What are we doing that takes 4 hours

[OneTimeWoodcraft]

I posted this question in the gallery but there seems to be a lot more action here. I keep hearing about being 4 hours into a project, 2 hours into a project. What are we doing that takes 4 hours? That is a long time for any machine to run continuously. Second question and i asked this before..Are these high production shops here. What is the main product? signs, plaqes, drawer fronts, cabinet doors..what..

[alan.galbraith]

I have done a couple of carves that took 1 hour. The length of time seems to depend on the quality setting of the carving. I haven't much but i can see how some of these carvings that are being done thake that long.

[Kenm810]

Carve time is relative to the type and quality of a project,
I have carved very graceful 14"x36" Vector V-Groove projects that have taken 15 Minutes.
Also very detailed 12"x 32" Raster Carved projects that have taken 6 Hours or more,
the quality setting you use for a project can also lengthen or shorten your carving time considerably.

[twiceretired]

To give you an idea of the carving time, I’m doing the last supper. The final project will be 5”X 9”, AND VERY DETAILED. The project was posted on the forum some time ago and I can’t remember who posted it, but thank you. I have carved this before as a fund raiser for the Church Women’s Ministry Salad Luncheon. This is the estimated time provided by the program, total time will vary depending on how many times you stop it to vacuum the chips out, etc
Draft Quality time is 1:30:20, Normal is 1:58:15, Best is 2:53:39; Optimal is 4:00:40

Started for the 1st post, and ended on the 2nd, therefore the title change, sorry.

[OneTimeWoodcraft]

I can understand easily how detail would increase the time. Quality will also do it just like the settings on your printer..draft is much quicker..also saves on ink..so size alone is not the deciding factor..i get it..

[brdad]

I've been using optimal more and more. Less sanding if any at the finish, and it does take more time, but that gives me more time to clean up my work area while I am waiting. Recently I accidentally carved a double project in normal mode, and was 5 or 6 hours between the two sanding and brushing. :(

Since the CW uses less than .4 Kilowatt hours every hour it runs, which equates to less than 5 cents an hour at my local rate, I am not going to worry about the extra power consumption.

The only thing you have to figure then is how much wear and tear on the machine there is in the different quality settings.

[Icutone2]

I feel that the extra time spent carving is well worth the time saved finishing!
Lee

[deemon328]

I ran a 6"x8" double sided trivet at 3.5 hours with maximum carving quality. I find that I rarely carve anything under 2 hours anymore.

[TIMCOSBY]

19 hour carve and i did a 14 hour one of a 6' long x 13" wide dragon. depends on what you want to carve and how big and at what quality. the 14 hour one was befor we got optimal no tellin how long it would take on optimal. welcome to the forum.

[CarverJerry]

Yesterday I carved the coin caddy in optimal setting, took a little over 4 hours but compaired to the first one set on normal, this one is going to require a lot less time putting on a finish. Well worth the extra machine time vs sanding and sanding and sanding again. And I learned just a short while ago that the optimal setting is only available on the upload to card screen and not in designer itself.

[jaroot]

The only thing you have to figure then is how much wear and tear on the machine there is in the different quality settings.

I don't know but I would guess that the higher the quality the less wear and tear the machine will experience. Yes, the cut motor will work longer and wear the brushes sooner but my understanding is that he higher quality translates into narrower passes and less wood removed with each pass. That, I would think would be easier on the flex shaft and the spindle bearings and probably the y truck motor, etc.

Just my thoughts and worth every penny you paid for them. :mrgreen:

[Kenm810]

Sounds Logical to me, when you think of it that way

Guess a set of Cut Motor Brushes seems cheaper to me,
than a New "Z" Trunk or Flex-Shaft Assembly

[ChrisAlb]

I posted this question in the gallery but there seems to be a lot more action here. I keep hearing about being 4 hours into a project, 2 hours into a project. What are we doing that takes 4 hours?


