Hello - New to CW - I Have A Set UP Question

[ridgecrest]

Hello,

My name is Reid and I received my CW version C this week. I am going through the initial setup process tonight and I have a question concerning adjusting the head pressure step. I have a digit bathroom scale that I used to calibrate the pressure. The scale readout shows 92.5 lbs. I performed multiple readings each time repositioning the scale and all produced the same reading. The manual states that the pressure should be between 75 and 85. The manual talks about addressing low pressure but I cannot find anything for high pressure. Should I be concerned about the 92.5 reading?

Thanks,
Reid

[fwharris]

Reid,

How many clicks are you getting before you stop cranking the head down? As you crank the head down on the scale pay attention to the reading and how many clicks gets you between 75 and 80..

[Deolman]

Be cautious using a digital scale. With a .1 of a pound decimal readout I thought it would be great - until I read the fine print. It seems the scale is really capable of being accurate within 2-3 pounds. Go figure! Then the fine print went on to say the human body can vary several pounds a day so don't be too concerned about the accuracy. Quite honestly, I would check it with an old style type bathroom scale.

[Digitalwoodshop]

I agree.... Having worked in the Sony Calibration Lab.... Analog is better for this application..... Good Will.... They will have them...

AL

[chief2007]

Walmart carries them - $8.97

[ridgecrest]

Thanks for replies. I clicked twice. I will run to Walmart and pick one up. But should it still read over 85 pounds, is that something that I should be concerned about?

Reid

[lynnfrwd]

Thanks for replies. I clicked twice. I will run to Walmart and pick one up. But should it still read over 85 pounds, is that something that I should be concerned about?

Reid

If it does still measure too high, I think u add a washer somewhere, but don't take this sales persons word for it. Call a tech tomorrow to be sure and carving sooner.


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[chief2007]

Should be 75-85 pounds. Link to the manual on head pressure.

http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/service/Service_instructions/CarveWright_service_adjust_head_pressure.pdf

[cestout]

Adding washers add pressure (5lb ea I was told by an LHR teck.) so if anything remove a washer or two (but save them at $5 each). But I would try removing the handel and splaying the White Lithium Spray Grease in there to lube the clutch. Before removing the crank, place it hanging straight down so you can line it back up for re-installation.
Clint

[ridgecrest]

Thanks everyone for your input thus far. I have purchased an analog scale and I have lubricated the clutch plate as instructed in the PDF that Chief2007 posted but no such luck. Using either scale (digital or analog) I am getting readings between 100 and 140. Most times when I get the first click it is between 105 and 110 pounds and the second click takes between 115 and 125. I have applied the white lithium grease 6 or 7 times and I have tested the pressure over the coarse of one and a half hours about 30 times. The lowest reading that I ever got was 98.5 (digital) and the highest 148 (analog).

I am so bummed as I had planned to spend the entire day learning this machine by practicing with several small carvings that I designed. :( Oh well, life goes on. I will call CW tomorrow and see what they say. I'll let you know what I find out. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

[chief2007]

You do have the scale in the middle of the unit where you can see the read out through the opening at the top and with one roller on each side, correct. Not meant to sound bad, I just know that others have done that, so please no offense meant at all....


Try looking at this link - might be that the head is not level and throwing your pressure off. That is one reason it is recommended that the head pressure is checked after shipping.

http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/service/Service_instructions/CarveWright_service_level_head.pdf

[cestout]

Also, the head pressure is adjusted by adding or removing washers from behind the spring. Turn your crank so it is straight up, then let it flop down to uncover the screw that holds it in place. Remove the screw and pull the handle out. The spring around the handle shaft probably has thin washers behind it. If so, remove some - or your situation, a most (don't loose them). RE-install the crank handle, seating it correctly thru the torque palate (flats on the crank handle line up with the flats on the inside of the torque plate). Try that on your scale. I think the washers add about 5lb each.
Clint

[bergerud]

If your head is level and the problem is really due to the clutch, you can still carve. With the scale and a board, determine the size of the gap between the board and the head of the machine which corresponds to 80lb. It will be around a 1/4 inch I think. Make a thickness gauge out of a little piece of wood. Now all you have to do is crank down on the project board until it gets to the gauge thickness.

