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MJ carver
01-29-2007, 05:57 PM
After finally getting everything working, my first design was carving but it came out about 1 inch instead of 8 inches long. It happened 3 times in a row, with 2 different designs. Why does this happen? On the CW software, it looks fine. Does anyone know what I did wrong? Thanks for any help!

HandTurnedMaple
01-29-2007, 06:01 PM
What options did you select on the machine's control pad?

pkunk
01-29-2007, 06:38 PM
Post the mpc file and tell us what the LCD said when you began. What was the wood size, etc. We need some info other than "what did I do wrong".

MJ carver
01-29-2007, 06:47 PM
Thanks for the fast response! I used the standard keypad settings when prompted for each one, and everything looked "normal" when I clicked enter each time. 1. Choose project, 2. insert board, 3. stay under roller-yes, 4. choose bit, measure board, 5. center on board. The carving began but the design was miniaturized. Any ideas why? Thanks so much! I use a laser engraver every day but this a completely different animal!

pkunk
01-29-2007, 06:51 PM
Please post your MPC file & I'll try to diagnose why.

Rick Devine
01-29-2007, 06:52 PM
Just a guess, but if you say stay under rollers, you need an extra 7" of board in the machine greater than your original design. If your board is the same length as what you used in the Designer and you stay under the rollers, the CW will subtract the 7" from your board and use what is left.

MJ carver
01-29-2007, 06:54 PM
Sorry, I just saw the other post responses after the first.... My project was a small simple 5" x 8" trial design, to see how the machine works. My second attempt was a more little complex design which also came out tiny and I aborted before it got very far.

pkunk
01-29-2007, 06:57 PM
1 other thing I need - the board size that you put into the CW.

MJ carver
01-29-2007, 07:02 PM
Thanks, Rick, THAT roller thing would explain a lot! I misunderstood the instructions, thinking it meant the project itself had to be at least 7 inches. When cutting such a small piece, can I skip the roller option, and use Center on Board especially since the design does not actually go the the edge? I'm going to try that right now!

HandTurnedMaple
01-29-2007, 07:03 PM
What did it measure the actual board at? Also your depth cut is the same as the thickness of the board. That may be screwing it up.

Rick Devine
01-29-2007, 07:17 PM
MJ,

I have carved several signs responding N to keep under the rollers and I have been successful, but you need a good board with no warpage, cups, etc. Otherwise, you will probably get snipe or worse.

MJ carver
01-29-2007, 07:21 PM
I used a board 1/2" thick, just to be safe and not carve through. It was also 6" x 9" to make sure it was not too small. BUT! Since my last post, I tried again, without "staying under rollers" and Rick was right, the size is what it is supposed to be. It is carving now, so in whatever number of minutes it takes, I will know if it's okay. Pkunk, I know the 1/4" thing was a potential problem, so that's why I used a thicker board. But, since I made that file, I read the instructions in help and can adjust the depth of the image correctly (duh...read the instructions?!) The default is 1/4"...

Really, you guys are THE BEST!! Thanks so much for your help and understanding us newbies. I've been on other forums where the old-timers are very arrogant towards people looking for help. Thank you SO much for being nice! :lol:

MJ carver
01-29-2007, 07:32 PM
Okay, I've just aborted the carve, since now I know the whole design is reversed. That's an easy fix, so I will try again. Thanks again!

MJ carver
01-30-2007, 05:42 PM
Hi everyone, I am happy to report the CW is running perfectly now that I am NOT using "keep rollers under board". Now I can focus on getting my greyscales more perfect. BTW- I did all of my tests on pine (cheeep) but expect better results on cherry or ash or butternut. Even so, the pine did carve fine, although the very fine pieces wanted to break off, so in the future I would stay away from any lines less than 5 pt. Thanks for the forum! :D