Introduce Yourself

[oscarl48]

Ronn, welcome. My understanding is the seller will have to call and have the registration changed over to your name. Hopefully someone on here has gone through the process and shed more light.

[fwharris]

Hi my name is Ronn, Ive been recently getting into woodworking and saw a deal on craigslist I couldn't pass up.. CW system at 1/3 the retail price. I bought it and brought it home the seller even threw in a probe for me I got 2 install disks as well. I installed the software on my mac and tried registering it, come to find out the machine is still under his name and I cannot register the software. is there a work around for this? The seller was kind enough to let me know if I had any problems with the software I could return the system. Im sure Im the first person to run into this issue. whats the most effective way for me to get my "new to me" CW system / software running. Currently Im only using the DEMO but ive got 29 days left from my 30 total. hoping for some good news thank you

Ronn,

Like Oscar stated you need to call CarveWright to get them to release the machine # from the previous owner. He will also need to call them to let them know he sold it to you.

The discs you got with the machine are probably an older version of the software. You should down load the most current from the CarveWright web site..

http://support.carvewright.com/software_setup/#registering-a-used-machine

http://www.carvewright.com/updates/

[normrichards]

You can also provide a copy of a receipt that you purchased it and they will verify the sale and release it for you to register. That is how my son in law did it years ago.

[liltritter]

Hi, Christine here, nice to meet you all :)

Tomorrow, after UPS arrives I will be the newest CarveWright Addict. I have owned a laser for a couple years now and been in the graphics business since......... well can we leave it at since photoshop was young? Looking forward to learning something new and testing the boundaries of what can be done :)

[fwharris]

Hi, Christine here, nice to meet you all :)

Tomorrow, after UPS arrives I will be the newest CarveWright Addict. I have owned a laser for a couple years now and been in the graphics business since......... well can we leave it at since photoshop was young? Looking forward to learning something new and testing the boundaries of what can be done :)

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing your creations. Make sure you look through all of the training documents and tutorials so you have a good carving experience. Also do not hesitate to ask questions.

[DianMayfield]

Hi Christine, welcome! Nice to see more ladies on the forum :)

[piper10.ss]

Hi All:

My husband and I (Sergio and Allison) purchased a CW machine last fall, but have only just begun to use it regularly. We signed up for the project of the month and have also been watching tons of videos on you tube in order to learn the program and capabilities of our new machine. Yesterday we successfully produced our very first lithopane! Excited? Only a LOT!! It turned out fabulous! We have also completed the projects of the month that we received and purchased a couple more. We have really whet our appetites with this and can't wait to really put it thru its paces.

We should have started here! There is so much to learn!

[mtylerfl]

Welcome to the CW Community!

[BoenderForge]

Hello all! Just purchased a machine and am really enjoying browsing all the creative projects and images posted!

[mtylerfl]

Welcome! Holler if you need any help. Watching and reading the various Tutorials is helpful, too, as you begin your new adventure. You'll be making cool stuff soon!

[blhutchens]

Welcome! You are in the right place. You won't find a more helpful group willing to share their knowledge .

[Bangert78]

Hello my wife Desiree and I purchased a new carvewright and it should be delivered in a couple hours. We have been using vinyl cutting machines and lasers for the last 6 years and are now going to try this out. Working in 2D has gone very well, not sure how difficult 3D is going to be!! We have been watching a lot of the tutorials and reading through the vast amounts of information and it is a welcome sign to see so many people helping each other on this forum. I am pretty sure my wife will use it more than me over the next few years as she will be home more than I will. I am a senior chief in the navy and up for orders to go back to sea on my 4th submarine in about 8 months.

[Geomoo1]

Welcome, Senior Chief and Desiree!
You have come to the right place. Any and all questions/problems Carvewright related are welcome. This is a super friendly group so don't ever be shy. Hope your tour is uneventful and fulfilling. Be safe out there...

[Bangert78]

So I got the machine, took it out of the box have it all set up, tried to register it and it tells me the serial number from the side of the machine has already been used. Anyone have any ideas or will I have to sort this out with support? Unit was purchased directly from carvewright brand new.

[fwharris]

So I got the machine, took it out of the box have it all set up, tried to register it and it tells me the serial number from the side of the machine has already been used. Anyone have any ideas or will I have to sort this out with support? Unit was purchased directly from carvewright brand new.

See my reply to your other post...

[Bangert78]

So I found out today that CW sent me a previously purchased machine. Try to go through the setup up and the head will not lower. It has a huge crack in it. I am not saying this isn't a good machine however in 10 years they should have figured out how to ship a machine and not break them. This one was shipped to 2 different people and didn't work on arrival. I do not approve of CW' business practices as I purchaed a brand new machine from the and esencially got a used one without notification. This is unacceptable, and as such I requested my money back less there 10% cut/restocking fee. This will be my last post on here but there will be plenty online and other sites to ensure everyone knows how they treated me. Good luck with everyone's endeavors and I wish you all the best of luck.

