PDA

View Full Version : Got the Fuzzies - quality problem



pwell
01-29-2007, 03:15 PM
I have been trying for the last two weeks to get a good carving from my machine. The picture shows the last supper from code provided by another user. I took his/her code, applied it to a poplar board sized as 24” y 12”. The picturen while containing amazing detail with the surface that is rough and appears fuzzy.

Most all my signs with letters show the letters looks like the 101_0136.jpg picture.

So far, overall, nothing has come out in looking very good.

I removed the 1/16 tapered cutter and noticed a few sall places where the holder was shiny or perhaps scrapped a little.

From the pictures in the gallery, many users project look quite acceptable. So far, mine has not. The machine is clean.

Where do I go from here?

My pics are 1.2 MB and won't load. How can I show you the problem?

Phil Bell

Malfunction
01-29-2007, 03:28 PM
applied it to a poplar board sized as 24” y 12”

i think your wood type is your nemesis. have you tried oak?

pwell
01-29-2007, 03:31 PM
Yes I have tried oak and pine. same results

HandTurnedMaple
01-29-2007, 05:59 PM
I have tried several different woods, and all have had some level of fuzz, including hard maple (I just bought cherry today, but won't be carving on it for a few days until I get perfect results on a lesser wood). You can clean this up with a brass wire brush.

I don't know if yours is excessively fuzzy or not, but softer hardwoods fuzz up the most (and oak just like to shred). But if the results are actually more fuzzy than normal (I'm sure how to have you show us), then perhaps the problem is you got a less than sharp bit.

This uses a spiral cutting router bit, which tends to rip the wood fibers vs. a hand carving bit that cuts the fibers. So the softer the wood and more open the grain the more likely the fibers are to pull apart instead of cutting perfectly clean (pine and poplar are fairly soft in comparison to other woods, and oak has Grand Canyon-like open grain).

I am no expert, and have not found the perfect wood yet (although Cherry has been recommended and that's why I bought it today). But I have learned from the wood I did use.

pkunk
01-29-2007, 06:36 PM
Ditto all of the above./ To answer (somewhat) your photo size problem, you need (should have) some kind of image processing software on your computer. I use Photoshop which has a "save for web' setting which wootks great.

pwell
01-29-2007, 07:41 PM
Here is a small piece of the original photo. It clearly shows the fuzz.

The second cropped photo shows how letters that have been obliterated. Note also this was cut from oak and the letters were 1" or bigger.

HandTurnedMaple
01-29-2007, 07:59 PM
Wow, the lettering looks like hell. Are you using bit optimization in Designer and best quality when uploading to your memory card? And setting the correct bit under Edit/Board Settings/Pattern Bit?

HandTurnedMaple
01-29-2007, 10:06 PM
To speak of the problem with the Last Supper carving, I was just looking at using it myself. When I selected Bit Optimization: Best and zoomed way in, the onscreen results were very much like your carving result. The pattern itself is fuzzy to begin with.

pwell
01-30-2007, 07:43 AM
The lettering that looks like hell is the better of my lettering tries. One try, with about 3/4" high letters using the raster settings , best bit optimization and best on the upload, had 100% chip out. Could not even read it.

As for the fuzz, the original was developed using the CW probe that is priced at 300.00. Would it have provided a finish as lousy as this? I hope not. IS everything to have this fuzzy finish perhaps in varying degrees of unacceptableness? Wiring brusing helps a little but not enough to make this project presentable. Maybe someone should go to a book store and look at some of the signs there and note the lack of fuzzyness. What gives? Is there hope?

I have tried hard to get this think to produce something worth having. So far I have not succeeded!

Jeff_Birt
01-30-2007, 08:02 AM
You won't be able to carve good 3/4" high letters as ther is no draft (sloped sides) to to the letters and the carving bit is tapered. After placing your text you can use the outline tool to create paths around the letter shapes and use the route tool to cut them out (using the 1/8" cutting bit which has striaght sides). I've had the best success with raised letters on various backgrounds when they are 1/8" to 1/4" above the background.

As for the last supper scan, look at you original under a magnifying glass and see if it looks smooth.

HandTurnedMaple
01-30-2007, 10:52 AM
I am wondering if the letters aren't the result of them being too small. The picture below is my second attempt at an address sign, done in oak. The letters are almost an inch, and the thin areas couples with the oak splintering caused several letters to break up similar to yours. I've since switched to using MS Word fonts, copying them in Corel, then importing into Designer for recessed lettering (back door Centerline fonts I guess).

