X drive gears

[mark_m66]

Hello All,

Can anyone tell me where to purchase X drive gears, I can not seem to find them anywhere?

Thanks for any help.

[Digitalwoodshop]

From LHR. They might be on the Sears Parts Site....

First Post WELCOME !!!!!

The X Gears are designed to snap in a Jam... About 15 bucks to repair... IF a stronger gear was made then the next component up the chain would be the motor... At over $100.00..... And if the Motor did not fail... The Servo Driver Transistor bolted to the Heat Sink of the inside of the $300.00 Computer would SMOKE.... And possibly burn the circuit board.... SO.... A $15.00 gear is CHEAP....

Had to deal with similar circuits at the Sony Picture Tube Plant on the little robot that would place the serial number sticker or WTDS Sticker... World Tube Designation Sticker on the tube. A Servo Arm would grab the printed sticker with a suction cup and the arm would extend and apply the sticker on the waiting tube on a pallet. IF the Arm Jammed the Servo Transistor would smoke... Replaced many... Then I installed a External Fuse Holder on the Robot with a 1/10th Amp Fuse.... Now the fuse would blow saving the Transistor.... Fix the Jam, Replace the Fuse and start the Conveyor..... The Old way.... Assign a guy to manually install the sticker for the 12 hour shift while I fixed the Driver Transistor.... :) The OLDER I GET.... THE BETTER I W A S......

Next is to find out why it snapped... A tapered board, a Right Side Guide Plate TOO close to the board... a thickness of a Quarter away... OR a rolled under sand paper belt....

As for the repair... It is sold as an Assembly.... To replace it you remove the plate and motor and install both at the same time so they mesh up.... OR do like lazy guys like me do.... We take a Dremel Tool or old Wood Chisel and chip away the machine frame to let you pull that first gear off.... I can change a Gear in less than 5 min.... Usually you change both....

GOOD LUCK.... READ Tips and Tricks if you have not.... Good Pilot Error Tips.... As in trying to fly a Airplane before knowing how.... Written by us... AS we were all new once....

AL

In picture 2 you can see that lip edge of frame that is blocking you from pulling off the first big black gear.... That is cut away to let you remove the first then second broken gear.

Picture 1 2011 prices.

[mark_m66]

Thank you for the quick reply! as I've read through these forums I have been surprised at the level of help other users provide, instead of snubbing the newb.

Here is my latest ignorant question, What is LHR? is it a website to order from? do you have a link?

[lynnfrwd]

LHR is the creators of CarveWright. Www.carvewright.com.

Welcome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lawrence]

http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/support/contactus.php

And here's a link showing how to contact them (I usually call them to make contact). They are open during business hours Monday - Friday and are a great bunch.

We'd love to hear more about you and what you do with your carvewright; welcome to the forum, we hope you will "pull up a chair and stay a spell".

Lawrence

[Digitalwoodshop]

We were all new once.... So guys like me and others who have a repair background find it fun to help others by answering the same questions that "WE" once asked.... If you went back to 2007 and looked at my postings on the forum you would find some of the very same questions being asked by ME.... I was once a Navy Electronic Instructor so I tend to make long posts explaining "Stuff" in detail to aid users in understanding what the machine is doing and why things happen and how to learn from every fault the machine has.

Something you read here could trigger your memory on a Sunday Afternoon while doing a Carving and something happens and the machine stops.... Knowing... "OK"... I remember seeing this posted.... I can Fix this and get back to Carving.... The more you read here the better prepared you will be for the very common "Pilot Errors" as we call them.....

On the CarveWright Site find Tips and Tricks.... Read them... Being able to answer the following questions after reading them will make you better prepared to have a HAPPY Experience in carving.... It will prevent the "Anti China" Posts we often see from frustrated new users blaming everything and anything because they can't get the Computerized Carving Machine to work.... It is usually just "Pilot Error" as in trying to fly a Airplane before opening a book and learning how....

If you can answer the following questions you are off to a good start having a happy experience carving.

What is the 7 inch rule of wood?

What should the Board Sensor Number or Reading be on the LCD when a piece of White Copy Paper is laid on a board and the head cranked down to measure the Board Sensor Sensitivity?

What is the Left Clear Cover Switch for?

What is the Right Clear Cover Switch for?

What does the Brass Roller DO?

What is the X, Y and Z Axis of the machine?

Looking at Designer, a Board on the Screen, Where would the Brass Roller be located as you look at the computer board.

What is a Encoder?

What is "Scaling" of the Project and how does the 7 inch rule of wood play into this?

What is the Bit Plate and What is it's Importance?

What is the Right Side Sliding Guide and what is it's Importance?

What do you lubricate the Flex Shaft with? And Why is this important?

What should you see or what steps should you see watching a Bit Change after pressing the Enter or Start Keypad Button from that moment until the bit starts carving. For Simplicity assume a 1 bit project with the Carving Bit.

When doing a Vector Cut of thin material as in cutting out name tags from plastic sheet stock, how can you cheat the Computer to get a smoother cut? Hint: Normal Vector Cuts will cut in a feed rate of slow speed or as I call it, 1st Gear then speed up to 2nd gear or faster feed rate on long areas. The Faster Cutting feed rate leaves a rough edge.... So the real question is "how do the lock the feed rate into 1st gear only leaving a smoother cut?" I do this a few times a week.


And to not leave you hanging.... I have answered the questions below to just wet your desire to learn MORE.....

Good Luck...




What is the 7 inch rule of wood? Since the distance between the 2 rubber rollers on the head of the machine that holds the board down FLAT to the sand paper belts are 7 inches apart. It is 3.5 inches between the BIT and the ROLLER....

What should the Board Sensor Number or Reading be on the LCD when a piece of White Copy Paper is laid on a board and the head cranked down to measure the Board Sensor Sensitivity? 156 is PERFECT... A 90 could be a Dirty Lens.

What is the Left Clear Cover Switch for? The Left Cover Switch tells the computer that the clear cover is open. IF you open the clear cover while carving the computer knows to stop carving and shut off the Cut Motor. This Switch gives the indication on the LCD Screen "Open Cover". IF you ever un plug the wires to the left cover switch going to the circuit board to the computer, know that the plug can be installed 180 degrees out even thought is has guide pins on the plastic. This will give you a open cover fault all the time. For proper install, the one white wire in the bundle of wires on the left switch plug needs to face the center of the machine for proper install.

What is the Right Clear Cover Switch for? The Right Cover Switch is the Cut Motor Safety Switch and is wired on the Return Path or White Wire of the Cut Motor. It is designed to prevent the Cut Motor from starting while you have the cover open to change a bit. NEVER bypass either cover switch. The Wires of the Right Cover Switch are the source of 10% of the Troubleshooting Posts on this forum with questions related to why the bit cannot reach the Bit Plate. The Wires need to be tucked into the back corner of the machine after removing the top black plastic cover from the machine. IF NOT... The Wires out of place, will let the Cooling Fins of the Z Motor bump into the wires. This prevents the Y head and Bit from reaching the Bit Plate. And for the record... 97.32% of all Statistics in PRINT are MADE UP.... LOL.

What does the Brass Roller DO? It contacts the bottom of the board and is the feedback to the computer telling the computer the exact position of the board in the X Axis... This is the most Critical component of the Machine. I make a habit of placing a strip of masking tape on the bottom of the board where the brass roller touches. IF you look after the project is cut, you will see the tracks of the brass roller in the tape. Like a Rack and Pinion, this locks the brass roller to the board. Think of how important the X Position is... Think of Stretched Letters if this data was wrong.... A Circle that cuts OVAL if it was wrong....

What is the X, Y and Z Axis of the machine? X is Board Length, Y is Left and Right, and Z is UP and Down.

Looking at Designer, a Board on the Screen, Where would the Brass Roller be located as you look at the computer board? Top of Screen. Right side of the Designer Board is the Front of the physical board. As you stand at the keypad, the Left side of the board is the Right Side of Designer and the Brass Roller is behind the Keypad.

What is a Encoder? The Encoder is a Clear Disk on the end of the Servo Motors that has little black marks on it. The Disk passes through a Sensor as the Servo Motor Rotates the black marks block the light in the sensor to the photo detector. This makes Pulses. The Computer uses the pulses to know where the Servo Motor is AFTER it HOMES.... Homing for the Z is UP and smashing into the mechanical Stop. The Y Homing Position is the head smashing into the Left or Keypad Side. Once this happens, the Computer keeps track of the movement from that point counting pulses. You can LOOK at the Pulses by calling up the Sensor Data on the LCD Screen by pressing Options, Sensor Data, and Z Data, and Y Data. IT will read 0000 at the time you call up the data and change 0001, 0002, 0003 as you move it.... or -0001, -0002, -0003.... Same with the Z and Y. The X has an Encoder but the computer uses the Brass Roller for better accuracy. The X has a big GEAR BOX to let the tiny Servo Motor just like the Y and Z move 12 foot long boards... The Brass Roller touches the board for better accuracy of feedback to the computer.

