Replies

1. 
   jako17 | Jan 27, 2008 07:33am | #1

   Most copy  attachments use some form of v tool to cut .This limits the replication of right angled shoulders,size of detail resolved etc.They also work in almost a scraping mode rather than a shearing cut resulting in a more fuzzy finish.Lastly the tool only moves in x and y axis where as hand turning is x,y,and z .That said and done they can be quite successful for some applications.Most of the Victorian balusters were hand turned and after the first dozen or so you will find that it becomes a fast process.I use 6 or 8 pairs of calipers ,a layout board and various marks on the toolrest.A lot of my work is Victorian style architectral turning

1. 
   dgreen | Jan 27, 2008 09:44am | #2

   I found the V shaped cutter that came with my Delta duplicator to be nearly useless. After regrinding it into a more suitable profile and altering the follower to match the cutters profile, I have found it to be a very handy tool that has saved me a lot of time.------------------------------------

   It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore

2. 
   philip | Jan 28, 2008 10:14am | #3

   The kind of finish depends upon the integrity of the attachment and also the type of cutting tip and the way it is ground and presented to the work. They can be mighty useful and save a lot of boring work as in turning too many stair spindles. If you want more refined shapes or sharper definition then you use the attachment to give you the basic shape then refine by hand held chisels.
   Some of them work by following a template pattern of the turning you want. Others work by following an actual example of the turning you want to replicate.
   I used an Inca type attachment with my Wadkin lathe to turn the spindles you see for those nesting tables. You can see that they are quite thin, but it was no problem for that particular attachment because it had a following support.
   Get a good one and you will love it.
   If you become fanatical you could order a Zuckermann HIT automatic turning and sanding lathe from Austria which has a special tipped circular saw blade that does the shaping, controlled via template, followed by a narrow belt sander which follows last. (;)

   Philip Marcou