Note: this is also the sign where I learned that you don't program the extra 7" for the rollers into Designer.

pwell
02-07-2007, 07:09 PM
After all these postings, comments and phone calls, I still have a major quality problem!:( I tried a new tapered cutter and motor speed control fix the result of which is nothing. Please see photo attached. Experiments with depth settings also have been tried. .125 is stead of .25 depth helped but did not fix the big problem of chipout and fuzzys.

HerbO
02-07-2007, 07:46 PM
Hi pwell
My CW had a problem with the Bit Chuck. On my third attemp it was chewing the letters like you showed above. Rotate the bit by hand and see if there any bit wobble. It was very hard getting the bit out and the adaptor had some shiny spots like it was worn.

Marzluf
02-07-2007, 07:51 PM
I think you're still too deep for that particular carving and board size.

Here's your file that I altered the depth on and decreased the feathering.

David M.
02-07-2007, 08:04 PM
This looks like a combination of issues. The wood to soft and the font strokes to narrow and the size might be to small. I have had good luck with 1" text but not with the softer woods or very narrow strokes widths. That combination almost never works, and stay away from oak it's to brital usually. The fuzz I usually spray with a light caot of lacquer and wire brush after it's dry, usually not more than a few minutes work total.

HandTurnedMaple
02-08-2007, 11:35 AM
Its a thickness issue. Anything under 1/8" wide runs a risk of chipout. The letters are right at that line as are the face lines. Try making those things thicker and cut it again. Or invert it so that the lines are cut into the wood instead of standing proud.

And back to the Last Supper you asked about earlier, it is definately in the scanned pattern. I did it yesterday and came out feeling like an egg carton. I showed it to 3 people in person, told them it was a special texturing technique and they all were impressed. 8)

HandTurnedMaple
02-08-2007, 01:30 PM
The fuzz I usually spray with a light caot of lacquer and wire brush after it's dry, usually not more than a few minutes work total.

That's a trick I use when I put a water-based stain on pine. Once it raises the grain, I spray the first coat of pre-cat lacquer. After it dries, I sand it flat again with a 220-grit sanding sponge and spray a second coat. Almost always comes out with a glass smooth finish after the second coat.

pwell
02-09-2007, 12:29 PM
I tried the revised patriots.mpc carving file with much better results. I still has some bad tearout in the printed matter.

l also noticed the speed changed three times while carving this mpc file. I was given a very small controll board about 1/4" wide by 1/2" long with a small white connector on its end. The problem is, where is the original in the machine? is there some documentation or advice I can get to aid in its changing?

Also, as for quality, I have heard it said by many that the machine is supposed to use whatever fonts I have on my pc. I have carved thin narrow fonts and thick wide ones. The tear out is significant on ALL fonts, especially if I set the feathering to 1/4" or 1/2" and the depth to anything over .09.

Shouldn't the machine be able to handle these fonts at 1/8" or more depth in a good quality clear wood like pine or poplar?

I got a new 1/6" tappered bit and tried it. No help. Could play in the truck that goes up and down be part of this problem? When I move it by hand it seems reasonably tight although I do get a small bit of play. I'm not absolutely sure what I should be looking for. There are some black covers around the bearings on the truck which are real loose. I found a broken black cover piece in the bottom of the machine near the panel witht he key pad on it.

I have been at this for almost a month now with minimal positive results. I am getting discouraged.

I wish to thank all who have been so kind as to offer help and comments. ANybody got some magic dust?

Jeff_Birt
02-09-2007, 01:38 PM
I was given a very small controll board about 1/4" wide by 1/2" long with a small white connector on its end. The problem is, where is the original in the machine? is there some documentation or advice I can get to aid in its changing?

You got the board from CW? If so I would contact them for replacment instructions. As for quality issues, pictures and MPC files help out a lot so others can see what the problem is. I found found that the choice of font is critical. Show us what you are working on and perhaps someone can help out :D .

pwell
02-10-2007, 01:31 PM
Ok, here are some more pictures showing the very same chipout problems and lousy quality carving letters.

Thanks for all the constructive helps.

Nothing in all my projects which number @ 20 are worth keeping and would please nobody.

I am still waiting for a reply to my request to the long ato promised directions on how to replace a motor control board from CW.


The problems continue: