Load 1/16" Bit

[billybehr]

Hey Guys,

I am trying to do a simple little carve, but as I am going through the setup on the machine, it asks for the 1/16" Carving bit, goes through it's routine of touching the bit plate, finding the surface and all and then instead of proceeding, it just comes back and asks for the 1/16" bit all over again. No matter how many times I run it through, it just keeps coming back to asking for the bit over and over again. It is a little hard to get to the carving part with this routine. I feel like I am arguing with my wife: doing the same thing over and over again and getting nowhere.

Thanks, Bill

[PCW]

Bill

Sounds like it is the swing out plate on the opposite end of the keyboard side. Watch to make sure that the bit touches down on the plate. Twice is normal more or less indicates a problem.

[Digitalwoodshop]

PCW hit the problem right on the head.....

If the bit never touches the bit plate and never see's the increase in current of the Z Motor knowing to reverse and just bottoms out it thinks "NO BIT"....

Lots posted on this.... Use " SEARCH " remembering the " ".

The bit plate is not extending all the way... Motor wires out of position bumping into the cooling fins of the Z Motor preventing the truck from reaching the bit plate....

AL

[ScottS]

PCW hit the problem right on the head.....

If the bit never touches the bit plate and never see's the increase in current of the Z Motor knowing to reverse and just bottoms out it thinks "NO BIT"....

Lots posted on this.... Use " SEARCH " remembering the " ".

The bit plate is not extending all the way... Motor wires out of position bumping into the cooling fins of the Z Motor preventing the truck from reaching the bit plate....

AL

Al funny that was the a same issue I had on my machine before I sent it back to Sears for warranty work. Although I clearly saw it touch the bit plate (with me flinging it out) then it would dimple the wood 3 times instead of two the go back and ask for the carving bit. It did that 3-4 times then went on to some other errors.

ScottS

[Digitalwoodshop]

It touches twice trying to get the same number both times.... 3 times it is getting 3 different numbers......

Now you look at the encoder.... Dirty disk.... Loose wire.....

Everyone should learn to watch the bit plate touch.... It tells you the health of your machine......

AL

[robbrigg2]

Can I jump in and add that when the bit plate won't come out all the way it can be a build up of saw dust on the top right hand side over the motor. It is a often missed location during the blow out of the machine and can cause the truck to not get far enough to the right to extend the bit plate totally. Also, as others have said before, use a little WD40 on the bit plate hinge from time to time.

[want2b]

Like others here, I had the same problem a while back. As Al notes,dirty encoder, blew it off with light air pressure, worked for a while, same problem. Second time, cleaned again, siliconed the cover when replacing, added the upper dust collector port. Hasn't failed since.
Rick H

[Digitalwoodshop]

Good Job Guys !!!!!

The single most common reason for the bit plate not extending is after removing the top cover and re installing it, we all forget to push the Cut Motor Right Cover Switch Wires into the far right corner.

If left out, the fins of the Z Motor hit and prevent the Y Truck from getting close enough to push the bit plate out... OR the Y Stops short and the bit passes without touching the bit plate and thinks .... NO Bit....

AL

[Fireman Phil]

My bit plate has not worked properly since about 50 hours of carve time. The z-truck acts like it does not have enough power to make it extend. Now, I wait for the truck to start moving that direction, open the cover and manually hold the bit plate in place. Have not had any problem since then. Until now...I am now getting a y axis stall error. The truck feels like it gets stuck manually moving it from side to side. It moves freely for a couple of inches then locks up. I read on another post that it might be the bearings?? Still at the Fire Station today...when I get home tomorrow i will tear into it. Got to many Christmas gifts to make for it to be down now!!

-Phil

[AskBud]

My bit plate has not worked properly since about 50 hours of carve time. The z-truck acts like it does not have enough power to make it extend. Now, I wait for the truck to start moving that direction, open the cover and manually hold the bit plate in place. Have not had any problem since then. Until now...I am now getting a y axis stall error. The truck feels like it gets stuck manually moving it from side to side. It moves freely for a couple of inches then locks up. I read on another post that it might be the bearings?? Still at the Fire Station today...when I get home tomorrow i will tear into it. Got to many Christmas gifts to make for it to be down now!!

-Phil

Check step #1 on this link for a start.
AskBud
http://forum.carvewright.com/showpost.php?p=103335&postcount=2

[Digitalwoodshop]

Firemen Phil,

Had that same problem and it was the idle pulley on the right side... It is worn and tangling up with the C Clip holding it in place... Push it back in and give it a try... Fixed my problem.....

Also wipe the bearings down and rails, especially the area on each side of the bottom rod where sawdust pitch hits... I used a brass brush.

Can I make you a Fire Tag along with the other 500 I am working on tonight?... :mrgreen::roll:

AL:rolleyes:

[TerryT]

Got to many Christmas gifts to make for it to be down now!!

-Phil

If it's gonna break it will be when you need it the most! Isn't that a "Murphy's Law" thing?

I had a ton of Christmas stuff to do last year when mine broke. I ordered the parts but UPS wouldn't drive down the street to deliver them because of the depth of the snow. It took the city about two weeks to plow the 3 feet of snow that fell in one night. UPS wouldn't take the parts off the truck so I could pick them up. It could have been a Norman Rockwell moment. "Sad man standing butt deep in snow next to the mailbox waiting for parts to his toy".

[Fireman Phil]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I may have found the problem. On occasion I wipe down the track the bearings roll on with 3-1 oil. I put it on a rag then wipe the rag on the surface. When cleaning it this time I noticed alot of oily looking sawdust when I blow between the z-truck and the flat rail behind it. After several minutes of blowing air between them it now seems to be working ok. Still won't kick the plate out all the way, but i can live with that. Just finished up a small carving and no errors. Hope that is all it was. What are the rest of you using for a lubricant? I like the 3 in 1 oil cause it is not too thin to run every where and not too thick to gum up, so i thought.

-Phil

[Rick P]

I use Gunk Liquid Wrench Dry-Lube with PTFE ... I spray a little on a clean cotton cloth and wipe all the rails with my finger in the cloth. So far it has worked great...and NO oily residue to attract and trap sawdust.