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View Full Version : New purchase = latest upgrades?



Darthmaul1964
05-21-2009, 11:46 AM
I plan to make a purchase of a CW in the next 30 days and have a question. I have ready many posts about new z truck and other upgrades that have been made to the design of the CW. Am I going to get all these new items in the machine I buy or are they still shipping machines with the old versions of these parts? I would expect there to be a delay in the new parts being in all machines sold because of machines sitting in inventories that were built before the upgrades were designed. Has there been enough time elapsed to ensure that a purchace made now will have the new parts? I don't plan to delay longer waiting for the old designs to sell out but just wondered if there is a chance I will be getting the old design or if it will be the new design.

Also, is there firmware upgrades for the machine itself? I have the lated Designer software version and I have the latest update on my memory card. But I was wondering if there were any upgrades for the software on the CW machine itself? Or is that what you are updating when you get the flash update notice when you try to upload a project to the memory card (and it gets installed automatically when you power up the machine that has the new upgrade)?

hess
05-21-2009, 12:36 PM
Hard to say. I have 2 units and was told they have been updated.

All the Sw comes in to play when you reg. your unit. the program will look for updates as will the memory card and they will let you know what is there. you just download it

Look for the best deal. There are places out there that will sell you all the stuff as a set for very good prices.

Look at Sears, Same unit same warrt.

Figure in that you will need to buy extra stuff to have on hand for break downs. Bits, Adapters, And if you don't replace the QC whit one of the new ones being made buy other venders than look to always have at lest 1 QC on hand

Buy The Centerline SW if you want to make signs. The units are good and can make some neat stuff. There are still so growing pains right now but that will all work out in time

Hess

Darthmaul1964
05-21-2009, 01:31 PM
I bought one at work (I'm a high school shop teacher) and love it. I have been using it since December. I like it so much I am planning on getting one for myself at home. I got it at sears but I have found better prices as some of the other vendors that now sell them. Most of the accessories that go with it are the same prices (or close) from vendor to vendor but there is a significant difference in the machine cost. I have yet to break a tool so I guess I am doing good. I am just using the QC that comes with it. I have only used the 1/6' carving, 1/8" cutting and 1/4" ball nose so far. But with 55 hours of use, I have not broken any tools or had any break down.

atauer
05-21-2009, 01:43 PM
Bob,

Any machine that you purchase through any of the Carvewright vendors will have all the new items in the machine. The old parts you have been reading about have been phased out on the new machines.

Darthmaul1964
05-21-2009, 01:47 PM
Bob,

Any machine that you purchase through any of the Carvewright vendors will have all the new items in the machine. The old parts you have been reading about have been phased out on the new machines.

Great. I was hoping that would be the case. I know when I first learned about the CW nearly two years ago I read some bad reviews about the machine. But after getting one in December and joining the Forum I have seen that there have been many engineering changes to fix the problems. I just didn't know if all of them had been incorporated in units off the line or if there might be some "old versions" still in warehouse that are being sold. I know the machine I have at school has not had any problems and hope that its got all the new parts. But I have not looked at it close enough to determine if that is the case.

Digitalwoodshop
05-21-2009, 01:49 PM
As for the Z Truck, the washer takes out of the equation problems with the area cracking unless it is already started to crack.

A machine firmware is in designer and when you are running the latest Designer and the card is flashed with that version you have the latest.

Since Sears buys in BULK, if I were concerned about having all the latest fixes, I would spend a little more and buy a CarveWright not a CompuCarve.

Other than the top cover they are in theory the same machine. Because LHR is selling a smaller quantity they might be getting all the fixes in the units they buy.

I believe all the problems with the early Sears units and the high return rate was due to the fact that all the machines were built in a big batch that were sold to Sears and it was months in selling them.

During that time the weakness of the 16 pin flat cable was able to be changed to a heavier 14 pin cable and work done on the Z Motors and Encoder wiring. That helped the Early Z Problems. Same with the early CCM or Check Cut Motor problem with the motor magnet flinging off. The plastic holders solved that.

So for months as the old stock at Sears was still being purchased every other post was a Bad Z problem, CCM problem, QC Problem, Bit holder BB Marks, etc....

Today's machine has the fixes that only hard use will reveal. I have had the C1 Capacitor breaking problem on 2 of 3 of my machines. Others are now seeing it. Replacing the QC with the after market bit holders will cut down on future C1 Problems. It's all about Vibration control. This week a new chapter is opening in machine longevity and MTBF or Mean Time Between Failures with the arrival on my Rock Chuck.

So a list of things you want to see on a new machine is....

The New Z Bundle. The Z Motor will have the short fins, exposing the black encoder.

The Black Washer on the Z Truck lower right screw or the newer design missing the old holes for the probe and homing sensor.

The Cut Motor Magnet Retainer.



Things you can do to help your machine is....

Replace the QC with a aftermarket chuck.

Place some tape on the Memory Card sticking out the back end to act as a grip when pulling the card out of the machine.

Add a down draft dust collection machine.

Add the lubrication of the C Clip on the back of the Y Motor Gear. This is the big plastic gear that the belt is driven with, the cog gear. On the back side of the gear box is the shaft from that gear held by a C Clip. That is a Sleeve Bearing and when it gets DRY it starts rapid wear of the shaft and bearing. A Drop of oil on that C Clip once a month will extend your Y Gear Box Life. I see that as a next after market upgrade, using bearings rather than the sleeve bearing. The Y gearbox takes allot of abuse in the carving process.
Keep your old Z Motors from the New Z Bundle Upgrade, if you have them, as the Gear Box fits the Y and I have used this cheap fix a few times.

Get in the habit of watching the bit load process and especially watch the touching of the Bit Plate every time. 2 touches all is well...3 touches or a miss your in trouble..... Clean the belt cog's and rails.

Get in the habit of double checking the sliding of the board up against the left side (keypad) guide. A board installed at an Angle is in my opinion the leading cause of the sand paper belts to roll up. Both belts fight each other with the board at an angle and one slides left or right.

Get in the habit of using Masking Tape on hardwood to give the brass roller something to bite into. I use it on all projects. The brass roller losing contact with the board causes cutting errors in length or rocking back and fourth of the board and a BROKEN BIT. $40.00 bit or $1.40 Masking Tape..... WASTE THE TAPE...... It's WORTH IT....

Just my 2 cents....

AL

Darthmaul1964
05-21-2009, 02:31 PM
The Black Washer on the Z Truck lower right screw or the newer design missing the old holes for the probe and homing sensor.

The Cut Motor Magnet Retainer.

Things you can do to help your machine is....

Add a down draft dust collection machine.

AL

A couple questions:
Do you have a photo of the Z Truck (old style or new) to show where these "old holes" are? Are they around the screw hole that holds the wheel on?

Where is the Cut Motor Magnet Retainer?

What do you mean by "down draft"? I have attached a shop vac to the muffler adapter while carving but didn't notice much of a reduction in dust build up. Is this what you are talking about?

Your post was VERY helpful. Thanks.

Kenm810
05-21-2009, 04:08 PM
Holes and washer for the old Z truck

A Down Draft system uses the long narrow slot in the bottom of the Machine
Forum search ( Down Draft Cabinet or just Down Draft )

Al's photos of the new improved LHR Magnet Retainer

SeaCapt97
05-21-2009, 05:01 PM
I'm not sure of today's stock environment, but in February 2008 I received a machine from Sears with a very "young" serial number for it's purchase date. It was one of those " I think I saw one under the bench in the stock room" situations. I had to pay shipping to and from Chicago to Texas but LHR did upgrade my machine to latest specs at no charge. I guess what I'm trying to say is that CarveWright may not have control over the age of secondary vendors' stock but they do back their product.

For what its worth.

Bill

Digitalwoodshop
05-21-2009, 07:51 PM
Hooking the vacuum to the muffler is only getting you a bigger muffler. The muffler exhaust is through the cut motor for half of it and the other half sucks from the electronic area. Does nothing for dust and chip control. The slot between the belts is where you suck the sawdust being sure to seal the slot and not suck sawdust through the computer vents on the bottom.

And yes, LHR does a good job getting you all the new parts.

AL

chebytrk
05-22-2009, 07:29 AM
I'm not sure of today's stock environment, but in February 2008 I received a machine from Sears with a very "young" serial number for it's purchase date. It was one of those " I think I saw one under the bench in the stock room" situations. I had to pay shipping to and from Chicago to Texas but LHR did upgrade my machine to latest specs at no charge. I guess what I'm trying to say is that CarveWright may not have control over the age of secondary vendors' stock but they do back their product.

For what its worth.

Bill

Hey Bill, where are you located in Texas? I'm also located here and just trying to see if you're close to the Dallas area.

forqnc
05-22-2009, 08:12 AM
Hey Bill, where are you located in Texas? I'm also located here and just trying to see if you're close to the Dallas area.

He's not in TX chebytrk, according to his user profile.

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, Far South Suburb
Posts: 52