PDA

View Full Version : CarveWright Has Gotten Pretty Reliable!



lynnfrwd
08-17-2012, 11:43 AM
Out of all of our orders yesterday, a board sensor cable was the only parts order! WooHoo!

dbfletcher
08-17-2012, 11:51 AM
Ya.. and even by judging on the quantity of "troubleshooting" posts here on the forum it would appear that many of the problems are but a distant memory now. I might be a masochist, but I even look fondly on all the growing pains I had to endure with working with this machine for the early days.

Old Salt
08-17-2012, 12:20 PM
I'm going to change my names for my C/W's . I called them my Ford's "fix or repair daily" its been at 6 months and I still have not had cover off them.

lynnfrwd
08-17-2012, 12:41 PM
Old Salt - you had me there for a minute. My mind was seeing a cover like you throw over an unused BBQ pit, then I realized you meant you hadn't had to take the clear cover off to fix anything in 6 months.

It's Friday and my mind is moving a little slow this morning.

Good deal!!!

Digitalwoodshop
08-17-2012, 12:42 PM
This has been a trend over the last year. It is when someone new getting a older machine that we all jump to help get it running and the user TRAINED... Attitude is 90%... Like a Automobile, Maintenance and HOW TO is required.... The 7 inch rule of wood generates the most Pilot Errors.... Once we get the Pilots to learn to Carve by reading the Tips and Tricks do we really find our job done. The machine is not a plug and play like a Table Saw... You need to know how to properly use the machine to be successful....

And with that, we see less and less real troubleshooting where components fail.... YES, in the current configuration the machine is very RELIABLE... EVEN my "A" Series that have all the fixes AND a RINGNECK BLUES Dust Collector.

As we know one disappointed customer tells 1000 people and a happy customer tells 10.........

As far as all the BAD PRESS posted since 2007 on other forums.... IF the person does not do the due diligence and get the real scoop HERE about the Reliability, well..... I guess they will just miss out on a really GREAT Affordable MACHINE...

AL

atauer
08-17-2012, 01:11 PM
Old Salt - you had me there for a minute. My mind was seeing a cover like you throw over an unused BBQ pit, then I realized you meant you hadn't had to take the clear cover off to fix anything in 6 months.

It's Friday and my mind is moving a little slow this morning.

Good deal!!!

Its not morning anymore. I think you need more coffee...

lynnfrwd
08-17-2012, 01:15 PM
See.....I told you it was moving slow!

ktjwilliams
08-19-2012, 09:08 AM
I think that folks have learned so much from repairing their machines that they just go and do it now.. Or like me,,, I think many folks have modified their machines to improved certain functions ... My lastest adventure is doing away with the flex cable and having a direct drive.... Unfortunity,,, I haven't had much time for this lately... Over the winter I'll have time,,,, I hope ... So far my favorite Mod is the use of the ER20 spindle ... Runs and cuts smoother then anything else i've seen.. Plus the added benifit of using and size shank with no need for any adapters nuttin... The collets hold carbide bits with no problem ...

cestout
08-20-2012, 01:28 PM
Al, about telling people. The unhappy hold true, but with the CarveWright more happy users speak up. That is why StartU works.
Clint

Digitalwoodshop
08-20-2012, 02:30 PM
Yes, that is CW PRIDE showing through ACTIONS.... GOOD JOB on the StartU... I had a little good natured Banter with a friend that is into the BIG CNC Machines including a 8 Axis unit... Even He has respect for what the CW can do as a Hobby Machine.... He never misses an opportunity to tease me..... Good Natured....

As for doing away with the Flex.... The Weight of a Cut Motor mounted to the Z Axis would be a challange... I have seen Shop Bot type machines with a Spring to neutralize some of the weight and make it more of a neutral weight.... I wondered if a BELT Drive would work.... I have a Belt Drive on my Star 912 Rotary Engraver. A Belt Drive like that on the CW with a way to give constant tension over the Y of the machine... AND the thought of a spinning belt like a drill press at a much higher speed..... Then with pressure toward the motor and belt assembly would cause the roller rail bearings to ride more on the SIDES being under pressure....

Thinking of all the options of changing the Flex Idea... I am still in full support of the Flex idea... IT Works.... I do have a plan to wall mount 2 machines in my shop and remove the Cut Motor and turn it 90 degrees and mount it above and behind the machine in line with the X, so the flex just drapes down into the machine. The advantage to me would be moving the motor to a less dusty location and with the Muffler vented outside as that would cut down on the noise.

AL

TerryT
08-20-2012, 05:19 PM
In that configuration, wouldn't the flex put additional load on the Z? In that the Z would have to bend the flex rather than just move it side to side?

Digitalwoodshop
08-20-2012, 08:50 PM
I am thinking that the cut motor would be mounted above, slightly behind and in the center of the machine from the wall, with the flex just draping down on the Z. With little stress going side to side in Y and up and down in Z. Neutral Stress... Motor turned 90 degrees.

The motor would be in the X direction, just turned 90 degrees, not hanging in the Z Direction.

AL

RMarkey
08-21-2012, 10:30 AM
I wouldn't recommend trying to mount a heavy motor directly to the Z axis.

You simply won't get the carve quality you would want because of its weight.

ktjwilliams
08-21-2012, 10:42 AM
The straighter the run of the flex shaft , the less heat and friction that will be generated ... I may also try just hanging the motor temporarily like my rotary tool motor.. It's all bout getting rid of the friction, heat, and shaft vibration..

RMarkey
08-21-2012, 11:52 AM
Hanging the motor has been done before, and pictures were posted on the forum.

gwizpro
08-21-2012, 07:52 PM
I will bet ya, that a lot of people are using some sort of vauuming of the machine. Reading a lot of the old maintenance posts, it seems a lot were caused by debris everywhere. I know the 2 machines we run nearly every day are always clean and our downtime is less than 3%. I am also a firm believer in Preventive Maintenance. The vacs we use keep our machines very clean. A clean machine is a happy machine.