[mtylerfl]

Holy Smokes! Sounds like a terrible mistake was made in the shipping and/or the quality control department! This does not sound like the CarveWright company we all know here. I am puzzled how that happened in the first place. I'll bet it will never happen again!

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience - certainly not the norm by any means. Surely, whoever you spoke with must have made every effort to get you a new replacement as soon as possible? I'm so sorry you have gone through such an unusual ordeal. I can understand how you must feel. Shoot! I wish it could have been the normal excitement of getting a new machine to enjoy. Man, I'm almost grieving for you. Don't know what else to say.

[KevinG]

Hello everyone, my name is kevin I've been doing hobby woodworking for about 12 years now and just got my first carvewright. I'm hoping to learn a lot from this forum and have fun with it

[mtylerfl]

Hi Kevin. Welcome!

[JimTrix]

Hi to all. My name is Jim and obviously is new to carving. Have been doing furniture construction for a number of years, so carving is a logical extension. Hope to hear from many knowledgeable people with help for a novice with questions.

[mtylerfl]

Welcome, Jim! Looking forward to seeing what you create!

[fwharris]

Hi to all. My name is Jim and obviously is new to carving. Have been doing furniture construction for a number of years, so carving is a logical extension. Hope to hear from many knowledgeable people with help for a novice with questions.

Jim,

Welcome to the community. There are lots of helpful resources to help you out. All you need to do is just ask.

[cestout]

Welcome Jim. If you are already a wood worker and have a well equipped shop, thei amazing machineis just another (but powerful) tool in your arsenal.
Clint

[joe1990]

Hi to all. My name is Joe and obviously am new to wood carving. Hope to hear from many knowledgeable people with help for a novice with questions

[gitrbldr]

Hi everyone I bought a compucarve from Sears 10 years ago and put less than 10 hours on it. It sat in my repair shop since then But I'm back and gonna have some fun with this baby

[mtylerfl]

Welcome back to the CW world! Both my machines are CompuCarve also! Have done upgrades on both over the years, as a lot has changed/improved.

Lube everything up, inspect everything closely, and read up if you need some reminders on how to run it!

[fwharris]

Welcome Joe and gitrbldr. (https://forum.carvewright.com/member.php?4828-gitrbldr) Let us know what we can help you with and looking forward to seeing some of your work.

[Fuzzgruby]

Hi my name is Kevin and I am new to CNC and the forum. I look forward to learning all I can from all of you.

[denzim]

Got a used Carvewright and just ordered a carvetight upgrade for it. The cut motor only has 57hrs on it.
Looking to make some great things with it.

[Al T]

My Name is Al. I am retired now 12 years after selling my business. My woodworking experience is probably in the intermediate range. I have been building cabinets, furniture and ultimate goal is a Hal Taylor rocker. I purchased a used machine with 90 hours. I am not especially software savy and have been fooling around with my machine with some simple stuff and so far NOT pleased with what i've done. but think I could benefit from some "local" hands on support. I live in the Baltimore area.What is the best way through this forum to make contact initially email phone?

[fwharris]

My Name is Al. I am retired now 12 years after selling my business. My woodworking experience is probably in the intermediate range. I have been building cabinets, furniture and ultimate goal is a Hal Taylor rocker. I purchased a used machine with 90 hours. I am not especially software savy and have been fooling around with my machine with some simple stuff and so far NOT pleased with what i've done. but think I could benefit from some "local" hands on support. I live in the Baltimore area.What is the best way through this forum to make contact initially email phone?

Al,
Welcome to the forum and the CarveWright community. To find someone that might be close to you look in the Carvoholics area https://forum.carvewright.com/forumdisplay.php?62-Carvoholics

Also make sure you look through the on line tools https://forum.carvewright.com/forumdisplay.php?78-Online-Tools

Feel free to ask any question you might have.

[mikethego2guy]

Hi All,

I just got a new CW Friday made a few test cuts Saturday, it worked great! I am so excited (or was) Sunday I went through my wood collection and ran some wood through the table saw and planer. Today I put my RingNeckBlues dust collector on the machine and cut a piece of wood to length. Everything worked fine. I put another piece of wood in and tried to do a small carving and the cut motor didn't start. I've spent the last couple of hours trying to get it to cut. It measures and moves around but wont cut. I get: Z Axis Stall Err E06-0324 when trying to cut a board.

So Very Frustrated,

Mike Bates

[Dolan]

Dolan here. First post in this thread for 2018. Yay! Picked up a used CW from a local wood worker. Learning the software and already have tons of questions. I'll post them in time. I'll exhaust resources before bugging everyone.

[mikemi]

Welcome and ask away. There are a bunch of people on this forum that can answer just about anything that you can throw at them about the CW machine.

Mike

[ljp7128]

I know the feeling i ordered a new one had to send it back, when i got it back still didn't work, so i called them all they told me to do this and that, still didn't work, i mean if we spend that much money we should get a working machine, but then i buy three off the internet go pick them up and they work great, so i know its not me, i still have not used my new one,

[Nanpire]

Got my machine last night and have it all set up and ready to go. I've reviewed all the info, watched countless YouTube videos, etc. Have tried designing a couple projects, but haven't actually run any yet. Do have a question about trying to do a cut on a word. It seems I'm unable to select "cut" in certain letters (like an "e"). Any suggestions???:confused:

Thanks,
Nancy

[mtylerfl]

Hi Nancy. Welcome!

Are you actually cutting out an "e" or just carving it?

If cutting it out, your "e" will need to be fairly large in order for the 1/8" diameter cutting bit to fit inside the e and still have enough room to leave holding tabs so the part doesn't fly loose inside your machine!

If you are just carving an "e" then you need to create a Carve Region that surrounds the text so that internal parts of letters like a,e,o will carve out properly instead of remaining solid.

Just draw a shape (rectangle, square, circle, whatever) so the shape surrounds all the text. Then click on the Carve Region Tool icon while the shape is still selected. The default depth of the region will be .25". This is usually too deep for carving text. You can change the region depth to something shallower like .125" or .063". Also, select the text and then apply a Small Draft to it. The small Draft creates an angle of 7 degrees on the outside of each letter. This angle is the same as the 1/16" tapered carving bit and helps prevent chip-out when the text is carved. Dont make text too small or it won't Carve well.

[msgtray]

My name is Ray and I purchased a CW (new) in December and simply jumped in the deep end of the pool. I have to say, if I wasn't extremely happy with this machine when it works, I might be depressed at the problems I've had. Software issues to start, replaced cut motor at 28 hours, and two projects later the X-drive gears stripped out. But, Chris in support has been great and nothing has been un-fixable. I have purchased over a dozen projects (built 8 so far) from the CW site and have been impressed with the quality. I really want to get into designing my own projects but haven't quite figured out the Z-Axis (depth of design) yet (actually, there is a lot I've yet to figure out). Looking forward to picking the collective wisdom and experience from the community.

[mtylerfl]

Hi Ray - Welcome! Lots of great info here on the Forum as well as Tutorials on the CW website. Holler if you need help, of course.

[Billyblue52]

hI MY NAME IS BILLY ,i BOUGHT MY CW TWO WEEKS AGO HAVENT USED IT YET.STILL TRYING TO LEARN COMPUTER PART ,lOOKING FOWARD TO A LOT OF FUN WITH IT.

[fwharris]

hI MY NAME IS BILLY ,i BOUGHT MY CW TWO WEEKS AGO HAVENT USED IT YET.STILL TRYING TO LEARN COMPUTER PART ,lOOKING FOWARD TO A LOT OF FUN WITH IT.

Welcome Billy,

Make sure you look through the learning guide, tutorial videos and tip and tricks. The all have great information to get you up and carving. If you have any questions just ask away.

[mtylerfl]

Welcome, Billy!

[DianMayfield]

Hi Billy!

Where are you located? Sometimes there is someone close by that can help in person :)

Welcome, you will be hooked in no time!

[Billyblue52]

Hello to you to, I live at Lake Conroe in Texas. Still haven't plugged in my carver,still trying to get my head around the computer part. I do Lichtenberg Wood Burning and Bought my Carver so i could add to and do other things to my burns.I did a lot of burns on wood to get ready for my carver but now after reading about knots on wood i don't know if i should do my burns after i carve or do them before and cover them up with tape .The problem with doing it after is the raising of the grain due to the use of water.So tis my dilemma.I hope there is help for me out there somewhere.

[Billyblue52]

Thank you.I look forward to being a member of this group

[Billyblue52]

Thank you I will ,And i hope i don't ware anyone out with them.

[DianMayfield]

Hello to you to, I live at Lake Conroe in Texas. Still haven't plugged in my carver,still trying to get my head around the computer part. I do Lichtenberg Wood Burning and Bought my Carver so i could add to and do other things to my burns.I did a lot of burns on wood to get ready for my carver but now after reading about knots on wood i don't know if i should do my burns after i carve or do them before and cover them up with tape .The problem with doing it after is the raising of the grain due to the use of water.So tis my dilemma.I hope there is help for me out there somewhere.
Hi Billy,

Since you haven't plugged it in, I will ask if you have a dust collection plan. I plugged in the puppy the day I got it, put my name and one of the free patterns that come with it on the board and commenced to carving. What a mess! It makes REALLY fine dust that gets in everywhere :)

The best way to get moving is to open one of the tutorials and follow along. They are very detailed and will get you more comfortable with the software. The hardest thing for me to wrap my head around was the "project" board and the "real" board (your piece of wood). Your real board needs to be 7 inches longer than your project so it stays under the rollers - you will get snipe if it comes out and tips up, and could break a bit..

[Billyblue52]

Thanks my Michine came with a dust hood which i will be sure to keep hooked up.I read about the 7in and will be sure my board will be the right size or will make a jig to set it in

[Shanebarge]

Hello guys - name is Shane and i purchased a CX, downloaded everything and can not get my mac to recognize the card reader in the USB port. I have tried googling it and done everything Mac says to do and still won't acknowledge. i even tried to download on Windows surface, but don't have a CD drive to download software installation- gets to read me text and can't go any further- says to insert CD and will start automatically??

