How do we???

[geekviking]

Hide the portion of a project in Designer, so that when we have a hiccup part way into a carve and need to start it over, we can skip the already carved section & have it start where we left off? I remember reading it somewhere, but cant find it in "search"

Whomever remembers, Thanks! :cool:

[dbfletcher]

You can hide design elements of the project simply by right clicking the item in the carving list and selecting "hide". When you recompile the project you will get a warning about hidden items not being carved... but since that is what you want to do, just ignore it. (you can also just right click in the design window, but i find it easier to work in the carving list for "hiding" items")

Doug Fletcher

[geekviking]

what about a "partial" carved region? I have a project thats 91% carved, with a carve region, how do I get it to start carving 90% into the board? (to finish)

[dbfletcher]

Hmmm.. I dont know about that. The only think I can come up with off hand is to put another "carve region" over the part that is done and set it depth to zero.

I'll be interestested in finding out how others do this too though!

Doug

[geekviking]

That was the fix, if anyone else knows for sure, would you fill us in?
(and thanks Doug! :))

[geekviking]

The "Zero Depth Carve Region" works very well.

I have used it when a power outage occurred in the middle of an 11.0+ hour job and also on purpose to test the concept.

I usually make the "Zero Depth Carve Region" about .050 inch shorter than the region previously carved.

You, of course, need to make a new .mpc file for this trick. Give the .mpc file a new/different name so it will not override the original file.

Also be sure to jog to an uncarved region to make the "Z" set before carving, otherwise the software may try to set "Z" on a previously carved region and yield unexpected results.


ironsides:)

Found this old post, gonna go try it, will let you know if it still works!
(I hope, I hope, I hope!) :cool:

[LittleRedWoodshop]

I have done that and it works

[geekviking]

Now it wont measure my board properly!!!!
It's 11.25, (Never removed from when it measured & ran 91% earlier) and it's reporting 11.20-11.23 IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!

Any advice, or help would be most welcome! :)

[Pratyeka]

extend the board by sticking masking tape over the side where it measures. Just enough to make the machine happy. done it several time to get those few fractions of an inch.

[dbfletcher]

What are the chances that the tape wont screw up his attempt to save his botched carve? He siad in a earlier message that he was 91% complete with his carve the the machine hiccupped. I have used the tape before too... only on new clean boards. I would think that if the machine is not seeing the board the same as the original now, it will be pretty unlikely that his "attempt" to resume will be successful.

However, I guess it cant make matters worse though. He will either have an acceptably completed carve. Or it will just remain a botched carve.

Doug

PS. Pratyeka - btw, is there a thread that you are going to report progress on you "build my own 3 axis carver". I am pretty sure I saw a thread that said you were doing that. I'd love to know how it ends up. I'd love to have a 24x48 work surface, but the shopbots are still out of my range currently.

[geekviking]

is off in the machine...
My board really is 11.25, but the CW reports it at various widths every time I start the project. It is measuring the same spot with different results each time.
I have my project on a sled (which has not been removed since the start of the 91%) and it has tape under it (for the roller). The only thing I've done differently than any other time is I just upgraded the Designer software to 1.52, but it was so when it measured the board properly the first time it started the carve... Dont know what to do, I guess I'll pull the sled & run calibrations, but I think I saw someone else with this measurement problem somewhere here as well, when they upgraded to 1.52.
I shoulda stayed with 1.3, I think!
Any advice would be helpful...

[liquidguitars]

some changes have been made to the firmware starting with 1.134 the quick fix is to max the y measurement using a 1/4 scrap. this change was needed to use "routing eage" option for signmaking acording to Chris from LHR.

I not sure how you layout your projects in designer but I keep the board and the project the same size and never 7" under size in x, regardless of what anyone tells you.

Adding the scrap to the sled is the work around. But how you run the project is important for repeatability as you know now in order to save your wood from the trash bin.

shows the little scrap wood added to the sled.


http://96.9.54.101/liquidguitars.com/assets/images/Jigissup.jpg

LG

[geekviking]

now it still miss-measures, but sometimes it measures it correctly, but when it accepts the measure, it starts to measure the length and stops just short (the same spot everytime, about a half inch) of the left end (facing the keypad) and says clear board sensor... and just repeats...
Driving me nuts!!! It measured fine the first time...
If I use the shim now, I'm sure it will change the center of the carve & throw it out of whack... :(
My sled is 14.5x36, so I dont think I need to add a shim, I've been running 1.34 without any problems all this time (since 1.34 came out), I still think it's related to the 1.52.

[geekviking]

it had to happen on a project for my wife...

[dbfletcher]

I would try the "white paper test". Put a piece of white paper on the board, crank it down, go to user options/sensor check, and see what you get for the board sensor reading. If you search teh forum you will find several post about his. I think the reading for white paper is supposed to be 150 ish?? I know when i was getting that.. and did the paper test, my reading was about 45. Took the sensor out, removed window, thouroughly cleaned, reassembled, and rechecked. My reading where back where they were supposed to be.

Let me know if you cant find the post that has the white paper readings posted.

dOUG fLETCHER

[geekviking]

That is my "last resort" step, I've been putting off doing that, trying all I can without removing the sled/project from the machine, but it looks like I may be out of options...

<revised>
Oh, I just noticed you said try it with the board still in.... I hadn't thought of that, I'll go try!
Thanks again!

[geekviking]

is between 25 & 35!
Guess my sensor is dirty?
I brushed it off with my little brush, but it still reads the same (usually 25...)
Do I need to take it apart?
Guess I'll go look up a solution in search, too... :cool:

[dbfletcher]

You might also try a little compressed air and blow near the sensor. Sometime that can get you by until you can take it out and really clean it well.

Also, since the white paper is probably helping. Try covering your board with white paper where the machine measures. That also might let you squeak by.

Doug Fletcher

[liquidguitars]

now it still miss-measures, but sometimes it measures it correctly, but when it accepts the measure, it starts to measure the length and stops just short (the same spot everytime, about a half inch) of the left end (facing the keypad) and says clear board sensor... and just repeats...
Driving me nuts!!! It measured fine the first time...
If I use the shim now, I'm sure it will change the center of the carve & throw it out of whack... :(
My sled is 14.5x36, so I dont think I need to add a shim, I've been running 1.34 without any problems all this time (since 1.34 came out), I still think it's related to the 1.52.

you will need to remove the board add the mask in Designer "if you want to start at the end point" and reload the project also I would check AUX roller, out feed and in feed contacts two.

in the y measurement, sounds like it seeing the drop off of your sled. I load the sled like in the photo to get around this issue. but you will need longer tails on your sled that 3.5"


Running guitars tops that can be over a 100.00 ea. you learn quickly to repair a carve once stoped. :)

regarding the center.

Finding the center of a object in y is simple if your layout is correct. I use "keep the same" center line is indexed form Designer not the sled try it next time if you get the chance.

oh yea make sure you turn the CW off for 30 sec to clear the bios. like a computer it gets mixed up from time to time, i turn the unit off and on every time i run a board.

all the best!

[liquidguitars]

My sled is 14.5x36, so I dont think I need to add a shim, I've been running 1.34 without any problems all this time (since 1.34 came out), I still think it's related to the 1.52.

yes it is related trust me. see my first post :)

i stumbled with this one myself now never a issue. you could have been close with 1.134 but if the sled expands with the heat your measurement will be off in y.

if the truck stops short in x 4 out of 5 times could be the first carve started was off go figure :)

For some reason seems like people make the same layout error over and over and it only shows up when you need to save you priceless wood and thats not a good feeling.

[geekviking]

It's only on the "Special" projects!

WELL! Thank you guys for all the advice, I really appreciate it, & again would like to voice my respect for this forum, community & family.

The compressed air did the trick, now my sensor reading is around 120 & the CW is out in the garage having it's dinner of wood chips... :cool:
It's the first time I've carved a decent sized board out of Red Oak & I was noticing the dust was a lot finer that I'm used to seeing, didn't put 2 & 2 together that the sensor would feel the same :)

The project has been saved, & it looks like my "jog to" touch down spot was a little higher than the other end, but with very MINIMAL sanding, my wife's' project looks like it will come out 100%!

Thanks again for all the tips & your time!

[dbfletcher]

Thats great. I'd love to see pics of your proejct when you finished if it is something you wouldnt mind sharing.

Doug Fletcher

[liquidguitars]

sweet! glad it worked out. Also a little oil on the rollers ends helps 2. for the x mesurments..

LG

[geekviking]

I'll try that too.

I'll post some pics after I sand, rout & finish. :cool:
(It's actually someone elses' pattern, I saw it here a few days ago & modified it just a smidgen...)