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Post by maverick31 on Mar 8, 2010 19:28:35 GMT -6
with all this talk about doing a lot of bottlestoppers in a short time. I am thinking I may need to get another lathe and a duplicator. does anyone have a duplicator and if so how long does it take to make a duplicate of something. how much sanding is involved after it cuts and is a duplicator just a waste of time. I basically want to come up with 5-6 profiles for bottle stoppers and then duplicate em. fast. I will need to do 20-30 in a weekend if that is even doable.
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Post by TDHofstetter on Mar 8, 2010 19:46:46 GMT -6
I've got an old Craftsman lathe duplicator. As built, it'll do a minimum radius (as in a cove) of about 5/16". With a little modification, it'd do sharp cuts but only at the cost of the surface finish.
If the blanks are anything like reasonable, it's fast - really very fast. I can see doing the profile of a bottle stopper in under a minute without too much trouble, starting from a square blank. It doesn't leave anything I'd call a "good" finish behind, even when it's smackingly sharp, because of that 5/16"-radius cutter... but on the other hand it doesn't leave terrible raggies behind, either. 100-grit paper is a good starting paper to clean it up - get rid of the tooling marks within 30 seconds to a minute with 100-grit, if the wood's not awful like Butternut or something.
Figuring finish sanding at another couple minutes, you could do 10 identical stoppers an hour plus finishing time, starting from square blank & finishing with finish sanding. Add to that your setup time (swapping out profiles, sharpening the cutter, cutting the blanks).
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Stretch
WoW Member
Mark Muhr
Posts: 461
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Post by Stretch on Mar 8, 2010 20:40:21 GMT -6
I've used a Vega duplicator a lot. The quality of the cut isn't great, 80 grit is a usual starting point for sanding. It would be incredibly fast to do ten or more stoppers at a time. The weakness of the duplicator is doing thin spindles as it starts causing deflection in anything smaller than about 3/4" diameter.
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Post by maverick31 on Mar 8, 2010 20:57:14 GMT -6
thanks for the replies guys. I was thinking of doing very simple profiles like some of the stoppers i have posted in the past. nothing elaborate yet... If i do a deal with this guy it may be worth investing. I have an old craftsman tube style 12" lathe, is it still possible to get a duplicator for it?
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Post by sachbvn on Mar 8, 2010 21:21:05 GMT -6
with all this talk about doing a lot of bottlestoppers in a short time. I am thinking I may need to get another lathe and a duplicator. does anyone have a duplicator and if so how long does it take to make a duplicate of something. how much sanding is involved after it cuts and is a duplicator just a waste of time. I basically want to come up with 5-6 profiles for bottle stoppers and then duplicate em. fast. I will need to do 20-30 in a weekend if that is even doable. Personally, my thought - you start using a duplicator and you totally lose the point of "hand crafted" and to sell your things as "hand crafted" would be a slap in the face to someone making them one at a time. Now, if you have a chance to sell that much of your stuff.... you gotta do what works for you, but I'd encourage you to be very careful with how you market your items. Zac |
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Post by maverick31 on Mar 8, 2010 21:45:03 GMT -6
I have thought about that part of it . I am a one man show with limited shop time. If this guy wants a bunch in a few weeks I am going to have to make a move to keep him happy. I am ok with duplicating a bunch for him since he will resell and market however he sees fit. He does not care if they are handcrafted or not. He is a full timer and is in it to make money since this is his primary source of income.
With that being said I have decided that the integrity of "hand crafted" will kept intact with the ones I make for craft shows that I personally will be selling. I enjoy doing the work myself but it is not possible for me to do 20-30 stoppers in a weekend and spend time with my wife and young son. I will be in divorce court quick if I am in the shop all the time. However with that being said, to me this is a hobby with benefits of being able to sell a product that people want and love to give as gifts. My goal is to make enough money to buy more crap to make stuff and buy better tools as I go along. I also would not mind making a few hundred here and there as a supplement to our income. Did I ever mention I am a hot rod junkie that is a very expensive hobby too.....sorry for going so long, I understand exactly where you are coming from zac and i don't want to market and sell something that it is not. although somepeople may think that even if you duplicate it , it is still handcrafted. You may have opened up a can or worms. ;D
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Post by sachbvn on Mar 9, 2010 11:39:49 GMT -6
Clay, I can only make a quick reply, I am very pleased with your decision to esentially market two different things. I wouldn't want to pass up an oportunity to make some serious money, but wouldn't want to hurt the integrity of "hand crafted" - it sounds like you feel the same. Good for you, hopefully you can find. Duplicator for your lathe. We expect to see small armies of stoppers!!
Zac
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Post by boodrow on Mar 10, 2010 14:11:11 GMT -6
Mav one of my sellin points is it cant be duplicated and one of a kind , hand made that is. Seems to bring sparkle to some folks eyes. Just my 2 cents . On the other hand I have 2 lathes , a jet mini and a jet midi. When im really producing stoppers I alternate tween lathes , one for cuttin and sandin , the other for finishin. I have several madrels , so just screw it one and go to the other. Got my finish chit by one and chisels and sandpaper by the other.
Boodrow
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Post by TDHofstetter on Mar 10, 2010 15:02:22 GMT -6
thanks for the replies guys. I was thinking of doing very simple profiles like some of the stoppers i have posted in the past. nothing elaborate yet... If i do a deal with this guy it may be worth investing. I have an old craftsman tube style 12" lathe, is it still possible to get a duplicator for it? Doesn't look like they're available any more - not even on eBay. It's possible there may be one on CraigsList someplace... A duplicator DOES take turning out of the realm of "art" and puts it directly inside the definition of "craft"... the turned items become commodities instead of collectibles, and the value drops. Might still be worth doing, though, depending upon your market. |
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Post by Ruffnek on Mar 10, 2010 16:05:43 GMT -6
I've never turned a bottle stopper but I've watched Boodrow sell those suckers faster than he could make change.
I don't think any of his had the same shape, either, which evidently added to their allure.
Now, if someone is willing to pay for a bunch of identically shaped stoppers, then go for it. But, make sure you have a buyer first so that you don't get stuck with them.
Hey Stretch, I always start sanding my turnings with 80 grit. I think of it as my finishing gouge. ;D
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Post by boodrow on Mar 10, 2010 19:14:27 GMT -6
Cody thanks for the stopper reply , it just shores up that I do sell um.
As far as 80 grit I dont own any . At most I start with 150 , maybe thats the reason I have sanders elbow. ;D
Boodrow
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Post by TDHofstetter on Mar 10, 2010 19:17:48 GMT -6
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Post by imahic on Mar 10, 2010 21:11:25 GMT -6
post deleted...will post another thread
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Post by maverick31 on Mar 10, 2010 21:52:04 GMT -6
thanks for ya'lls replies. I was afraid that I may not be able to find one for the lathe I have. I have not heard from this guy yet so it may not be a big deal but if he wants to buy a bunch pretty frequently. It will be worth my while to buy a new lathe with a duplicator just to help me crank out these for him. My wife will kill me if I am in the shop all week and on weekends to keep up with this guy.
I do want to clarify that the only ones I will duplicate will be for mass production just to keep a happy customer. If I can't keep up with him or keep him happy he will go elsewhere. The duplication of stoppers would be for him only unless I pick up another guy just like him. I was very clear with him that I have limited shop time and a young son that is #1 priority. Once I hear from him, I will explain the difference between mass produced and hand made and confirm he is ok with the mass produced version. If he wants hand made than I will oblige and charge more. The other stoppers I do I will continue to make each one individually since I really like making them and they are unique since each one is different. thanks again for everyones advice.
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