Re: [CR]Pantography Technique and Prcoess Question

Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:21:19 -0500
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Pantography Technique and Prcoess Question
In-Reply-To: <7417364B-0F4D-4A63-B213-86C217755E96@optonline.net>
References: <45F16170.5060500@comcast.net> <e418bd5912982.45effbe8@optonline.net> <2365C20C-7F73-4760-88F2-488005977E63@optonline.net> <45F0CC63.20701@comcast.net> <8ADB265E-0455-4A58-9BC9-4E85B1186032@optonline.net>

At 11:06 AM 09/03/2007 -0500, James Swan wrote:
>The machine had integral V blocks and it clamped directly onto any
>bicycle frame tube while you had the bike in your repair stand. Of
>course this was a bad idea because you were compromising the
>integrity of the tube as well as the finish. Seems to me the
>instructions warned against using it on better quality bikes with
>thin tubes. Good advise right?
>
>Anyway, I remember the shop I worked at buying one of these
>specialized machines in about 1973 and I learned how to run it.
>Thankfully it was an idea that never caught on. I was wondering if
>anybody else remembered seeing or using one of those machines... or
>the devastation they left behind?

I've never seen a machine specifically intended to engrave bike tubing, but this is the New Hermes we have at work for making moulds for rubber stamps. http://home.mchsi.com/~scottebehrens/ebayImages/NewHermes2.jpg The motor and drivebelt is missing in the picture. I have used this machine to engrave a Swiss Army knife with a suitable adapter and it might work for stems, but not chainwheels. One used for bike frames would not have the heavy cast base. I can tell you that setting the depth of the cutter is critical and you could easily get it too deep and ruin a frame.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada