A new user here! I can't seem to find any info on best settings to use.

[Alan Malmstrom]

I have ordered a CarveWright machine from Amazon and should get it in a week or so. I am getting the machine because I like the software that I have been playing with via the free 30 day trial. I like the fact that I can create bitmapped graphics and import them as 3D by asigning the various shades as depth. Being a graphic designer who is familiar with Photoshop I find it amasing that the Carvewright Software can be used in that way.

I have a design ready to go once I get my machine. The only problem I have is that I can't figure out what the best settings would be for my projects. Does anybody know where I can find information on the best bits and settings to use for different materials and depths and designs? I can experiment but I wish I could get info to develope a starting point.

Also I don't understand how to use this forum. I try to search for things but it always says that the words I use are too common and therefore will not give me any results. I should be able to search for (: Best bit to use) and get some links to forum threads.

Thanks; Alan

[pkunk]

Search is iffy but works better if you use few words and put in quotes. You can only select a quality setting when you upload to the card and then you have the choices of -draft-normal-best-optimal. The harder and closer grained wood the better. There is plenty to read here.

[Alan Malmstrom]

There is plenty to read here.

Thanks for the advice about fewer words. I bet there is plenty to read her if I could find it. I still have not found it. I'd like to figure out what bit may work the 1/16 or the 1/8 for various jobs too. Any help is welcome.

[fwharris]

Alan,

For raster (pattern) carvings the default bit is the 1/16" carving bit. It is the only bit you should use for pattern carvings to get the best detail. You should also set your "bit optimization" to "best" the get the best results. The depth and height settings it will depend on what your patterns are and the detail they have. To find out the best way is to change setting and view them in the designer project. Tilt and zoom in on the detail to get a good look.. basicly what you see on the design board is what you will get when carved. When you upload the project to the card select either best or optimal for the best carving detail..

Forum search: put "quote marks" around the word or words you are searching for the get the results.

[TerryT]

For your first project......
You will use the 1/16 bit for ALL CARVING. The 1/8 bit is only for cut outs. As stated earlier place your pattern on the virtual board, play with the depth and height settings to see what looks best on the computer. It will probably also look the best on your project. Click on your pattern and then click on "Bit optimization" and set to best. Carve it, see how it turns out and make adjustmaents from there. It's not as hard as you are anticipating!

Enjoy it, a couple of hundred folks will help if you need it.

[Alan Malmstrom]

Yes, I will use the 1/16 carving bit for all raster 3D carvings. Not knowing anything yet I just figured that there would be info somewhere about the subject of Bit optimization and upload settings. I have a good understanding of the depth and thickness. I am able to draw graphics with predetermined depths based on the greyscale pixel color. And then set the depth in the carvewright program to match.

The one thing I am really interested in is the best setting for the uploaded file to usb card. You see it seems to me that if I were to carve into pine the settting might need to be lower because it's soft wood and can get tear out or maybe if I were to carve red oak which is a little harder than regular oak I may want to use the best setting so that the bit is not put under to much stress from having to tear out more wood faster thus resulting in the bit wearing out faster. You see I have not seen the machine work yet and I am not sure if the output best setting actually makes shorter passes thus putting less stress on the bit or not. More stress on the spindle and stuff like that is what I'm thinking. I want my machine to last a long time and I don't mind going in and touching up the carve a little by hand once in a while before finishing. I have not looked into the maintenance and service documents on the carvewright site yet but maybe they have info there. I will check later.

I am looking forward to using this machine when I get it and I'm sure I will experiment a lot too. Thanks for your support.

