I need to make a Pantograph - anyone ever make a simple one?

[Mark Greenbaum]

I need to make a Pantograph - anyone ever make a simple one? I have other projects that involve my hand engraving, and I think a good way to get basic images onto the metal would be pantographing from large to small, instead of ink transfer techniques that I currently use. Reason being, some of the toner inks don't transfer the way I need them to, and I am going to go down to nickel size. Any ideas?

[John K Jordan]

Woodturner and master tinkerer John Lucas has a pantagraph that was home made, but not by him. He said his is made to use with a Dremel.

I asked him a little while ago and he said he would take some pictures later today. I'll let you know when I see them. I'm interested in this too.

JKJ

[Bruce Page]

Try searching All of Craigslist for an old Gorton. You can pick them up pretty cheap these days.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Try searching All of Craigslist for an old Gorton. You can pick them up pretty cheap these days.

Thanks, but I do hand engraving, and those Gortons, like big Hermes, are too much of a floor space hog, and too pricey, also.

[John K Jordan]

John Lucas sent this picture:

lucas_pantograph.jpg
He is carving disks about 1.5" in diameter

This looks like it would be easy to build. It would probably need a pretty stout pivot, perhaps in double bearings, to make it rigid. I found a few other pictures complements of Sir Google with slightly different designs but would also work.

JKJ

[John RStegall]

https://woodgears.ca/pantograph/dremel.html

look at the above, might work for you

[Marvin Hasenak]

On one of the machinists forums a guy made one for making medallions for inlays on handgun grips. Google "homemade aluminum pantograph" search images look for "get a grip with a 3D pantograph". A friend had one similar to it but he used maple and it worked as good as the aluminum version.

[Mike Null]

See if you can find a table top New Hermes. They're rugged and accurate and adjustable.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Thanks for all of the responses. To clarify - I do not need this pantograph to engrave, just scratch the scaled images. I will hand engrave the small images once I have a guideline to follow. Normally I have always used CorelDraw to create my images the create my pattern reversed printed onto transparency stock using Epson brand toner in an Epson printer. Then I use a special solution painted onto the metal to allow the ink to be burnish transferred (sort of like press on lettering). But with images this small (nickel sized) even the finest artwork gets pixelated under a microscope, and is difficult to follow. So I am striving to get good guidelines to allow clean hand engraved finished work. Google "Hobo Nickels" and find the very best images; that what I strive to accomplish.

I have used New Hermes Engravographs in my professions, both in engineering and in the jewelry industry, and mostly they're expensive, even used. I appreciate the link to tha above aluminum pantograph, and will most likely build that in a hardwoods

[Dirk Hoogendoorn]

There is a plan for a pantograph here. http://woodgears.ca/pantograph/