[ridgecrest]

Chief2007 - yes, I have it placed with one roller on either side of the scale. I have also moved the scale as close as possible to the keyboard, to the middle and to the far side yeilding the same result.

Cestout - I have contacted the help desk today and they gave the same advice. I was told that there are 4 washers on the handle and to remove two of them. I will do this this evening and post my results. I sure hope that it does resolve the issue because I am eager to get going with this machine.

Bergerud - I will keep your advice in my back pocket just incase all else fails but more than likely, I would request them to replace mine with a new one.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[ridgecrest]

Does anyone have any crackers and cheese because I need to whine :(.

As instructed by Cestout and the hardware support person, I removed the handle and discovered that there are no washers behind the spring. This leads me to believe that the folks at CW when installing my heavy duty belts tried to adjust the pressure and removed the washers to lower the pressure. However, the pressure remains high and they chose to ship the machine to me knowing that it was out of spec. I am very disappointed! By my getting home late today, I cannot call the support folks so I now have to wait yet another day. Thanks for letting me whine.

If you have any other suggestions, I am open to them. However, I do not want to run the machine until the pressure is fully within the acceptable range.

Let me make sure that I have my orientation correct. If looking at the keypad side the order should be: screw,handle, washers, spring. Correct?

Thanks again.

[fwharris]

http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/service/Service_instructions/CarveWright_service_adjust_head_pressure.pdf

See page 6....

[ridgecrest]

FWHarris - Thanks for posting the link. I did do as documented on page 6. When I last posted, I forgot that there was a drawing to confirm that my orientation was correct. I plan to give CW call during my lunch time. I'll keep you posted.

[fwharris]

FWHarris - Thanks for posting the link. I did do as documented on page 6. When I last posted, I forgot that there was a drawing to confirm that my orientation was correct. I plan to give CW call during my lunch time. I'll keep you posted.

Your welcome! Will be nice to hear what the solution is for lowering your head pressure.

[ridgecrest]

I'm back, I was down for a couple of weeks with a stupid cold and had no energy to work on my CW. However, this week I have been in contact with LHR a few times.

When we last left our cast of characters, I had completed all the recommended tasks; lube clutch, remove washer (but there were none), clean and lube the guide rods, adjust head pressure, and level the head. The last two I refused to do stating that I was not comfortable with (not incapable of) taking a part a brand new machine so I suggested that they either send out a technician or give me an RMA to return the machine for them to fix on their nickle. Mind you, now the pressure was varying between 120 and 160 pounds.

Of course the suggestion of providing a technician (which they told me they don't do) or sending it back started many conversations within LHR (while I was on hold). Time was ticking so they told me that they would call me back which they did later that afternoon. The engineer stated that some of the new C machines had a small barb on the end of handle that was affecting the clutch. I was told to remove the scale and wind the head down onto the rollers and then crank the handle 10 or so times in an effort to wear off the barb. I did so multiple times for the next couple of days. Each time after doing the cranking my pressure consistently measured 98 pounds.

Still not confident that I should run the machine, I called LHR and reported the progress. Yesterday they recommended that I remove the washer on each of the four screws on top of the machine that connect the sides to the guide rods. Not believing that this could even remotely make a difference, I did it and presto, chango, 1-2-3, the pressure now sits at 94 pounds. The support technician stated that a pressure in the low 90's is acceptable for C machines that have the heavy duty belts. He also stated the machine will probably loosen up and the pressure will drop a little more.

I will call tomorrow morning as I have taken the day off and I will confirm that I will not cause any damage to my machine by running it at 94 pounds of pressure. I am so excited, I don't know what to do with my self this evening. I may be making some saw dust this weekend, let's hope.

Thanks everyone for your help. You are the greatest!

Reid

[lynnfrwd]

Glad to hear it worked.


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[ridgecrest]

Feom one issue to the next!

I did get confirmation that the CW-C version can be run at 94# if it has the heavy duty belts. I did successfully carved a very simple sign.

For my second carve, I chose to use rails to save on wood waste. In Designer, I created a more detailed sign which I set to be 12 x 6 x .75. I created two rails 19 x 1.5 x .75 and secured them to edges of the board (12 x 6 x .75) - centering the board in the middle of the 19" rails. I taped the ends as shown in the April 2008 Tips and Tricks document. Here is what happens when I try to carve the sign. When prompted to keep under rollers and I selected both Yes and no and I got the same issue. It tells me that the board is 6.0.66 x 6.00 and asks me 1. Keep original size, 2. Scale to Board, 3. Load new board. I have tried multiple time and I get the same result.

I decided to forget about using rails for now so I cut a board, 19 x 6 x .75 for my 12 x 6 x .75 carving. I get the same results when I try to carve. In both scenarios, the CW does the "Homing", then it measures the board. The board is moved completely from one end to the other but still states that it 6.066 x 6.00. What am I doing wrong?

Reid

[fwharris]

Feom one issue to the next!

I did get confirmation that the CW-C version can be run at 94# if it has the heavy duty belts. I did successfully carved a very simple sign.

For my second carve, I chose to use rails to save on wood waste. In Designer, I created a more detailed sign which I set to be 12 x 6 x .75. I created two rails 19 x 1.5 x .75 and secured them to edges of the board (12 x 6 x .75) - centering the board in the middle of the 19" rails. I taped the ends as shown in the April 2008 Tips and Tricks document. Here is what happens when I try to carve the sign. When prompted to keep under rollers and I selected both Yes and no and I got the same issue. It tells me that the board is 6.0.66 x 6.00 and asks me 1. Keep original size, 2. Scale to Board, 3. Load new board. I have tried multiple time and I get the same result.

I decided to forget about using rails for now so I cut a board, 19 x 6 x .75 for my 12 x 6 x .75 carving. I get the same results when I try to carve. In both scenarios, the CW does the "Homing", then it measures the board. The board is moved completely from one end to the other but still states that it 6.066 x 6.00. What am I doing wrong?

Reid

Reid,
Common issue for new carves and understanding what the display is telling you. The machine is looking for your design size 12x6, when it sees a board wider/longer (that is the first number in display and the second is your design size) it will ask you want you want to do. In your case go with original size. the next prompt should be "center on board" select "yes".

Also when you tell the machine to stay under rollers it will automatically add 7" in length to your design size so insure your at least that much longer in your set up. AS LG would say "8 inches or longer" .

[AskBud]

Feom one issue to the next!

I did get confirmation that the CW-C version can be run at 94# if it has the heavy duty belts. I did successfully carved a very simple sign.

For my second carve, I chose to use rails to save on wood waste. In Designer, I created a more detailed sign which I set to be 12 x 6 x .75. I created two rails 19 x 1.5 x .75 and secured them to edges of the board (12 x 6 x .75) - centering the board in the middle of the 19" rails. I taped the ends as shown in the April 2008 Tips and Tricks document. Here is what happens when I try to carve the sign. When prompted to keep under rollers and I selected both Yes and no and I got the same issue. It tells me that the board is 6.0.66 x 6.00 and asks me 1. Keep original size, 2. Scale to Board, 3. Load new board. I have tried multiple time and I get the same result.

I decided to forget about using rails for now so I cut a board, 19 x 6 x .75 for my 12 x 6 x .75 carving. I get the same results when I try to carve. In both scenarios, the CW does the "Homing", then it measures the board. The board is moved completely from one end to the other but still states that it 6.066 x 6.00. What am I doing wrong?

ReidForget the project for a minute, and let's use measuring function.
Put the board in the unit (card in place), and use the keyboard to get to the measurement option. Now do doth a Length and width check. Let's see if those readings are match your ruler.
AskBud