Using Disc Utility to Make a Bootable Clone

Need some help, please.
OS 10.4.6.
I have an external hard drive partitioned to 3 volumes; I back up 3 computers on it to keep off site. Following instructions Kappy has posted, I initially set up as follows:
1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process will take 30 minutes to an hour or more depending upon the drive size.
7. Select the startup volume from the left side list.
8. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
9. Drag the startup volume to the Source entry field.
10. Select the external volume from the leftside list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
11. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Then when I would do a backup of one of the computers, I would essentially follow steps 4 - 11 above: erase and zero out that volume, and also make sure that the "Ignore Privilges" box was unchecked (Get Info) for the external volume I was backing up to (cloning to), and in Disc Utility/Restore, making sure "Erase Destination" is checked.
Also, I have always disabled Spotlight, and clone in Safe Mode (per some help Dr. Smoke has provided).
Had no problems making new clones until today. All 3 clones are at 10.4.6. Went to reclone one of my computers (just to make sure I was 100% current) so I could try 10.4.8, using the above sequence, and at about 3 minutes into the "restore" consistently got an error: "An error occurred (2) while copying. No such file directory."
Well, I erased again and tried again; rebooted and tried a 3rd time and a 4th and kept getting that same message.
Checked the website for the external and no new drivers out there.
Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
I did a CCC just to be safe, but MUCH prefer a Disc Utility clone ( I also have another external I do a Retrospect Duplicate on, but I really want a good solid Disc Utility non incremental, fresh of the hard drive clone).
Thoughts?
iMac CDRW Mac OS X (10.4.6)

For What its worth, here's my Disc Utility Log:
Oct 3 10:19:54: Disk Utility started.
Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Determining correct file permissions.
Permissions repair complete
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)
Oct 3 10:36:58: Disk Utility started.
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)
Preparing to zero disk : “iMac”
Secure Erase completed successfully in 31 minutes.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Oct 3 13:14:34: Disk Utility started.
Name : iMac
Type : Volume
Disk Identifier : disk1s12
Mount Point : /Volumes/iMac
File System : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Connection Bus : FireWire
Partition Type : Apple_HFS
Device Tree : fw/node@48302e2010531/sbp-2@c000/@0:12
Writable : Yes
Universal Unique Identifier : 928B5ADE-157B-3375-835F-2E16048B6B0F
Capacity : 49.6 GB (53,213,077,504 Bytes)
Free Space : 49.5 GB (53,172,117,504 Bytes)
Used : 34.6 MB (36,241,408 Bytes)
Number of Files : 2
Number of Folders : 3
Owners Enabled : Yes
Can Turn Owners Off : Yes
Can Repair Permissions : No
Can Be Verified : Yes
Can Be Repaired : Yes
Can Be Formatted : Yes
Bootable : Yes
Supports Journaling : Yes
Journaled : Yes
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Not Supported
Disk Number : 1
Partition Number : 12
Starting Restore…
You must authenticate in order to restore.
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)
Oct 3 13:27:38: Disk Utility started.
Oct 3 13:28:01: Disk Utility started.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)
Oct 3 13:49:36: Disk Utility started.
Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Determining correct file permissions.
Permissions repair complete
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Preparing to zero disk : “iMac”
Secure Erase completed successfully in 30 minutes.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)
Oct 3 15:49:25: Disk Utility started.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Preparing to zero disk : “iMac”
Secure Erase completed successfully in 31 minutes.
Preparing to erase : “iMac”
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s12 as a 50 GB HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal
Mounting Disk
Erase complete.
Verifying volume “iMac”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume iMac appears to be OK.
Mounting Disk
1 HFS volume checked
Volume passed verification
Preparing to secure free space : “iMac”
Creating Temporary File
Securely erasing file
Secure Erase Free Space stopped after 36 seconds.
0.5% complete.
Erase complete.
Starting Restore…
Preparing source…
Copying…
An error (2) occurred while copying. (No such file or directory)

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