Carving lithopanes

[CarverJerry]

If you ever carved a lithopane then you know how the chips want to stick to everything inside the machine, static cling you might say. Has anyone ever tried spraying Static Guard in the machine before carving acrylic or corian to stop this static cling from happening? Any thoughts on this?

[fwharris]

Jerry,

I have not used the static stuff but have heard of others doing so. Not to sure how effective it was though.

[bergerud]

Doesn't the static cling spray just make stuff conduct? If that is all it does, I cannot see it helping. The machine is metal and already conducts. The charge is on the plastic chips. You would have to be continuously spraying the chips I think.

That is just my speculation. Someone needs to do an experiment!

[zan29]

I use a couple of dryer sheets and just rub it everywhere..........works for me!

[henry1]

I use a couple of dryer sheets and just rub it everywhere..........works for me!

Your right Sue it does work

[bergerud]

You just use it on the acrylic, right? Then the chips do not get away with such a charge?

I would sure be interested in seeing and experiment to compare the result with and without the treatment.

[zan29]

I do not only use it for lithos but during the winter since there's so much static in the air. I rub the whole machine before each carve and it does make a difference.

[bergerud]

Interesting. How about this as an experiment? Rub down one z rail and not the other. After some time carving, see if the rubbed rail has fewer chips on it.

[zan29]

Well I guess you'll have to experiment Bergerud, my machine has been down for a while, can't figure out what's causing the tracking roller error.

[CNC Carver]

Non-Flat wood, missing rubber or frozen rubber on roller can cause tracking issues.

[zan29]

Wood is flat, no missing rubber or frozen, changed the board sensor, changed the compressed roller sensor, no stuck rollers. It measures the board correctly but the moment I want to start a project, the "check tracking roller" shows up.

[bergerud]

Exactly when does the check tracking roller error show up? Pressing continue does not work?

[zan29]

It always happens when it's detecting the last edge and if I continue than it doesn't carve in the middle since the length of the board hasn't been measured properly.

[Mike1]

Does it do the same with other wood as well?

[bergerud]

It always happens when it's detecting the last edge and if I continue than it doesn't carve in the middle since the length of the board hasn't been measured properly.

I think we have talked about this before. It happens to me once in awhile. I keep pressure on the board with my hand and then it works. I think it is an x drive thing and not a tracking sensor thing. Too much backlash in the x drive system or too much resistance to move the board. Check that the head pressure is not too much. (Try to measure a board with light head pressure to see what happens.)

If you really need to carve, I think you could use place on end and bypass the problem.

[zan29]

Yes it is the same problem and I do put pressure with my hand every time. What confuses me the most is why it measures the board without any problems but won't carve. Not sure what you mean by backlash Bergerud....can you explain?


I think we have talked about this before. It happens to me once in awhile. I keep pressure on the board with my hand and then it works. I think it is an x drive thing and not a tracking sensor thing. Too much backlash in the x drive system or too much resistance to move the board. Check that the head pressure is not too much. (Try to measure a board with light head pressure to see what happens.)

If you really need to carve, I think you could use place on end and bypass the problem.

[mtylerfl]

If you ever carved a lithopane then you know how the chips want to stick to everything inside the machine, static cling you might say. Has anyone ever tried spraying Static Guard in the machine before carving acrylic or corian to stop this static cling from happening? Any thoughts on this?

Dryer sheets and consumer spray like static guard are better than nothing, but that doesn't usually last for the entire duration of a carving. In fact, it sometimes lasts only a few seconds before the little plastic particles are sticking to everything again!

The only product that I have found that actually works, is a product called Sprayon SP610 Anti-Static Spray. I ordered some from Amazon last year, but it's not available there anymore. I see it's available from Grainger (and several other places too). Here's a link to the Grainger source:

http://www.grainger.com/product/SPRAYON-Anti-Static-Spray-1KRN8?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/1KRN8_AS01?$smthumb$

It is completely safe to use on metals and plastics, and it's persistent (lasts a long time). Industrial manufacturers use it to eliminate or reduce static cling on their equipment. It works extremely well in our CarveWright machines, too. I spray some on a rag and wipe the inside machine/rails/clear cover, chuck, bit, etc. and wipe some on the material itself, as well. It's magic!

[bergerud]

Yes it is the same problem and I do put pressure with my hand every time. What confuses me the most is why it measures the board without any problems but won't carve. Not sure what you mean by backlash Bergerud....can you explain?

The x drive system is a gear train. When the drive wants to change direction, the motor has to turn a few times to take up the slack in the gear system before the belts even start to move again. This "slack" in the gear system is called the backlash. It is the brass rollers job to keep track of the board position is during these changes in direction. As the x drive system wears out this backlash increases. I assume that when it gets too large or inconsistent the computer starts having problems calculating where the board is.

I do not understand what you mean when you say that it measures the board but will not carve. If you just press 7 to measure the board, it measures the board, right? If you choose length, it will measure width and length and then know the size of the board. If you now choose a project, it will go ahead without remeasuring the board. Is this what you are trying to do?

[Old Salt]

I have a new carvewright and I get it all the time I just press enter and it starts works fine.
Gary

[mtylerfl]

Wood is flat, no missing rubber or frozen, changed the board sensor, changed the compressed roller sensor, no stuck rollers. It measures the board correctly but the moment I want to start a project, the "check tracking roller" shows up.

Is your shop 55 deg F or above? This is a common problem in winter (along with a host of other possible issues) if the shop is too cold.

[zan29]

When I measure the board with option 7, I do not get that tracking roller error but when I start a carve it happens every time last I explained yesterday, when detecting the last edge. So why is the machine able to measure the lenght but not start a project? So the backlash could be the problem but how to I fix this?


The x drive system is a gear train. When the drive wants to change direction, the motor has to turn a few times to take up the slack in the gear system before the belts even start to move again. This "slack" in the gear system is called the backlash. It is the brass rollers job to keep track of the board position is during these changes in direction. As the x drive system wears out this backlash increases. I assume that when it gets too large or inconsistent the computer starts having problems calculating where the board is.

I do not understand what you mean when you say that it measures the board but will not carve. If you just press 7 to measure the board, it measures the board, right? If you choose length, it will measure width and length and then know the size of the board. If you now choose a project, it will go ahead without remeasuring the board. Is this what you are trying to do?

[zan29]

If I press enter and continue it will carve but I'm unable to do a 2-sided project since it didn't start the carving at the proper location on the back of the board.


When I measure the board with option 7, I do not get that tracking roller error but when I start a carve it happens every time last I explained yesterday, when detecting the last edge. So why is the machine able to measure the lenght but not start a project? So the backlash could be the problem but how to I fix this?

[bergerud]

I am confused. If the machine measures the board, the board is measured. Done. Now when you choose a project, the board is not remeasured. You now get the tracking error? Is that right?

Have you tried the measuring the board with 7 and then running the project? Have you tried the normal way with less head pressure?

(Sorry, but there are many possibilities here and I get confused.)

[mtylerfl]

If I press enter and continue it will carve but I'm unable to do a 2-sided project since it didn't start the carving at the proper location on the back of the board.

Is your shop temp good? (55 deg F or above)

Might avoid a lot of rabbit trails if it's just a matter of a cold shop.