Head won't go down

[xchief807]

Ok my head wont screw down it just keeps clicking I have cleaned the screws and lubed everything. I also tried to align the head by screwing the head down manually and still no good goes up no problem but wont go down unless you do it manually.

Kevin

[CW-HAL9000]

first remove the handle and washers inside, I use a small magnetic parts locater, (like a pen with a magnet on the end) to pull washers out. Spray lube into clutch area, rotate shaft and spray some more. replace washers and handle. From the inside of the head you can see half the gear that goes to the handle/clutch area. Put a cloth in the machine to catch over spray. spray lube onto that gear, rotate handle and gear and spray the other half.

If you still have problems go on to check head level. Instructions here:

http://www.carvewright.com/assets/service/Service_instructions/CarveWright_service_level_head.pdf

One final thought, Is your garage cold? Tempuratures below 50 will cause problems with the head moving.

[xchief807]

Garage is cold but the head goes up no problem just wont go down it just keeps clicking I can get it to go down manually if I use a allen wrench and turn like if th head was stuck in the up position.

[bergerud]

Sounds to me like maybe the clutch plate has come loose or has cracked. Does the handle just turn really easy?

[xchief807]

no and its clicking I have it going up and down now up is no problem it was only down im starting to think it is the cold weather I have 50lbs of head pressure

[CW-HAL9000]

head will usually only stick going down because of clutch mechanism. probably is the cold I usually do not carve until my shop has warmed up to at least 55, I use a propane heater. Right now my shop is at 40 so I need to turn the heater on for carving I plan on doing this afternoon.

[xchief807]

I put a heater out there now so I will see what happens its moving up and down now still sticking a little when going down but I have 50lbs of head pressure.

[xchief807]

Put the heater out in the garage and that fixed the problem head goes up and down better then ever since I greased and aligned it. all I needed was a little heat I now have 80lbs pressure on my head. cold weather can play havoc.

[lynnfrwd]

Yeah! Base has more metal than top, so cold affected it.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Be aware of Condensation this time of year, heating the machine then letting it cool down overnight in a humid cold area... we see more X Termination Board Failures this time of year... Shorting between the copper traces due to moisture....

AL

[sunmiztres]

I am also having the exact problem. WHen tuning to go down it will just click and click. I have done the maintenance for the head pressure and the Level the head and still no go. The only thing that will work is if I put all my pressure on the top of the handle while cranking it down. I checked and the gears teeth look good. I cleaned them put all back together and still the same problem exists. I am thinking it might be the clutch. How would I know and is the clutch replaceable? I looked at the parts list and don't see one listed.
Thank you for any help you could give.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Check Head Level and also look close at the 4 smooth rails for any damage or bumps. As a last resort you rotate the 4 smooth rails. Remember dried grease and sawdust inside the 4 smooth rail long bearings cause resistance. Flushing the junk out might help reduce the load on the clutch.

AL

[thingmeister]

So i was having the same issue. head went up easy, kept clicking and wouldnt go down. it was warm enough, level, lubed up, no broken teeth anywhere; still no dice. as i sat there cursing and weeping softly ready to go "hulk smash":mad: on my carvewright, i thought about it....the clutch is slipping!. One of the reasons you replace a car clutch is because the spring on the plate wears out. When you take off the handle on your carvewright, there is a large spring that pushes down on the clutch plate. I proceeded to take the spring out and stretch it out about 1/2"-3/4". Placed it back in the machine, and voila! it worked! up/down no problems! Just thought id share fore those who have tried everything else.

[Digitalwoodshop]

So i was having the same issue. head went up easy, kept clicking and wouldnt go down. it was warm enough, level, lubed up, no broken teeth anywhere; still no dice. as i sat there cursing and weeping softly ready to go "hulk smash":mad: on my carvewright, i thought about it....the clutch is slipping!. One of the reasons you replace a car clutch is because the spring on the plate wears out. When you take off the handle on your carvewright, there is a large spring that pushes down on the clutch plate. I proceeded to take the spring out and stretch it out about 1/2"-3/4". Placed it back in the machine, and voila! it worked! up/down no problems! Just thought id share fore those who have tried everything else.

GOOD JOB !!!!

When you get a chance place two boards in the machine on both sides with a slip of paper on them. Crank down then pull paper... if one slips out easy the head is not level. Since the 4 smooth rail bearings are so long, twisting them to the side from un level can cause resistance.

Just a followup to your repair job...