HELP please!!! have created just my name and included art to try out the machine, but can't save it to card to put in machine to finish set up...

[vanhooseja]

Hello everyone, I am John, from Tulsa, OK area. I received my CW this week and very excited, I ran two simple image drawings of an image logo (that I have permission). I excited about the possibilities with this machine, I am a woodworking hobbyist that would like to make some cash inflow to pay for the wood so I can keep playing. I always found I had a desire to create but didn't know what, I started working with pallets (since it was free wood for me) and found that it is feeding the need to create and is therapeutic for me.

My wife showed one of the logo's I had cut out to her boss and I have a request for a sign already lol.

[Wendy]

Good Morning!
My name is Wendy. I bought my husband a machine in 2013 because he dreamed of all kinds of things he could make with it. He made a couple of signs and then stopped using it. I would ask him why he stopped using it. He said he was having problems with the software. ( He's old school- doesn't work with computers very much). I have an embroidery business that I've done on the side for the past 20 years. So I started playing with the CarveWright program. I found that it was similar to my Brother software! I created a few projects over the past 2 weeks. I would love to learn how to upload the pictures to get everyone's feed back on them.
I did break my 1/8" cutting bit yesterday, cutting out a 2" circle on pine. I don't know how I did it! And our machine didn't even "know" that it was no longer cutting- the drill head was still following the pattern until I aborted it. Anyone else experience bits breaking?
Thank you for allowing me into the group!
I look forward to learning from all of you :)

[LUXSUB2000]

I've only created one sign so far, as I am looking to get a bit more familiar with the system. I look forward to learning from others in this forum of the different uses and possibilities to make.

[ngpete]

I bought machine a couple of years ago, but have not had much luck getting things to turn out - i step away from the machine a few times and by the time i get back to it- i am learning all overagain, so i still consider myself a newbee.
I am hoping i can find more time to look over the past posts and learn from all the experts out there that are will in to share. I hope to be able to attend the conference someday, but the timing of it is usually not a good time for me and my summer employment.
the main thing i have used the system for so far is making signs for the park that i work at and a few projects that i donate to fundraisers.

[Papa Bill]

I've had my machine for awhile now but just started using it. I'm from North Carolina. Would like to hear from others from the Carthage - Sanford area. Need help with some problems. Thanks! <email removed, use PM> ;)

[buxtor]

Hello World!
Just bought my CW off of Craigslist, only have the basics and am excited to get into things! I am a retired Navy Chief living near Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I love making. 3D Printing, engraving, finishing and painting/airbrushing... light woodworking. I am evolved with our local theater group and have made several models for production gifts as well as props for use onstage. Love collaborating on projects and hobby chit-chat. In the CNC world, I'm kinda low budget, starting off with a Chinese 3018 and Estlcam and was used to doing all the parts of the project for free and was disappointed to find out it takes the purchase of addons in the hundreds of dollars. :confused: Wishing there were opensource applications which would produce the same results. I guess its the Pattern Sharing area for me at least until I can afford the addons.

bux

[oscarl48]

bux,

Welcome.

There are 1000's of free patterns available. The biggest issue is finding what you need when you need them. Don't hesitate to ask for pattern assistance when you need it. The worst that can happen is folks may not have what you are looking for.

Oscar

[Mugsowner]

Welcome, I got all my machines off CL and only have basic yet and still do some great work with them. Like Oscar stated, if you need something just ask, the folks where are very helpful. Enjoy your newest toy.

[PghDrake]

Hello! I'm Don and I purchased my Carvewright on 3/8/19 (3 days ago) through Rockler (there is a sale going on, got the CW and the Dust Collection attachment for $1958 including taxes....although they still owe me the dust collection attachment since they didn't have any in stock). I've run a few test boards through the machine, still have a lot of learning to do but overall I'm really happy with the ease of use of the machine.

About me - I'm a 50 year old IT guy that's always wanted to get into woodworking but didn't do so until 2017. That year I just built a work bench and some table saws using a WEN Miter saw I got from Amazon. Soooo much has changed since then in my woodshop (which is actually my detached garage so I need tools that can be moved out of the way for when I have my car in there). In 2018, I went all out with my income taxes, my bonus from work and more throughout the year. I got a Dewalt contractor table saw and engineered a dual rolling table for it and the Miter saw (the miter saw can swing up from underneath the table and lock into place, and when it's back under I can use the entire top surface as work space). I also got a thickness planer, a jointer, a router and benchtop routing table, a benchtop lathe, a band saw and many other sanding and hand tools.

Last year I made and sold about two dozen cutting boards, mostly around 11"x17", some a little bigger, some a little smaller. I also sold about 3 dozen pens that I made on the lathe and did a little other work here and there. I built a couple more stands, a lumber box, and several other things to help with organization around the shop. Everything I sold went to friends or their friends through word of mouth (including facebook posts, etc.). Unless I'm using exotic woods, I'm using local wood that I cut down from live edge planks I purchase from two local suppliers of non-harvested walnut, cherry, maple, oak and osage orange.