Alan

[Frederick_P]

You will have a blast playing with your new machine. There is a steep learning curve for many people as there is so much to read about. But most times, if people have problems with the machine, it's because they didn't heed the advice of those who learned the hard way. If you want your machine to last a long time, don't treat it like a power tool. It is a robot and requires constant attention. Follow these points and you will get hundreds of hours of trouble free carving:

1. If your machine is the old model with the Quick Change chuck, don't even bother wasting your time trying get that chuck to work. While some claim not to have had problems with it, most agree that it was a serious design flaw and replaced it with a "Rock Chuck" which you can get here: http://www.cw-parts.com/page2.html

2. The machine produces an incredible amount of dust and debris which will get into every nook and cranny of your machine in short order and gum up the works and create a world of pain and disappointment for you VERY quickly. Don't even think of carving anything until you have put a good dust collector on the unit. There are a couple available for sale from forum members and a couple of free plans to make one yourself. They all work reasonably good and it doesn't really matter which one you go with as long as you get one and use it right away. Skip this step and I guarantee you will be whining on the forum about what a piece of crap the machine is. Keeping the machine clean and lubricated is probably the most important thing you can do to make it last longer.

3. Never use a shop vac to collect dust or to clean out the machine. The static electricity of dust vacs can easily fry the electronics of the machine. Use compressed air instead to blow out any dust that the dust collector doesn't get.

4. There is a ton of useful information available here: http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/maintenance.htm Learn about how your machine works and you will be miles ahead of those who just plug it in out of the box.

5. This forum is populated with wise, savvy, educated and intelligent Gurus who amazingly take their time to help us all. This is the best support system you will ever find for any product.

6. Once you get the hang of it, the machine can be addicting. Soon you will be giving back to the community because that is what this really is. This is the primary thing that keeps everyone's machine running smoothly.

We will be looking forward anxiously to see your first carving. Why not post a screen shot of the design you have made? We all love to see new talent!

[Alan Malmstrom]

42816Well this is the design I have made. It's going to be a picture frame. I plan on gluing it to another board below it and manually rounding the edges. And Miter the corners to fit together. It is about .5" deep and then the edges dip down to about .8" depth.

Thanks for the last post from Frederic_P I will have to save those links for future reference.



42797

Alan

[Capt Bruce]

Sorry Alan but it shows up as an invalid attachment.

[lynnfrwd]

If not the Rock Chuck, then there is also LHR's own CarveTight.

Thought I needed to put that out there, since after all, it is...

[Alan Malmstrom]

I guess the link to my jpg image is not working so I have uploaded it again.



42830

Also here is the link to the carvwright page: http://forum.carvewright.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=42816&d=1299457341

[Alan Malmstrom]

Well my new CarveWright machine got dropped off the truck today. I was reading threads today when I heard the UPS truck out front so I went out the garage to recieive the package. The UPS guy took a while inside locating my item but then appeared coming out the back with a dolly truck with my beloved machine riding atop. I watched in anticipation as the truck tires got closer to the ground. Only one foot to go, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then in a split second the truck got stuck on a bolt or something and the guy jerked it to try and free it as my package tipped over landing on a corner of the box and smashing down with force right there in the street. It had so much potential for being an effortless pleasant experience but it wasn't. The only thing I could think to do as I looked on with wreathing at this idiot was to say "Hey Thats Not What I Wanted To See Happen!" and I continued to say that this is a Precision Peice of Equipment! Well I figured that that incident was probably not as bad as what goes on out of our site when it comes to delivery and the box seemed to take the impact pretty well so I signed for it and took it in.

So I had to adjust the head pressure because it had a low reading but other than that I am happy to get my new machine. After seeing the settup video I was expecting the easy release chuck but after going on the site and looking up the new carvetight spindal I now realize that the new feature is the allen wrench tightning chuck which is supposed to work better.

Tonight I am going to register the machine and tommorow I am going to do my first project. The dust collector by Fletcher http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?17634-Fletcher-s-DC-carve-it-yourself

[badger2424]

Hey Allen, great start with the D Fletcher dust collector, glad to see your sense of dust is in the right direction. Doug did a great job designing the head and keeping the dust out of the CW is a must. Keep us posted on your needs and let us know what you're working on so we can help if possible. You're going to love what the machine can do for you! Only your imagination is the limit. Any problems, let us know. Think u're goin to love it. Tips and Tricks are something u can't live without, read and read again!!