AL

[poppy79424]

So i was having the same issue. head went up easy, kept clicking and wouldnt go down. it was warm enough, level, lubed up, no broken teeth anywhere; still no dice. as i sat there cursing and weeping softly ready to go "hulk smash":mad: on my carvewright, i thought about it....the clutch is slipping!. One of the reasons you replace a car clutch is because the spring on the plate wears out. When you take off the handle on your carvewright, there is a large spring that pushes down on the clutch plate. I proceeded to take the spring out and stretch it out about 1/2"-3/4". Placed it back in the machine, and voila! it worked! up/down no problems! Just thought id share fore those who have tried everything else.

Im about to use mine for the very 1st time and have this very same issue. After reading this I did the spring and it worked like a charm! THANKS! Now onward with the carve!!!

[bergerud]

You should now check the head pressure with an old bathroom scale. That spring determines the head pressure. If you stretched it, you may now be clamping the board too hard.

[edsingletary]

I was about to pose this same problem myself, glad I read before posting. I wil try that spring thing tomorrow

[Mugsowner]

A build up of sawdust and/or lube can cause this issue. Stretching a spring will seem like a cure, but spring are not made to be stretched, it will cause the spring to weaken again sooner. I have used WD-40 to free the head up, by spraying the rails to loosen the build up. I wipe the rail down well to remove as much build up as I can. I then apply a dry spray type lube to lube and help prevent build up. Depending on the type of wood you are craving not only dust is flying around, but particles of sap as well. The slow up and down movement of the head helps smear them in very well. Incorrect lube can cause this issue just by sitting and drying out.

[bergerud]

There are many things that affect head pressure and the movement of the head up and down. When everything is moving smoothy as it should, the spring determines the proper head pressure. If something is interfering with the normal head movement, one should find out what it is and fix it. Stretching the spring is, in most all cases, not the solution. Once you stretch the spring, you are now on your own to determine the correct head pressure each time you clamp down on a board. You may start experiencing tracking errors and inconsistent machine behavior if you are clamping the head down too tight.

[lynnfrwd]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned the effects of cold weather. Seems to be 49º where you are poppy. Is your shop or garage warmed up?

[t-townwilson]

I just bought a used machine off this forum, and I'm having the same head pressure problem. The outside temperature is 61 degrees, I've done the maintenance for head level and head pressure, but pressure is only 42 lbs. Mine also is slow to lower with much clicking (clutch slipping?). With no board in machine, should the head lower to touch the belts? Mine stops about 1" short of touching. Is that normal? I don't know what to do next. I bought this machine as backup (mine is being repaired at factory), and now I can't even use the backup!

[fwharris]

I just bought a used machine off this forum, and I'm having the same head pressure problem. The outside temperature is 61 degrees, I've done the maintenance for head level and head pressure, but pressure is only 42 lbs. Mine also is slow to lower with much clicking (clutch slipping?). With no board in machine, should the head lower to touch the belts? Mine stops about 1" short of touching. Is that normal? I don't know what to do next. I bought this machine as backup (mine is being repaired at factory), and now I can't even use the backup!

Have you tried lubing the clutch in the crank handle? Also have you given the lead screws and 4 corner posts a good cleaning?

[bergerud]

The clutch should not click until the head is clamping on a board. The head should come down to less than 1/2" of the deck. Maybe the corner posts are binding. Shipping could have moved things around? You have to make the call: clutch too easy or head too hard to move.

Is it the same all the way up and down? (clutch too easy.) Does it bind more at the bottom? ( posts not aligned.)

[t-townwilson]

It seems to be difficult to raise initially, but then gets easier as it goes up, and the clicking begins as it gets close to the bottom. Again, it stops completely about an inch from the deck. Sometime is won't go down at all---just clicks. I have wiped posts and screws and applied white lithium grease to them. It sounds like posts might not be adjusted properly and clutch might be slipping. I loosened the posts at top and bottom yesterday so that they could "self adjust", but do they need some sort of manual adjustment? Sounds scary to me.

[bergerud]

If the head is level and you loosened the bottom of the posts and it still has problems going down, it must be something else. Check over the screw threads, nuts, and bearings. Keep looking.

[Mugsowner]

Once you loosen the lower post bolts, attempt to lower the head, if the head goes down lower it to till it clutches out. Now you should have about a 1/2" gap. Tighten the lower post bolts with the head at it's lowest position. Tighten the bolts a little at a time, if you tighten them down quickly they will tend to twist the post slightly causing interference with head movement.As you tight the bolts down raise and lower the head to make sure it is moving free.

[aokweld101]

another thing if you see nothing that is stopping it at what you can see take off the botom cover and inspect the gear and make sure it's working right, screws tighten and visually check the mechanical parts.

[Mugsowner]

Just a note, I always lower the head when I move my machines around. If I transport I load a short board under the head and lower it until it clutches out. This helps prevent post movement. When the head is up there is more chance of it shifting while being moved around.

[t-townwilson]

I loosened the top and bottom bolts on the posts and tried to raise and lower the head with bolts loosened. Still won't go down far enough. I can lower it manually to about 3/4" using hole in lead screw, but no luck with crank. Could it be the crank clutch mechanism? How difficult is that to replace? It continues to click as the head nears the bottom of it's movement, but stops about 1" - 1 1/2" short of the deck. It measures 49 on bathroom scales.

[bergerud]

What head pressure do you get if you clamp down on a really thick board? Block up the scale to measure the pressure up high. If it is good, the clutch is ok.

[t-townwilson]

I put scales on top of piece of 8/4 maple and got a reading of 48.2

[bergerud]

Well, I guess that makes the clutch the prime suspect. Do you have the thin washers from the keypad side post tops? If you do, you could try using them to stiffen the clutch spring. They fit behind the handle.

It may be that the clutch disc is cracked. You may have to take it apart. Maybe someone else with more clutch experience could advise what to do next.

[fwharris]

Yes, remove the crank handle and spring. On the crank handle shaft there should be one to several thin washers. They are used to either add (more washers higher head pressure) or lower (less is less :) ) head pressure. To add more washers you will find them on the top of the 4 corner posts. I believe CarveWright recommends to use the ones off of the right side posts.

While you have the crank handle out work some bearing/axle grease in behind the clutch plate, the flat washer on the gear.

http://store.carvewright.com/home.php?cat=389

[t-townwilson]

can I use same size washers obtained at Lowe's or the like, or is there something special about the washers on the posts?

[fwharris]

can I use same size washers obtained at Lowe's or the like, or is there something special about the washers on the posts?

They are thinner than the STD washer and are sized for the crank handle shaft.

[t-townwilson]

I removed two washers from the top of the posts and placed them on screw that connects the handle to the shaft. The pressure increased to 53. Not sure if adding two additional washers will alleviate the problem, but it does seem better.

[Gary Koval]

If I can just say, after having this problem a couple of years ago, I found that shooting the bearings at the bottom of the two screw posts with oil solved my problem. The bearings were so dry with dust, that working them with oil got them moving better and stopped the problem of pre-mature clicking so to speak...Gary

[Mugsowner]

That's a great idea Gary. If you have not done this I would recommend it. I would take it one step farther and make sure all moving parts for head elevation are lubed up. I do think you are looking at a clutch issue with such low head pressure at different heights. However the head on going down all the way,I am still leaning towards to a issue at the bottom causing increased drag, causing head to clutch out. I understand the head goes up and down fine unless near the point at which it stops moving. Leading me to feel that the issue is somewhere in that area.

[t-townwilson]

still a no-go. I took off the side panels and oiled the point at which the screws enter the bottom of the machine (is this the bearing location?). I have placed extra washers on crank screw. I have visually inspected the mechanism, and I am totally stumped! Thanks for all the suggestions.

[mtylerfl]

I'm thinking this is still either a post alignment problem or head out of level problem (since you cleaned and lubed the posts thoroughly already, and inspected/adjusted the clutch). This should have been a very simple fix. Most folks who have this problem this time of year is due to a cold shop...but you say your shop is warm, so that can't be it. Another common cause is the lithium grease is all "gummy" and stiff mixed with sawdust. In that case, a thorough clean and lube easily remedies the problem (along with never ever using the grease again...use dry lube only!).

At the moment, the only other thing I can think of is to check for cracks around any of the four top bolts of the head. If so, maybe the posts cannot be aligned properly.

EDIT: One more thing...Have you checked the tie rod underneath the machine?

"Check to see if the tie rod between the two leadscrews has sufficient play.While the machine is still on its back, locate the leadscrew tie rod. This tie rod (with bevel gears) connects the two leadscrews on either side of the machine. The leadscrews drive the head up and down as the crank handle is turned. Grab the tierod and verify that there is side to side play in the rod. The amount of play will vary between machines, but the important thing to note is that there is some side to side play. The play should be minimal but apparent. If the rod is locked side to side turn the crank handle one full turn and try again. If the rod is still locked in place please contact CarveWright technical support (713-473-6572) for additional instructions."

[Mugsowner]

Where are you located,maybe someone in your area that knows a bit about these machines could give you a hand.

[t-townwilson]

I am in Tuscaloosa, AL, an hour SW of Birmingham. I have emailed Ed Baker to see if he could look at it.

[bergerud]

Do you see any damage to the lead screw threads? Maybe one of the lead screw nuts is damaged.

[t-townwilson]

problem is not solved, but I haven't been able to do anything the past couple of days, and I am leaving for the weekend at the WoodShow in Atlanta tomorrow. Hope to get this resolved next week!