more on the new tooling once I have it set-up and running, but suffice it to say that it should have significant impact on the time it takes me to turn my standard models. I also have a couple builds in the work that need to be completed before I turn my attention to the new tool

all the best,

R

Musiclogic · #7 03-01-2011, 01:34 PM

Rod got his CNC??? LOL. Just a guess

iamlowsound · #8 03-01-2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

Rod got his CNC??? LOL. Just a guess

It sure sounds like a CNC to me.

lowsound

Jason_A · #9 03-01-2011, 07:10 PM

...or an overarm/pin router?

M0ses · #10 03-01-2011, 07:12 PM

...What's a duplicarver?

Jason_A · #11 03-01-2011, 07:59 PM

Here's the maching Rodent has: http://www.youtube.com/user/TerrcoFPV#p/u/8/FXACqPPADCE

...and here's a similar machine in action "copying" bodies:
http://www.youtube.com/roscoeguitars#p/u/5/WDsijb56GaE

The idea is you start with a "master" body or neck, and you run a guide along it, while at the same time a router cuts out an identical body or neck from a blank of wood. The idea is that you put a lot of time into the master to get it perfect, and then there's a lot less hand work to at least get the copies roughed out. You normally still have some hand "tuning" to get the copies finished, but you save a lot of time getting them roughed out. Additionally, you have nearly identical copies, which is good for consistency.

M0ses · #12 03-01-2011, 09:39 PM

oooooo that's pretty cool.

Larry Davis · #13 03-02-2011, 08:50 AM

Dupli Carvers are stone age tools if anything near accuracy is expected. CNC with cutters, tool changer, etc under $25,000 are problematic as well. Shop Bots (for example) have come a long way, but still belong in sign shops.

**Rodent** · #14 03-02-2011, 10:08 AM

accuracy and consistency are relative to what you're doing - carving bass necks by hand vs. machining aerospace parts for the International Space Station

relative to the duplicarver ... for a builder who utilizes specific profiles/contours on a regular basis and has been carving these as consistenly as possible "by hand", the addition of a duplicarver to rough out a neck to within the final 1/64" (0.4mm) or so will be a rather significant step forward in precision consistency. a similar thing can be said for someone who has a contoured body top they want to replicate with some kind of consistency (see a couple of the Roscoe videos that are referenced when viewing the second link Jason_A provided above)

it's all about knowing what tools to use where (and where not) ... would I utilize a duplicarver to detail a neck pocket or pickup cavity? no. would I use a duplicarver to carve the back contours on a neck in advance of final detailing to be done with scrapers and sanding blocks? you bet. would I use a duplicarver to cut the perimeter of a body blank? nope (that's what a bandsaw and router template are for) would I use a duplicarver to carve the gut-cut and/or forearm contour on a body prior to detailing these features with scrapers and sanding blocks? you bet

agreed that the low cost CNC machines have their challenges, but knowing the limitations and compromises that need to be made with a lower cost machine vs. the benefits reaped are all part of the ROI homework one would do before making a tooling purchase. if you have no real world experience with CNC machinery, get some before making any kind of feasability study - don't simply buy the marketing hype that would lead you to believe that a CNC will do everything with the push of a button.

this is where the low tech duplicarver really can shine (even for a 'large' company like Roscoe) - you can very quickly add significant consistency to your builds with minimal tooling costs and a significantly lower threshold of technology absorption. you still need to learn, but what you need to learn is less than having to also master CAD, CAM, and g-code generation software plus the operation of an expensive machine.

and neither machine will eliminate the need for a solid understanding of woodworking combined with proven, repeatable production workflows

all the best,

R

Musiclogic · #15 03-02-2011, 11:01 AM

Nicely explained Rod. Definately give people an understanding of where craftsmanship and technology can join to accomplish a given task.

Larry Davis · #16 03-02-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodent

accuracy and consistency are relative to what you're doing - carving bass necks by hand vs. machining aerospace parts for the International Space Station

knowing the limitations and compromises that need to be made with a lower cost machine vs. the benefits reaped are all part of the ROI homework one would do before making a tooling purchase. if you have no real world experience with CNC machinery, get some before making any kind of feasability study - don't simply buy the marketing hype that would lead you to believe that a CNC will do everything with the push of a button.

You're forgetting the most important part of this: One's own level of perfectionism in their work. For some folk "good enough" is less than other's are willing accept in machinery. Tell Ron Thorn low level machines are OK

Low cost CNC machines generally have small cutting errors that aren't much in a single pass, but when you run cycles it becomes glaringly frustrating or at least it should. I'm not saying there's a right or wrong machine, just different expectations and achievement levels.

Yep....doing one's homework before buying is a must. Proof is you moved past your duplicator without setting it up

**Rodent** · #17 03-02-2011, 11:47 AM

This would have been in production had I not moved to new facilities in 2010. I'm sure you can appreciate the headache of moving a shop :-)

As for tolerances ... maintaining a .003" machine tolerance is great for metals and critical interfaces, but is useless as soon as you hit it with sandpaper

R

Larry Davis · #18 03-02-2011, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodent

This would have been in production had I not moved to new facilities in 2010. I'm sure you can appreciate the headache of moving a shop :-)

As for tolerances ... maintaining a .003" machine tolerance is great for metals and critical interfaces, but is useless as soon as you hit it with sandpaper

R

I move stores and warehouses....not sure about small shops.

I don't think you get my point, but that's fine

Multiply .003 by eight passes!!. Acoustic builders measure in thousands and have done if for a very long time. .003 gap in a rosette tile is failure. Nothing new there.

As far as "learning" curves in machine acquisitions?? I've had my share of false starts before understanding needs vs. immediate wants. I paid $500 for two commercial convection ovens, neither working but could make one from the two. They still sit on pallets blocking my shop driveway while I'm away. I hope the metal scavengers will haul them away. Then there's the Delta 18-36 sander that I used as a UPS outgoing package storage table

Finally traded it for a custom acoustic guitar.

It's good to go straight to Craigslist sometimes