Deckel Pantographs

1. Overview

This Notebook indexes miscellaneous information for Deckel pantograph engraving machines (and a few milling machines). Regrettably, though, I don't have any literature I can reprint. What very little I have is still in copyright. So this page will consist entirely of bibliographic references and pointers to information elsewhere on the web.

There were/are two independent but somehow related Deckel firms. I do not fully understand the history of the two or any relationships in their origins.

The older firm was Friedrich Deckel, Munich, Germany. This firm no longer exists, but the (Friedrich) Deckel name still survives as the Deckel Maho Gildemeister (DMG) division of Gildemeister AG. A quick bit of online searching indicates that the Friedrich Deckel firm was founded by 1903 (with antecedents in the 1890s). It merged with MAHO AG in the very early 1990s. Gildemeister AG acquired Deckel MAHO Seebach GmbH by 2001.

The firm of Friedrich Deckel did not begin as a machine tool company but as a camera shutter maker (associated primarily with the famous "Compur" shutter). They ended up making their own machinery for this, and at some point began offering this machinery for sale. The website of Danish camera enthusiast Klaus-Eckard Riess ( http://www.kl-riess.dk/) contains a translation, by Robert Stoddard, of an article by Riess entitled "Up and Down with Compur: The Development and Photo-Historical Meaning of Leaf Shutters": http://www.kl-riess.dk/compur.eng.html This contains an excellent brief history of the origins of both the Friedrich Deckel firm and the Compur shutter.

It is interesting that the origins of the Friedrich Deckel firm were in mechanics for optics. The Taylor-Hobson pantographs, in England, also came out of the needs of an optics manufacturer (Taylor, Taylor & Hobson, makers of fine lenses).

The younger firm, which does still exist, is Feinmechanik Michael Deckel GmbH & Co. KG, Weilheim, Germany. Its official corporate history dates its inception to 1950. It still manufactures the Deckel S0, S0E, and S11speed (derived from the S1, I think) tool and cutter grinders (as well as an array of very modern CNC cutter grinding machines). I remain confused about the origins and early manufacture of the Deckel cutter grinders, because literature for them published under the name of Friedrich Deckel exists which seems to postdate the 1950 founding of Michael Deckel. See the Deckel Notebook in the CircuitousRoot Cutting Tool Forming and Sharpening Notebooks for more on the Deckel cutter grinders.

There is information available about Deckel (and other) machines in the Yahoo! newsgroup "Pantograph-Engravers". See especially the "Photos" section, which contains several sets of photographs of disassembled machine subsystems (e.g., the spindle).

There is a very interesting but curiously anonymous site in England dedicated to the restoration of Deckel NC Milling Machines, at: http://www.dialog5.com/ It contains quite a bit of good historical information, and a little bit on Deckel manual machines The best way to navigate it is to go to its "Site Directory" page: http://www.dialog5.com/sitedirectory.htm

There are photographs of each of the series of Deckel pantographs online on the e-engravings.com website: http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/index.htm

2. Deckel Terminology

I am indebted to Arno Martens for much of the following information about Deckel terminology.

G	Graviermaschine	engraving machine
K	Kopiermaschine	copy (milling) machine
GK	Gravier Kopier	engraving and copy (milling) machine; also Gravier-Und-Nachformfräsmaschine
KF	Kopier Fräsmaschine	copy milling machine
FP	Fräsmaschine Patritzen	Stempelfräsmaschine; punch milling machine
S	Schleifmaschine	Grinder (for sharpening)

The 1971 Deckel Form 1315j, Betriebsanleitung: Universal Gravier-Und-Nachformfräsmaschine GK12 GK21 employs the term "Nachformfräsmaschine" for the GK12/GK21. The 1966 Form 2310e, Operating Instructions: Pantograph Engraving and Profiling Miller provides an idiomatic English translation of "nachformfräsmaschine" ("profiling miller.") Literally, "nach" = "after", "form" = "shape", and "fräs" = milling. Taking "after shape" together to mean something like "copy," this becomes a "copy milling machine."

Apparently, Nachformfräsmaschine was the term most commonly employed in the mold and die trade. The more common term, generally, was Kopierfräsmaschine, or "copy milling machine."