What is "Scaling" of the Project and how does the 7 inch rule of wood play into this? Simply if you design a project on Designer making a 17 inch board and make a 17 inch long Sign in Designer. Then Install a 17 inch long PHYSICAL Board and as part of the setup when the LCD ASKS you the question? "Stay Under the Rollers?". IF you select "NO", then the CW cuts the 17 inch Designer Art into a 17 inch Physical Board and at times the board will only be held under 1 roller and can possibly TIP UP, causing a line in the carving or Art. Same Project and you select "YES" Stay under the Rollers, then the Computer will then ask.... "HEY... Do you want my to SCALE this project to FIT the BOARD?" IF you ignore this prompt and say "YES" Go ahead and SCALE THE PROJECT.... What will happen is the computer will take the 7 inches NEEDED to keep 3.5 inches of PHYSICAL WOOD under the ROLLERS that are 3.5 inches from the BIT.... SO 17 inch Physical Board, 17 inch Designer Computer Board, NEED to SUBTRACT 7 inches to STAY under the ROLLES... That is WHY the Computer ASKES... Scale Project? YOU said YES.... The Computer will now scale your 17 inch Designer Project to FIT ON A 10 inch long Physical Board..... So your project comes out and it is a "Miniature" Version of what you wanted... You then run to the Forum and post... "WHY is my PROJECT SO SMALL?....." It is all because you selected to "SCALE" your project to fit the board minus 7 inches to stay under the rolles... NOW.... Same Project.... 17 inch Designer Project 24 inch long PHYSICAL BOARD.... NOTE the 7 inch LONGER PHYSICAL BOARD.... You select to YES STAY UNDER ROLLERS.... But the Computer WILL NOT ASK you to SCALE the project BECAUSE when it measured the physical board, it saw a 24 inch board and WAS GOOD.... OK to cut a 17 inch project on a 24 inch board AND stay under the Rollers..... Whoooo.... That allot of Explinatins....

What is the Bit Plate and What is it's Importance? Bit Plate pops OUT when the Head moves in Y all the way to the Right pressing out the Bit Plate. The Z then lowers the bit to touch the bit plate, and that tells the computer that "THIS is the end of the Bit" VERY important to WATCH EVERY TIME.... A Error Here will cost you in WOOD.... As in a BAD CUT.... Watch and Learn every Bit Change.... KNOW when it has gone WRONG.... Then you can stop the machine and FIX the problem BEFORE WASTING WOOD.

What is the Right Side Sliding Guide and what is it's Importance? The Right side Guide Plate should be set the thickness of a Quarter FROM the EDGE of the board. NEVER TOUCHING as is can BIND the Board. When you do a Cut Path, the 1/8 inch End Mill or Cutting Bit touches this Right side Guide Plate to tell the Computer the bottom of the board and with the touch of the bit on TOP of the board CALCULATES the Board Thickness.... This is where a FAULT ERROR comes from, BOARD TOO THICK to Cut PATH...

What do you lubricate the Flex Shaft with? And Why is this important? Chain Lube WITH MOLLY. IF you use the WRONG lubricant without MOLLY the Flex can over heat and snap. The MOLLY is Super Lubricant....

What should you see or what steps should you see watching a Bit Change after pressing the Enter or Start Keypad Button from that moment until the bit starts carving. For Simplicity assume a 1 bit project with the Carving Bit. Spin Up of the bit, Head Moves to the left toward the keypad, Bobs down the left side, Moves to the Bit Plate to find the end of the bit, Moves to the left side of the board and then touches the top of the board 3 times to tell the computer that this is the TOP of the board... Starts Cutting.... I have the option set and the bit stops before touching the board and asks... Jog to position? This lets me move the bit to any part of the board.

When doing a Vector Cut of thin material as in cutting out name tags from plastic sheet stock, how can you cheat the Computer to get a smoother cut? Hint: Normal Vector Cuts will cut in a feed rate of slow speed or as I call it, 1st Gear then speed up to 2nd gear or faster feed rate on long areas. The Faster Cutting feed rate leaves a rough edge.... So the real question is "how do the lock the feed rate into 1st gear only leaving a smoother cut?" I do this a few times a week. Answer: Select a 1/4 inch Round Nose Bit in Designer but load a 1/8 or 1/16 end mill bit....

OK... That Shot a whole HOUR on a Sunday Afternoon....

DO your HOMEWORK.... Read Tips and Tricks and learn....

WELCOME.... Tell us about your PROJECTS !!!!

IF you don't have a ROCK CHUCK or a CARVETITE Chuck and use a QC or QUICK CHANGE Chuck do a search using "Quick Change" using the " " in the search and read up on proper care and lubrication of the QC. IT CAN SPIT OUT a bit.... IF not properly cared for....

You can buy the Rock Chuck from user Ron Justice and the CarveTite from LHR.

A few versions of Dust Collectors are in use and make a big difference as a CLEAN Machine will work better.

A metal version by member Floyd called the RingNeckBlues and a Plastic Version by Erwin. Read the Dust Collection Thread for great info on proper grounding. Remember that using a Shop Vac sucking up chips can produce a High Voltage Static and KILL YOUR MACHINE.... So Read Up....


Good Luck,


AL

[fwharris]

Al,

GREAT POST!!!!

[cestout]

great post Al. I try to hit a lot of that during my demos, but who knows how much sticks. Adult education is need orentated - I the person doesn't have the question the answer will not stick. Mark and other new carvers, after you have carved for a few months, find a StartU member to answer the questions that you didn't know you had.
Clint

[olsenla]

Great post Al. A lot of very valuable information all together. I plan to print it and keep a copy close to my machine. Would try to memorize but that ain't happening anymore ha ha.

Thanks,
Larry