With some of the carves I've done, I don't start sweating until it's longer than 12 hours....LOL.... :mrgreen:

[c6craig]

Yeah, once you start carving anything on Optimal settings the time skyrockets up. I am carving the Colonial Eagle Box Sides (POM) now and it's 7 hours on optimal. I think the top is somewhere around 4...

Craig

[Metalhead781]

i dunno, i just came in from the shop. I ran two riflestocks, double sided runs on each. 3d not just cutting blanks. Took about 45 min each but then again i'm not using a CW:mrgreen:

[Bill]

Metalhead781,

I would like to see these rifle stocks, is it possible to post a few pictures? Thanks Bill.

[Fletcher]

i dunno, i just came in from the shop. I ran two riflestocks, double sided runs on each. 3d not just cutting blanks. Took about 45 min each but then again i'm not using a CW:mrgreen:

Sounds like your new toy is working out for you! I am having similar results with mine. I ran a sign last night with all centerline carving which I know runs quickly, but I cut the whole sign in under 4 minutes!

[TerryT]

Sounds like your new toy is working out for you! I am having similar results with mine. I ran a sign last night with all centerline carving which I know runs quickly, but I cut the whole sign in under 4 minutes!

Can you tell us what kind of machine you are using? Maybe some pictures please. I think I'm feeling some growing pains and may want to move on to bigger and better equipment.

[Fletcher]

Can you tell us what kind of machine you are using? Maybe some pictures please. I think I'm feeling some growing pains and may want to move on to bigger and better equipment.

I designed and built my own 4'x8'x8" cnc router table. I was feeling growing pains too. I still love my CW and would like to extend a "thank you" to LHR for my addiction! However, I want to start building some custom entry doors and even though the CW could technically do it, I wanted to be able to cut large glue-ups in one piece.

Here's a video of it in action(the machine jumps around a bit because I didn't want to cut full depth in one pass - I'm still in the "testing" phase)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTEHyE6ur1s

[DocWheeler]

Fletcher,

Nice cnc you have there, I love the 8" Z depth as well as the 48" width.

[Icutone2]

Fantastic CNC now I want one 2.
Lee

[Fletcher]

Thanks guys! I also designed it so that a 36" board could be clamped to the "front" vertically for machining the ends - mortise/dovetail joints should be fairly simple with no jig. 4th axis is in the "thinking about it" stage. ;)

Now, if only my CW could both read and export G-code and scan data - the two machines working in harmony would be music to my ears!

[PCW]

Fletcher,

That is a totally awesome machine you have there. I don't think you will outgrow it anytime soon.:mrgreen:

Check the speed on this little guy (1200 ipm).
Jog (http://www.romaxxcnc.com/video/romaxxjogging.wmv)
Milling Aluminum (http://www.romaxxcnc.com/video/romaxxmillalu1.wmv)



Thanks guys! I also designed it so that a 36" board could be clamped to the "front" vertically for machining the ends - mortise/dovetail joints should be fairly simple with no jig. 4th axis is in the "thinking about it" stage. ;)

Now, if only my CW could both read and export G-code and scan data - the two machines working in harmony would be music to my ears!

[Fletcher]

Fletcher,

That is a totally awesome machine you have there. I don't think you will outgrow it anytime soon.:mrgreen:

Check the speed on this little guy (1200 ipm).
Jog (http://www.romaxxcnc.com/video/romaxxjogging.wmv)
Milling Aluminum (http://www.romaxxcnc.com/video/romaxxmillalu1.wmv)

Thanks PCW... Go big or go home right?

The rapids on that little machine are crazy!

[Spencemark]

Now, if only my CW could both read and export G-code and scan data - the two machines working in harmony would be music to my ears!

They're working on it.. but it involves a modification to the machine. You
will need to install a device for swiping credit cards...

[Fletcher]

They're working on it.. but it involves a modification to the machine. You
will need to install a device for swiping credit cards...

Ouch!!! :mrgreen:

[spalted]

"What are we doing that takes 4 hours?"

Usually it's something I thought would take me about thirty minutes:mrgreen: