85Lbs. ok to go

[Kenm810]

Roller Pressure


It’s nearly the end of the week and have just one more carving to do today.
It’s a 12”x12” SignFoam piece I’ll carve on a 13”x 20” Sled.
While uploading the project I decided to carve it with the Optimal Setting making it a 6.5 hour carving.
When I was getting my machine ready, I started by checking the roller pressure and remembered a post,
something about using the Led Display, when the readout said fount and rear compressed it was ok to go,
Anyway I tried it several times and got the Compressed reading before any ratchet clicks,
and could only get about 60Lb. of pressure – not really ok to go.
I did it several more times with the recommended 5 ratchet clicks and got 85Lb. nearly every time.
Hope I misunderstood or read the post wrong, or maybe it’s just me and my Machine.

[SeaCapt97]

Ken,

I believe that the LED roller condition only senses that there is compression or not. I don't believe that it calculates the actual pressure. If you raise the head with no board inside, scroll your screen to the compression test function and then reach in and push up on you pressure rollers you will find it takes very little effort to change from "uncompressed" to "compressed"

Hope this helps,
Bill

[HelpBot3000]

Bill is right. The compression rollers do not take much pressure to compress. They have no way of knowing how much pressure is being placed on them. Ken, you are already doing the only way of knowing how much head pressure you have with the bathroom scale. 80 lbs is perfect and the closer you are to that the better.

[Kenm810]

Thanks Guys,

The scale is the only way I've ever checked the roller pressure
for the last couple of years, it just didn't sound right,
so I had to try it to see if it worked or not.
Answers and results --- "Not" http://forum.carvewright.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[cnsranch]

Ken

As I recall that post, the point was that when you get the message to "load board piece", and you do so, the led changes to "press enter to proceed" once you've cranked the rollers down enough.

It would be interesting to see what your pressure reads when the message changes.

I have to admit that I've never checked the pressure on mine, guess I gotta drag out the scales.

[Eagle Hollow]

Guys, That was my post and my readings were consistantly between 80# to 85#. Perhaps it's specific to my machine at my usual shop temperature of around 60 to 70 degrees. It might be a good idea to check yours! I put the scale so that both rollers compress on it and then watch the LED for the "enter" reading and check the scale reading.

[Kenm810]

Thanks Jerry,

I see now what Happened,
for a couple of moments there
I though I lost a few more of my marbles. http://forum.carvewright.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Ps. Temp Check Time

I just did a hand held infrared temperature check on the Flex-Shaft on my Machine,
There’s about 5 minutes left on my 6.5 hour pattern carving (Optimal Setting) .50 deep in SignFoam.
The shop temp is steady at 68 Degrees, the Flex-shaft its self is 74 Degrees, 78 Degrees at the Top Hat and where the FS
comes out of the back of the Machine, 82 to 84 Degrees at the “Z” truck and carving head bearing.
The Cut Motor has a bit over 35 Hours on it since the last time I lubricated the FS using Gunk L716 Chain lube with Moly.
“It’s still Working”

[Kenm810]

Here’s the 6.5 hour SignFoam carving I did on me machine yesterday.
It was my first test run to see how the new Optimal Setting with a 4 fluted 1/16” tapered
Carving Bit would compare to the CW Designer’s Best Setting with a 3 flute carving bit like the one I originally received with my machine.
With the DD Cabinet set up I have for my carver I was able to run the complete project without stopping the machine or opening its lid.
I did not use the Red locking lever for this project (I seldom do).
I’ve carved several projects like this in the past, and other than the longer carving time,
I really didn’t see a great improvement in the end results.
To be fair SignFoam normally carves quit smooth with little or no fuzzes,
so I plan to try the same graphic carving on White Oak and Poplar.

[geekviking]

what's the graphic from? That came out very nice!

[Kenm810]

It's a screen shot of a graphic from another forum I belong to.
I just added the moons, embellished it a little and converted to Grayscale.
I liked it, -- kind of reminded me of ARRAKIS form the Book and Movie D U N E,
So I thought I'd try carving it.