Cribbage board issues

[atldal]

I had an older B machine that had been updated and had issue carving crib boards. I ended up buying a CW machine less than a year ago to accomplish this feet. Since getting it I still have mixed results. Tonight I attempted to carve a pattern I Know works because I've had successful boards with it. I used a good piece of wood, used tape, and everything measured good. Prior to the carve, I lubed my entire machine after cleaning it and tested the head pressure which was over 90. I had holes all over the place with no pattern to why the holes would be off. It would carve a set of five fine, then move holes all over the place, then go right back to drilling them good. I'm frustrated and unsure of where to go with this as I have several orders for boards and can't do anything until I figure it out. Any ideas?

[bjbethke]

I had an older B machine that had been updated and had issue carving crib boards. I ended up buying a CW machine less than a year ago to accomplish this feet. Since getting it I still have mixed results. Tonight I attempted to carve a pattern I Know works because I've had successful boards with it. I used a good piece of wood, used tape, and everything measured good. Prior to the carve, I lubed my entire machine after cleaning it and tested the head pressure which was over 90. I had holes all over the place with no pattern to why the holes would be off. It would carve a set of five fine, then move holes all over the place, then go right back to drilling them good. I'm frustrated and unsure of where to go with this as I have several orders for boards and can't do anything until I figure it out. Any ideas?

Note;
If they come back and drill the missing holes; that is normal when the CW unit carves in the Vector mode. If they get off, the board may be slipping on the tracking roller. Check to see if the "O" ring it there. BJB

[bergerud]

Check your head pressure and look for a rolled under belt (if sandpaper) or brass roller-belt interference (if rubber).

(I assume your whole operation stayed under the rollers.)

[Digitalwoodshop]

Tell us more about your setup. The 7 inch rule of wood always pops up at a time like this and we ask if the board was ever only being held by one roller other than measuring.

If you are being frugal about wood length then just masking tape some scraps on each end..

AL

[atldal]

I always have 7 inch of either scrap on the end, or as part of the solid board. I even built a sled and tried that, no luck.

[kroskam]

My "A" Machine carves them fine. I have carved around 30 Cribbage Boards of different sizes and sell them. Sometimes if the holes are spaced closely it will drill them too close together. I had a particular design that I had problems with, and I looked very closely (zoomed) at the board in Designer and had several places that I had put double holes. You could only see it when you zoomed in on the board. The machine was double drilling the holes and would make the hole oval shaped. When you are designing Cribbage Boards you can go cross-eyed trying to line up the holes in the right spot. If you know for sure the pattern is good then I would say the problem is slippage or movement of the board while it is carving. I carve all of mine on sleds. I screw or tape the board to be carved onto the sled so I do not get any movement. I hope this helps.

[Digitalwoodshop]

If you click on your holes do all the length or position arrows show GREEN? IF any are Yellow or Restrained, they can be thrown off due to the different sizes of physical board. A simple copy and paste I believe will get rid of the restraints quickly.

If the holes are off in the X Direction then it's a Brass roller problem and if off in the Y then it is likely a Y gearbox or Y roller bearing issue.

You could do a test.... Draw some rectangles as vectors and assign the 1/16th inch carving bit as it is "sturdy" and make a .1 depth. Your just checking the tracking in X and Y with a couple retangles. Any problems show up very east. It will carve vector lines as rectangles. Check for a 3 x 3 is actually a 3 x 3 not a 3 x 2.75...

AL

[bergerud]

I wonder if you could post the mpc. Delete any carvings and just post the vector stuff (if any) and the holes. Also a picture of the stray holes would be good.

[atldal]

Sorry it took me so long, been busy lately. Here is a pic of the issue. The odd thing is the same one carved fine several times too. I will post the MPC, but I don't believe it is a pattern thing as this happens with various patterns for Cribbboards

[Digitalwoodshop]

It's all about the brass roller.....

Masking tape on the bottom of the board and 2 extra strips on the bottom of the board so the board does not slip in X.

The Tell is the holes right above the "T", see how they shift in X then the next set is off by that amount... happens often... Brass roller loosing contact with board.

In feed or out feed too high, board lifting up on a outfeed roller and off the brass roller...

AL