This year I decided I had all the "standard" tools I needed...but with income tax and the bonus again I wanted to step things up with higher quality more specialized type equipment. I got a Jet 16/32 sander so I can do larger boards and jobs. I picked up the Carvewright as I stated before, and the last thing I have is on order - an Incra LS25 Super System routing fence and table with a 3.5hp routing motor from Porter Cable. It could be up to 2 months before that is delivered though.

I have a lot of different directions I could go with what I have now, but right now it's all about learning what I can do and how to do it better. I'd like to do signs and plaques with the CW, but in the long run I'd want to use it for personalizing and/or adding custom flair to different things I make - the cutting boards that I've made before but with the Incra LS25 system I really want to do boxes and trays of various sizes and uses.

So far I'm really happy with the community here - I've received very fast responses and advice from the two threads I've created, and I'm really looking forward to being a part of the community.

Thanks!

-Don
-Pittsburgh, PA

[fwharris]

PghDrake,

Welcome to the CW forum and thanks for giving us a great background on your wood shop and wood working experiences. From the sounds of things you need a new garage! ;)

[mtylerfl]

Hi Don!

Welcome to the family! You’re going to have a lot of fun with your new tool. I’ve been enjoying my two CarveWright CNC machines for 12 years now. I can’t imagine “life-before-CarveWright”! It’s a blast!

[Mugsowner]

Welcome PghDrake,
Sounds like you are filling the toy box at a pretty good pace. As stated earlier sounds like you need a new garage. H. F. has a portable that holds up fairly well. I have one I keep a crawler in. Just a idea. Hope you enjoy the wood working world.

[PghDrake]

From the sounds of things you need a new garage! ;)

Hah - I mean who doesn't need more garage? :) That said I'm doing pretty well with space, all things considered - Everything is either on wheels or on shelves, all work surfaces at equal height so I can make everything mobile and easily workable. In the warmer months I'd have the door open and everything out. Now I just might have a thing or two in the driveway if I do that. :)

Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

-Don

[jeffreythree]

New here, and found a cheap Craftsman Compucarve at a local auction with one bit and a couple of programmers and memory cards. Looks like it has been upgraded since it has the Carvetight spindle and the sandpaper base. I can't wait to experiment some once I get comfortable with it. I already have a complete wood shop of mostly vintage tools with the core pieces being my grandfather's tools, and I sell some of my work. I have tons of random boards just waiting for some kind of project. Machine tested and works, just got it registered to me, now to get some more bits and learn the software.

[mtylerfl]

Hi Jeffrey and Welcome!

[Mugsowner]

Welcome Jeffery, Hope the machine preforms well for you. The Carvetite spindle is an upgrade, however the sand paper belts are not. They work, but do tend to slip now and then. There is a few points that you may want to lube before you unleash the beast.

[dbemus]

Welcome Jeffery! Don't hesitate to come to the Forum and ask questions. There will always be someone to give you expert advice. This is a great group, always willing to give valuable advice! Happy carving!!!

[rhoover]

Hi everyone my name is Ron. I am new here but it looks like im in the right place to learn how to run one of these machines. I recently purchased a brand new Carvewright machine. Looks like it will show up at my shop this afternoon some time. I cant wait to get it set up and running.

[brad.rentz]

Hello all. My name is Brad. I believe I joined this forum last year some time when I got my CW. I originally purchased through a sells rep with craftsmen who had it in the back and was trying to get rid of it as it was taking up space. So I received it without any of the software, card reader or any of the normal stuff that youd get with a brand new machine. So I bought all of that and then more on top of that-alot of the design software. But I kept having to replace parts, more and more every week. Through some trials and money, I got some projects out of it. Recently, the traction belt broke/tore and now I'm trying to track down one of those to get it back up and running. Working with the computer software has been challenging at times as well but I trial it and most times it goes well. They are basic designs, like the star field on a flag. But I want more out of it and if anyone has any tips to get more out of it, id be more then glad to listen.

A bit about me, I'm a 36 year old guy that does most of time yelling at soldiers (Drill Sergeant) in the Army. On my "off time", I enjoy doing wood work. It helps me relax and get away a little bit. Last year when I bought the machine, I actually had a small business that I had going on the side - making going away gifts for Soldiers, or gifts for anniversaries and such. Recently, my wife and I have decided to start doing that again and ultimately doing that when I retire from the military next year. There is much more about wood working id like to know and find out. Most of the time- my learning curve is thru trial and error which can get costly at times.

But I look forward to being a part of a group that help me grow as a wood worker, especially with the CW. Thanks!

Brad
Augusta, GA

[fwharris]

Brad,

This a a great source for the sandpaper belts http://customsandingbelts.com

Ask for specify "j" material, Aluminum Oxide Open Coat W-15" x L-13" Grit-120 Dry

Have/are you viewing the learning guide and software videos to learn the software tools?

Let us know what we can help you with.

[oscarl48]

Brad,

Welcome to the group. Patterns can make or break a design. There are a ton of great ones shared on the forum. Dig through and grab the ones you like or need. Otherwise, all the videos and guides on how to use the CW are a great way to learn the capabilities of the machine.

Last part is just to enjoy all the sawdust flying.

Oscar,

[11thhourfabrication]

Hi
I was given a Sears Compucarve machine a few years ago but I could never get it to work properly. The machine has been sitting in the garage gathering dust while I have had to devote time to the necessary things in life. I now have a project which would be nice to use the Compucarve as it would save me days of time. Is there anyone in the San Francisco bay area that can show me how to get the machine to do what I need? Can pay for your time or trade for welding services.

thanks
Colin

[fwharris]

Hi
I was given a Sears Compucarve machine a few years ago but I could never get it to work properly. The machine has been sitting in the garage gathering dust while I have had to devote time to the necessary things in life. I now have a project which would be nice to use the Compucarve as it would save me days of time. Is there anyone in the San Francisco bay area that can show me how to get the machine to do what I need? Can pay for your time or trade for welding services.

thanks
Colin

Colin,

Welcome to the CW forum. Getting the machine to do what you want starts with having the correct/proper design. Have you taken the time to view and read any of the software tutorials and learning guide?

What issues were you having with the machine?

[brad.rentz]

@ fwharris

I tried getting on that site last night, as I'm on night shift at the moment, however, I didn't see where I could specify "J" material? I saw the Aluminum Oxide Coat W-15" x L-13" Grit-120 Dry, but not the "J" material. They were about 6 or 7 dollars which is not bad at all - if I'm looking at the right ones. Haha. I appreciate the link, for sure and will look into getting new ones as mine is busted :( as stated before, but hopefully I can get back up and running soon. Thank you!

[brad.rentz]

@oscar48

Thanks. Yes, I have tried to make some designs and look at tutorials on how to puss or invert them to have a different effect. I need to refresh on some of the stuff though, for sure. I think I actually bought some patterns as well, but more would always be great, I appreciate it.

Oh, I don't mind the sawdust at all. Haha.

Thanks!!

[fwharris]

@ fwharris

I tried getting on that site last night, as I'm on night shift at the moment, however, I didn't see where I could specify "J" material? I saw the Aluminum Oxide Coat W-15" x L-13" Grit-120 Dry, but not the "J" material. They were about 6 or 7 dollars which is not bad at all - if I'm looking at the right ones. Haha. I appreciate the link, for sure and will look into getting new ones as mine is busted :( as stated before, but hopefully I can get back up and running soon. Thank you!

I am not sure what the J material is either, this is just info I copied from someone who order them. Important part is the aluminum oxide open coat and the sizes.

[Gary Koval]

Brad.rentz,
if you call the number listed in the posted add and tell them the belts are for a Carvewright, they’ll know which ones you need. I ordered mine a week ago Wed. And they are arriving today. 4 belts were $21.96 including the $5.00 shipping.
Gary

[gwhiz]

Welcome Brad -- if you haven't yet, join the CarveWright Carvaholics group on Facebook. And ask questions -- both here and on FB -- there's a lot of experience in the user base and this group is great about sharing and helping out!

[brianw1974]

Hi everyone I am Brian from Washington State. I recently got my hands on an old Compucarve machine from 2007, I have quickly ordered lots of goodies to update the machine and am excited to start working on projects. Carvewright is getting lots of money from me right now on upgrades so I hope everything works out. I have been studying the software and cleaning and completing recommended maintenance. Thank You for allowing me to join the Forum.

[masonville04]

Good morning all my name is ray i live in ustate new york i got my carvewright about 3 yrs only do some carving on the weekends for hobby . im still trying to learn the soft ware and having trouble with the depths but working thru that.

[mtylerfl]

Good Morning, Ray and welcome!

[masonville04]

Thank you for welcoming me to the forum

[bobtom]

Hi
I have been on and off this forum for a few years.
I am 82 years old. I currently do a little carving with my Carvewright.
I started about 15 years ago. After I retired. Bad health kind of slowed
me to a complete stop at times. A few years ago my daughter convinced
me to move to Az to be closer to her. I am now feeling better and getting
started all over again. Please bear with me as I work my way back.
Thank you
Bob Tomasino

[fwharris]

Hi
I have been on and off this forum for a few years.
I am 82 years old. I currently do a little carving with my Carvewright.
I started about 15 years ago. After I retired. Bad health kind of slowed
me to a complete stop at times. A few years ago my daughter convinced
me to move to Az to be closer to her. I am now feeling better and getting
started all over again. Please bear with me as I work my way back.
Thank you
Bob Tomasino


Bob,

Welcome back to the forum and good to know you are feeling better. Looking forward to seeing your work.

[Lincoln96]

hi,
I'm 61 years old, semi retired tradesman. I only started working the CW about a week ago, and every day has been an adventure. I'm learning as I go.
I have a nice little home shop, and I've done a lot of wood working over the years, but this is my first wood working machine that requires software.

My first project ended at about 96% with the message, "memory card cannot be read, please re-format memory card, upload project and begin again".

The next 4 projects went just fine (as far as the memory card was concerned).

The 2nd project I was working on today, stopped at about 50%. Same message, "memory card cannot be read, re-format memory card".

I've been doing some reading here on the forum, I see a lot mentioned about static electricity. I did buy the dust collection hood/pipe with my CV. The shop's dust collection system is grounded, the CW is grounded via the ground terminal on the AC plug-in, do I need to do something more?

I couldn't find anything on the specific error message I get, just lots of warnings about static electricity doing weird things. If anyone else has seen this message come up, I'd really like to hear from you.

Thank you
Dave

[Lincoln96]

Hello, my name is David and I'm a new CarveWright owner. I've got the software sort of figured out to the point where I can upload a pattern to carve, and I've done a few projects. Another big learning was how important board size is to the machine and how allowing it to "scale to fit" changes the size of things. I haven't experimented yet to see what happens if you tell it NOT to stay under the rollers. I also discovered how important it is for a board to be dead flat. Any little twist will affect the board reader.

The only problem I'm having is with the memory card. The very first project I did stopped at about 95% complete with "cannot read memory card". 3 or 4 projects went ok, then it stopped on the next project at about 50% with the same message. Since then, the program can't read the memory card anymore. I've re-formatted several times and done the firmware thing, but the card is dead. I ordered a couple new memory cards, just waiting for them to arrive.

[fwharris]

Dave,

A very late welcome to the CW forum. Sorry to hear you are having memory card issues. It does sound like it might be a bad card if reformatting did not resolve the issue. It might also be that there is a small amount of dust/dirt in the connection holes. Have you talked with CarveWright support about your problems?

This is the link to the support section. Look at / read through the learning guide as it does cover the board scaling issue and staying under the rollers (commonly called "following the 7 inch rule" )

http://support.carvewright.com/getting-started/

Please let us know if you have any questions. Post your questions under the appropriate topic heading.

Again, welcome to the group...

[Lincoln96]

Dave,

A very late welcome to the CW forum. Sorry to hear you are having memory card issues. It does sound like it might be a bad card if reformatting did not resolve the issue. It might also be that there is a small amount of dust/dirt in the connection holes. Have you talked with CarveWright support about your problems?

This is the link to the support section. Look at / read through the learning guide as it does cover the board scaling issue and staying under the rollers (commonly called "following the 7 inch rule" )

http://support.carvewright.com/getting-started/

Please let us know if you have any questions. Post your questions under the appropriate topic heading.

Again, welcome to the group...

Thank you for the welcome!

What happened with the 7 inch rule is somewhere I got it stuck in my head that it was a 6 rule. I thought the machine required an additional 3 inchs per side, not 3-1/2 per side. At some point I went back and reviewed the information again, gave myself a dope-slap and carried on.

Not sure what's up with that memory card, but the program won't write to it anymore and neither the reader or the carvewright machine can read it. I searched the forum but didn't see anything about memory cards, only talk about static electricity doing "weird and wonderful things" to the electronics. I bought the dust port adapter with my CW, and I have it hooked to a 4" hose and a 2-stage collector. The dust system is grounded, the CW must be grounded through the plug-in, I don't think static was cause of the card failure. Hopefully the new card will work like a dream. I'd really like to get back at it.

[Mugsowner]

Welcome Dave, sorry to hear you are having card issues. A while back cards were chatted about and one of the ideas that came up was to put a piece of tape on the cards to make them easier to remove from the machine. Thinking being that the two fingers used to remove the card are possibly doing internal damage to the cards. All my cards have a 4" piece of tape on them. One inch taped top and bottom with a 1" tail off the back of card to use for removal.

[fwharris]

Thank you for the welcome!

What happened with the 7 inch rule is somewhere I got it stuck in my head that it was a 6 rule. I thought the machine required an additional 3 inchs per side, not 3-1/2 per side. At some point I went back and reviewed the information again, gave myself a dope-slap and carried on.

Not sure what's up with that memory card, but the program won't write to it anymore and neither the reader or the carvewright machine can read it. I searched the forum but didn't see anything about memory cards, only talk about static electricity doing "weird and wonderful things" to the electronics. I bought the dust port adapter with my CW, and I have it hooked to a 4" hose and a 2-stage collector. The dust system is grounded, the CW must be grounded through the plug-in, I don't think static was cause of the card failure. Hopefully the new card will work like a dream. I'd really like to get back at it.

That 1 inch does make a difference!

No, the CW is not grounded through the plug, it is only a 2 prong plug. Make sure your grounding wire is attached to the machine. I attach mine to the screw that holds the dust collection attachment to the machine.

[Lincoln96]

Good info guys. Thank you very much.

[bear1mdr]

Ran my first project and it came out well but the second one skipped a one inch section on the board and then started again where it left off. What are the possible causes for this kind of error?:confused:

[fwharris]

Welcome to the forum. Your skipped carving is probably a tracking issue.

http://support.carvewright.com/troubleshooting-board-tracking-errors/

[Mugsowner]

Welcome, I would have to agree with Floyd on this. The tracking roller travels the bottom side of the board, on the keypad side of the machine. Make sure your board does not have any issues on the bottom edge.

