Board length measurements

[Jcpb321]

As you know I am still attempting to understand this process, I loaded a board 50.625 measured length to do these gardenmarkers of TerryT.

Loaded the project and it comes up 43.595 / 50.625 with 1) scale to length on the display, does that mean that it measured my board 7 inshes short?

Can't be, I then hit stop, #7 for calabration, 1 for length and it measured the board 50.625 ???

loaded project again and it asks scale to length, what do i do now:confused:??

John

[AskBud]

As you know I am still attempting to understand this process, I loaded a board 50.625 measured length to do these gardenmarkers of TerryT.

Loaded the project and it comes up 43.595 / 50.625 with 1) scale to length on the display, does that mean that it measured my board 7 inshes short?

Can't be, I then hit stop, #7 for calabration, 1 for length and it measured the board 50.625 ???

loaded project again and it asks scale to length, what do i do now:confused:??

John

Attach your MPC, and give us the width and length measurements on your actual board (we need all three items).
AskBud

[Jcpb321]

Thank you for the quick reply, hope I get this right. using a piece of red oak 50 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 3/4"

[cnsranch]

It measured correctly - left the 7" off, as it will.

The real question has to do with how your project is set up.....

If your Designer board is 50.625 - i.e., the same size as your real board, two things have to happen in order NOT to have problems. One, if any part of the carving comes to within 3.5" of either end, the machine will ask you to scale the project - that's a problem, and you don't want to do that. Two, then, is if no part of the actual carve comes within 3.5" of either end of the board, the machine will ask you if you want to stay under the rollers. If you say YES, it will ask you to scale the project (again, that's assuming that your designer board and the real board are the same size)..again, you don't want to scale the project. BUT, since you know that the board will stay under the rollers, since no part comes within 3.5" of the end, you can tell the machine NO, do not stay under the rollers (it will anyway) and you're off to the races.

If your board is 50.625 inches long, and the board in Designer is 7" shorter, that's a different story...you tell the machine YES to stay under the rollers, and you're OK.

Regardless, one way or the other you HAVE to deal with the "7" Rule" - the machine will not ignore the fact that it is really not good to leave the rollers, and won't let you do it without thinking about it.


*****EDIT*****

sorry, I had to return a call while I was responding - I see that you posted your MPC - Bud will take a look and give you the real skinny - I can't open it, haven't gone to 1.164 yet.

[Jcpb321]

cnsranch,

I'll wait for a reply from Bud but I think you found my problem, I told it to stay under the rollers.

Thanks also for the quick reply, forum is great, I left the machine on!

John

[Digitalwoodshop]

As you know I am still attempting to understand this process, I loaded a board 50.625 measured length to do these gardenmarkers of TerryT.

Loaded the project and it comes up 43.595 / 50.625 with 1) scale to length on the display, does that mean that it measured my board 7 inshes short?

Can't be, I then hit stop, #7 for calabration, 1 for length and it measured the board 50.625 ???

loaded project again and it asks scale to length, what do i do now:confused:??

John

John,

No need to load your .mpc. If you designer board length is 50.XXX and you place a 50.XXX board in the machine and tell it to NOT stay under the rollers then it will carve your project normally. Because you are NOT staying under the rollers, then at some time during the project the board will be held down to the table by only one roller. The Loose End can come up and at the very least place a line in your art 3.5 inches from the end.

OR it can jam the bit or snap the bit. Use of extra out feed rollers is recommended.

So back to the 50.xxx inch long designer board.... You install the same 50.xxx long board in the machine and you tell it to STAY UNDER ROLLERS then when it measures the board it will subtract 7 inches and display a usable board area of 43.xxx inches long and will ASK YOU to SCALE PROJECT? If you say YES it will fit your 50 inch project into a 43 inch board area making it smaller.

So the trick is to feed the machine a board that is physically 7 inches longer and your all set....

It is called the 7 inch rule of wood.

AL

Edit.... You guys type too fast.... simple problem - simple answer..... It is all about understanding the machine and the 7 inch rule of wood... It's like throwing a Cracker into a pool of hungry fish.... We all rush to answer....

[AskBud]

Thank you for the quick reply, hope I get this right. using a piece of red oak 50 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 3/4"

Youe design board, and your actual board are the same length. You, probably, are also saying YES to "stay under rollers", which requires the machine to expect 7 inches more on your actual board. In your case, since you provided the extra lenght on the design, you would reply NO to "stay under rollers".

See how easy that is!
AskBud

[Jcpb321]

Thanks Bud,

You probably read my last post, you are right, I'll give it a go then!

John