3. Typ G Graviermaschine

3.1. Typ G Introduction

The G1 series Deckel pantographs (but not the G2) were very similar to the Taylor-Hobson machines in England. (The Taylor-Hobson, I believe, pioneered the separation of the pantograph mechanism proper from a relatively heavier arm to support the cutting spindle.)

The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (extracts of which are online in the "Older Deckel History" section of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website at: http://www.dialog5.com/olderdeckelhistory.htm ) contains some information on these machines. Translating from this booklet, the maintainer of the Deckel NC Milling Machine website says that models G0, G1, G1L, and G2 were produced. Scanned information from the booklet dates the production of the Gravierfräsmaschine "G2" to 1921.

The American type designer and maker Frederic W. Goudy used a Deckel pantograph for cutting his working patterns for matrix engraving. He started this circa 1923 and his workshop was destroyed by fire in 1939. I haven't identified his machine exactly, but I'm pretty sure that it was a G series machine. For further information, see the CircuitousRoot book Making Matrices, and within in, in particular, the chapter on Goudy's Deckel Pantograph.

Theo Rehak, in Practical Typecasting, p. 102 says that Goudy used a Deckel "2G1" for engraving his working patterns. Neither I nor the all-knowing Google can find any reference to such a machine; I suspect that it does not exist. Goudy's working pattern pantograph resembled a G/G1L/G1U.

In brief summary:

• The G0 was an early tabletop pantograph
• The G1 was a straight-pedestal light-duty floorstanding pantograph on the Taylor-Hobson system.
• The G1L and G1U were light-duty floorstanding pantographs on the Taylor-Hobson system with a "cutout" in the pedestal.
• The G1F was a G1 pedestal with a fixed milling head. It was not a pantograph.
• The G2 was a slightly heavier floorstanding pantograph not on the Taylor-Hobson system.

3.2. G0

The G0 was a small benchtop machine on the Taylor-Hobson system.

In the Yahoo! group "Pantograph_Engravers", user frankdorion has posted a set of photographs of a Deckel G0 pantograph (s/n 5071; he has photographed the maker's nameplate).

3.3. G1

The G1 was a straight-pedestal light-duty floorstanding pantograph on the Taylor-Hobson system.

3.4. G1L, G1U

The G1L and G1U were light-duty floorstanding pantographs on the Taylor-Hobson system with a "cutout" in the pedestal. They resemble closely various Gorton models such as the 3-U and its successor, the P1-2.

A technical datasheet for the G1L and G1U is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_G1U_Pantograph.htm

3.5. G1F

The G1U and G1F are relatively conventional medium-duty industrial pantographs built using the Taylor-Hobson arrangement. The G1F, however, is not a pantograph. It would appear, from the illustration in the French G1U/G1L/G1F catalog No. 4204, above, that it was a simple light vertical milling machine built by taking the frame of a G1 and substituting a fixed vertical milling head for the pantograph. Although I would guess that the 'F' stood for "Fräsmaschine" ("milling machine"), this was a much lighter-duty machine than the Typ KF Kopier Fräsmaschine or Typ FP Fräsmaschine Patritzen units.

A technical datasheet for the G1F is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_G1F.htm

3.6. G2

The Gravier-Fräsmaschine G2, while heavier than the G1 series machines, is still a light-to-medium weight floorstanding machine. It is a pantograph which is not built on the Taylor-Hobson system of separating the pantograph proper from the cutting spindle support; the cutting spindle is mounted directly on the pantograph arms.

A technical datasheet for the G2 is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_G2_Pantograph.html

4. Typ K Kopiermaschine

I know nothing of these. The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (extracts of which are online in the "Older Deckel History" section of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website at: http://www.dialog5.com/olderdeckelhistory.htm ) says 'Beginn der Entwicklung [beginning of the development of] der Gravier- und Kopiermaschine "K"' in 1924.

5. 2B4S

This is another unusual machine. It is a four-spindle machine which seems to be based on a G series pedestal. Its model name does not correspond to the Deckel naming conventions.

At the time of writing (2013), it is attested in two places (but one, listed first here, is simply a copy of the other):

First, in the www.e-engraving.com website, where a blurred and heavily photoshopped image of the 4-spindle head is shown: http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_2B4S_Pantograph.htm

Second, what is quite likely the photograph from which the e-engravings.com image is hacked is presently (2013) online on the website of machinery dealer Richard Conant at: http://mysite.verizon.net/sanriccon/id7.html (How long it remains there depends on when he sells it, I suppose.) He does give a full set of specifications for it.

6. Typ GK Gravier Kopier

A 3-D pantographic engraving and milling / die sinking machine. Heavier than and differing in its mechanism from the Typ G (it was not a Taylor-Hobson system machine as the Type G was). Lighter than the Typ KF.

The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (extracts of which are online in the "Older Deckel History" section of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website at: http://www.dialog5.com/olderdeckelhistory.htm ) contains some information on these machines. Translating from this booklet, the maintainer of the Deckel NC Milling Machine website says that models GK1 and GK2 were produced. Since there is no mention in this booklet of the GK12 and GK21, these models must have been introduced after 1953.

Scans from this same publication date the first delivery of the Nachformfräsmaschine "GK" to 1927.

6.1. GK1 / GK12

The GK1 has a distinctive counterweight to its pantograph arm, not present on the GK12.

6.2. GK2 / GK21

The GK2 has a distinctive counterweight to its pantograph arm, not present on the GK21.

The GK21 existed in at least two major revisions, the first of which had a more traditional pedestal base and the second of which had a base running the full width of the machine.

7. Typ KF Kopier Fräsmaschine

A pantographic die sinking machine. Heavier than the Typ GK. I believe that this was a 2-D machine. If I understand it correctly, the KF machines were sort of Taylor-Hobson system machines on steroids. That is, the very heavy spindle support arms were separated from the lighter pantograph mechanism itself (as in a Taylor-Hobson). But the "lighter" pantograph arms on the KF series are as heavy as the spindle supports on a typical Taylor-Hobson machine (such as a Taylor-Hobson, Gorton P1-2, Deckel G1, etc.)

The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (extracts of which are online in the "Older Deckel History" section of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website at: http://www.dialog5.com/olderdeckelhistory.htm ) contains some information on these machines. Translating from this booklet, the maintainer of the Deckel NC Milling Machine website says that a model KF2 was produced.

7.1. KF1 / KF12

A drawing of the KF1 / KF12 is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_KF1_Pantograph.html

7.2. KF2 / KF2S / KF12

Very similar to the KF1.

A drawing of the KF2 / KF2S / KF12 is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_KF2_Pantograph.html

7.3. KF3S

This would seem to be a KF series head above a massive single table, but there is a 3-D component that I do not yet understand.

A drawing and spread from a catalog showing the KF3S is online at http://www.e-engraving.com/machines/deckel/Deckel_KF3S_Pantograph.html

8. Typ FP Fräsmaschine Patritzen (Stempelfräsmaschine)

A precision milling machine for punchcutting and die sinking work (not a pantograph). This may have been the first machine tool sold to the public by Deckel (who were primarily engaged in camera shutter manufacture).

The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (extracts of which are online in the "Older Deckel History" section of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website at: http://www.dialog5.com/olderdeckelhistory.htm ) illustrates a Typ FP machine. (Apparently it may be used as a precision potted plant stand as well.) The editor of the "Deckel NC Milling Machines" website dates this machine to "approx. 1918 to 1931, when it was replaced by the FP1." Scans from the Deckel booklet date the introduction of the Stempelfräsmaschine "FP" to 1918 and the introduction of the FP1 to 1932.

The FP was followed by the FP1. The "Deckel NC Milling Machine Site" has a scan of extracts from a circa 1933/1934 Friedrich Deckel brochure. The cover shows three different series of machines (the FP1 and two pantographs). The extracted material shows just the FP1, a precision horizontal and vertical milling machine intended for die-making work. Online at: http://www.dialog5.com/downloads.htm

The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel (see above) dates the introduction of the FP2 to 1952.

The FP1 was developed into the FP12. The 1953 publication 50 Jahre Friedrich Deckel dates the introduction of the FP12 to 1952.

9. Typ S Schleifmaschine

Note: For the Deckel S (Schleif, sharpening) machines, see ../../../ Machine Shop -> Cutting Tool Forming and Sharpening -> DeckelCutter Grinders.