Of all the Matthias Wandel woodworking machines, one of the easiest to build and the one that anyone in the workshop, even without much experience in woodworking or with the milling machine, can get the most out of is perhaps the 3D router pantograph. Although the milling machine he uses is not the typical column milling machine we usually have. Anyway Matthias also made a modification to use the wooden pantograph with a Dremel multi-tool.
They may give us more work to make the necessary templates for the different uses, but once we have those templates adjusted this machine will allow us to do wood carving work quickly and repetitively. Works such as the always so beautiful and eye-catching wooden signs with carved letters and other decorations that we can think of. If you have a small workshop from which you’d like to get some (even customizable) wooden product to sell on a small scale and you have no experience making furniture, I’d say this is a good machine to start with.
Apart from the band saw, this copying pantograph is the machine I’m most looking forward to making of all the ones we found at Woodgears, but I’ll have to find a solution to install a column milling machine on it, as the type of router he uses is not usually very affordable (I think Matthias has now also made a modification to be able to use the column milling machine). I think it will be all about installing some kind of platform on the link where the milling machine is attached. I will then be able to bolt the router base to that platform and maybe it will be enough to fold the columns completely and lock it in that position. It remains to be seen.
Look for the link to the article on this 3-D pantograph for Woodgears router/edger in the Woodworking Projects tab of this blog and go to Woodgears translations (issue 30).
