The Router Duplicator

courtney2018 · #1 09-09-2007, 10:32 PM

I currently building a guitar from scratch and I've decided to build a neck as well. While I could do it entirely by hand I wanted to build a copy that's closer to the original. I did some research online on router duplicators and decided to build one of my own.

I wanted it to be large enough to copy guitar necks as well as bass guitar necks, and wide enough to accomodate bodys as well.

Below are some pics of the duplicator that I finished up this weekend. There are a couple of things that it still needs. I need to attach a counterweight to the rear and I'm also going to attache two small 2x4s to the two 2x4 arms that you see in the pics below to add an additional pivot. I think that will make it easier to use. A probe will be on one side and the router will be on the other side.

I hope to test it out next weekend. I laminated some wood to use for a neck and that will be ready by nexk weekend.

The whole thing was pretty cheap. It consists of about 5 2x4s, some wheels I got at Harbor Freight tools, and the wheels are attached to metal roofing straps from Home Depot. The metal pipe you see is aluminum conduit and the white pipe is white PVC pipe, both from Home Depot.

When I bought all this stuff I also bought some wood to do a neck with. It came to around $120. The biggest cost being the 10' long pieces of wood to do the neck. It's actually enough wood to do 6 or 8 necks. Also, I already had 2 long 2x4s at home and plenty of wood screws and glue.

The roofing straps are pretty thick so it's very rigid and supports the weight of the wood nicely.

Here are some pics.

courtney2018 · #2 09-09-2007, 10:32 PM

**elcid** · #3 09-09-2007, 10:40 PM

Marry me

LonePhantom · #4 09-09-2007, 10:59 PM

Awesome stuff Courtney.

Say, would you be able to send me the blueprints you have for building that? I think my Dad would love to build something like this. He is an avid hobbyist woodworker, plus we built a guitar (minus the neck) and I'd love to work on another one with him and build a neck this time too.

chef21 · #5 09-09-2007, 11:06 PM

very nice. If those plans are available, I would love a copy as well. chef21

C.Thep · #6 09-09-2007, 11:23 PM

here is mine, The chicago router works great for this BTW.

I've never really found much use for it though. No matter how good you make it, you won't be able to do good pickup routes/ cavities with it. I would only use it to do carved top bodies, I wouldn't really trust it with a neck.

courtney2018 · #7 09-09-2007, 11:23 PM

I didn't go off any plans. I just planned as I built. But I can take some measurements and post them. Will probably be next weekend though. What's cool about this thing is when it's disassembled it takes up very little space.

courtney2018 · #8 09-09-2007, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcid

Marry me

LOL...aren't you already married????

C.Thep · #9 09-09-2007, 11:30 PM

how are you planning to mount the router courtney?

C.Thep · #10 09-09-2007, 11:33 PM

i'd suggest that you put a beam at the end connecting the two arms. The router will create alot of vibration, and may distort the arms if they are not strong enough.

courtney2018 · #11 09-09-2007, 11:33 PM

Similar to how you have yours except to a 2x4 which is connected to one of the 2x4s in the pic above. It'll be attached by a long wood screw so it can freely pivot. It's movement will be attached to the probe side. Essentially it's the same as what you have, but mine might end up have and extra degree of freedom than yours.

How do you like yours? Looks like you can handle necks and bodies quite easily on that.

courtney2018 · #12 09-09-2007, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.Thep

i'd suggest that you put a beam at the end connecting the two arms. The router will create alot of vibration, and may distort the arms if they are not strong enough.

Yea, I'll be doing that. I ran out of wood though, so this is where I stopped. 20min or so and this will be done. Next weekend though.

**elcid** · #13 09-09-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by courtney2018

LOL...aren't you already married????

Yeah but my wife isnt good with power tools and doesnt drive a nice truck like that.

courtney2018 · #14 09-09-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcid

Yeah but my wife isnt good with power tools and doesnt drive a nice truck like that.

LOL

That Tahoe is my baby

I got it all hooked up with XM too.

C.Thep · #15 09-09-2007, 11:40 PM

It is not that usefull.

Don't plan on cutting out bodies with it, or don't plan on copying pickup routes. Like I said, it is only good for carving tops and carving necks. But keep in mind, Ibanez necks are very thin, and if you are not careful, you will hit the truss rod. That is why I don't use it for that. If you want to do Jackson-style bevels, you are probably better off doing it by hand.