It Works!

[Jsolomito]

My CC system arrived a couple of weeks ago but with the cold weather we've been having in Ohio I just got to try it out yesterday (shop is unheated) and...it works!!! Perfectly!
With all the issues that have been posted here, I really expected that it probably wouldn't, but as others have pointed out, most of the folks who have a normally functioning machine just go ahead and use it...the silent majority as it were...and are not heard from in the forum. So I just thought I'd put in a post to let prospective users know that it is not unreasonable to expect, and get, a machine that works fine. Do read the machine and software documentation thoroughly though. It really can help to avoid many of the problems that I have seen discussed here.
I do have one question though. The sliding guide plate is not perfectly parallel to the squaring plate. The left side is about 1/16" farther away than the right side. So far it does not seem to be affecting the function of the machine but the projects I have done so far have been relatively small. Is it supposed to be this way? If not, is there an adjustment? I haven't found any mention of this in the users manual.

Joe

[pkunk]

There's only the 2 screws you see looking at the center mount. Mine has been loose (wobbles front to back)for over a year. Don't hurt nuttin'.:)

[icormba]

I'll add to your post... maybe other fortunate ones can too as suggested in the stickied announcement above.

I just started using mine 2 days ago (only 2 projects). No problems of any huge concern.

The only issues I have had are:
1) CW won't measure a board with a thickness of .25 on the length setting, but will measure it on the width setting. I think I will try to adjust my tables as pkunk mentioned in another post. The masking tape thing didn't work.
2) The bit and chuck sticking problem some seem to have effected mine, but the more I've worked it... the better it's been.

I've been spending most of my time in the software area creating projects.
The software isn't too shabby either.

[The Bard]

it says on the faq and I think in the Manual that .5 in is the minimum thickness you can use in the machine.

[CallNeg151]

it says on the faq and I think in the Manual that .5 in is the minimum thickness you can use in the machine.

Actually, the manual that is shipping says .25".

With that said, the discussion here has led to the conclusion that .25" MEANS .25", meaning that most 1/4" boards are actually less than half an inch, and do not work. Even if you plane your board down to a perfect 1/4", some machines I've heard are less than reliable even at that.

Do not worry, however, do what all of us do- Use double-sided mounting or some other method to securely affix two boards together, and you can carve the .25" without problem. One thing you should be aware of, however, is that you will not be able to use the cutout tool with such a setup (because cutout will automatically cut through the whole piece, and won't leave tabs on the top piece, which will then fly loose). You can get around this by setting a bit path with the cutting bit, at the depth (or slightly below) the top piece, and manually leave in tabs. Because the cut-out tool allows you to cut inside or outside the line you set, but the route path does not have such a useful feature, you will need to expand or shrink the line of your cutout by 1/16th inch in the direction you want to cut (half of the 1/8th bit).

As to the bit and chuck problem, I have that problem too, and the solution is 3-in-1 oil and a slight twist. A few drops soaking into the quickroute head, a bit of a twist, and a little bit of struggle seem to free the bits. Just avoid WD-40, since it will clean away the lubrication that exists inside the quickroute head, and potentially make your problem worse. Check this thread:
http://www.carvewright.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2662

Good luck!

[icormba]

Actually, the manual that is shipping says .25".

With that said, the discussion here has led to the conclusion that .25" MEANS .25", meaning that most 1/4" boards are actually less than half an inch, and do not work. Even if you plane your board down to a perfect 1/4", some machines I've heard are less than reliable even at that.

Good luck!

Yup, my manual says .25 is the minimum. Not only that, but the "Invalid Dimension" pop-up in the software (version 1.119) also stats .25" in the min.

I did happen to use your posted solution (doubled up) before hand and it worked fine. It seemed the rollers held it in place just enough to not cause any issues on the top board.

So far this thing is a blast!!! :p