[coyote]

A couple years ago my brother gave me his Carvewright machine as he had lost interest and had some problem with the unit. I finally have some time to start learning to use the program and machine. I tried using the machine, but something wasn't right. So I'm enjoying the trouble shooting part of machines. Waiting for approval so I can view photos. Already reached out to a member who I saw posted having a similar issue. Hoping they can help me get the machine up so I can start having fun with projects.

Aaron

[MechKelly]

Hi everyone. I came across the forum while looking for patterns and decided to sign up. I bought a used machine from a friend who was moving a couple years ago and it sat in my garage until 4 months ago. With the pandemic going on I felt like it might be a good project to start working on. Fast forward to about 50 emails back and forth with LHR tech support, lots of cleaning, and a whole bunch of new parts and it seems to be up and going. Turns out the machine was built in 2007 but it only had 13 hours of carve time when I purchased it.

Now I'm working to get more familiar with the Designer software and am in search of more patterns to add to designs.

[MechKelly]

Hi everyone. I found this forum while searching for CW patterns and thought I would sign up. I bought my machine from a friend who was moving a couple years ago. It sat in my garage until last October when I decided to start working with it. After 4 months, lots of new parts, and about 50 emails to LHR tech support it seems to be up and running. Turns out the machine was built in 2007 but it only had about 13 hours of carve time on it in all that time.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Welcome, This is a great place to search and learn. Be sure to join the two Facebook Pages.

[Mugsowner]

Welcome, nice to see another machine back in the game. Hope you enjoy your time with the machine. You can ask most anything here and get a reply. Right or wrong most will help out where they can.

[saarge72]

I just bought a new Carvewright. I had one a long time ago and had so many problems, I sent it back. The new one seems a lot better. Trying to look at some of the thumbnails and pics but it keeps saying I don't have that privilege. I've already started one project and can't wait to do more.

[Powell901]

Hello, my name is Mark. I purchased my CW 8 years ago, retired 3 years ago and am finally getting time to dig into my “retirement machine”. I’ve gotten on to the forum and have been poking around getting information here. I have carved a number of projects including signs, the Kuerig coffee rack and religious items.

I am curious where forum members are getting their raw materials from. Typically I have used clear pine or oak from Home Depot. At times I have been fortunate enough to get reclaimed lumber from friends. Today’s prices are extreme so I would like to know if I am missing a source or a particular species.
Here is the last sign I carved for my sister’s retirement home business: 88669

[fwharris]

Hello, my name is Mark. I purchased my CW 8 years ago, retired 3 years ago and am finally getting time to dig into my “retirement machine”. I’ve gotten on to the forum and have been poking around getting information here. I have carved a number of projects including signs, the Kuerig coffee rack and religious items.

I am curious where forum members are getting their raw materials from. Typically I have used clear pine or oak from Home Depot. At times I have been fortunate enough to get reclaimed lumber from friends. Today’s prices are extreme so I would like to know if I am missing a source or a particular species.
Here is the last sign I carved for my sister’s retirement home business: 88669

Glad to hear that you have the long list all done so that you can now spend some time carving! ;)

Yes the lumber/wood availability and prices are a big issue right now. Look for lumber mills in your area. A lot of them advertise on Craigs list and the Market place. Nice sign for your sister..

[Mugsowner]

Welcome, hope you enjoy the machine and what it can do. I have not purchased any wood at stores or lumber yards in years. I have a planner, so rough cut is my go to. I can and have had logs sawed, purchased stacks of saw wood. I look anywhere and everywhere. I also purchase used lumber that I can clean up. I have pulled some awesome cherry off pallets.v If a piece of wood does not grade well, off to the pallet shop it goes. They grade the whole piece, where I only grade the size I can use. i have wood from a few different countries. Put the word out your looking as well, I just save a box of Zebrawood from a fire pit. The wife wanted to burn, the husband knew I played with wood and asked if I could use it. Like Floyd stated C. L. and marketplace are good sources, but watch the prices as a few are dumping wood at much higher prices taking advantage of the wood prices of today. The prices will drop again, but it will take awhile.

[Orthonormal]

My dad bought a B series CarveWright in 2009 and never used it. He's cleaning out his shop and sent it to me. I've got my first project ready to go in the Designer, but first I'm making a trivet to get all the problems worked out. I've hit a couple of problems so far. First, the machine tends to not recognize when a board is loaded. The head pressure is about 72 pounds, and that has not changed after cleaning and greasing the posts and head drive screws and then aligning the posts. I did manage to get a board recognized, and it got almost all the way through the routing steps before a Y-motor stall. That was pretty spectacular, and it took a surprising amount of time for the machine to catch it and produce an error message. I think the piece is salvageable with a coping saw and some sanding, but I will need to see that the machine can make another one without an error before I move on to the bigger project. For the Y-motor stall, I think maybe setting the cutting pass depth a little shallower might help (I'm cutting in poplar). For the head pressure, I've reached the point in the troubleshooting instructions where I call LHR tech support.