Mounting Flash Card Frustrations

[2A Finishing]

So after fighting with the flash card for the past 30 minutes or so I've come to the conclusion that the flash card is the most likely thing it could be. I'm now at the point where I've tried everything everybody has suggested without taking apart my machine (which I'm NOT willing to do under warranty) aside from purchasing a new card.

This isn't my first battle with this card. One way or another, however, it's my last. I really wish the CW community was larger - It's a 3+ hour drive to the nearest carvewright user with a spare card I could try to confirm this, and that costs more than shipping the entire unit back (which is the next and final step if I can't get the flash card problem worked out).

This time I have started seeing errors on the PC side of things which is a first - I've gotten several "flash card damaged, could not be written", and one "flash operation failed, error 126" - so it seems that since the machine only ships with one card, and my card is obviously bad (shame on you, carvewright lol), I'm now at the point where I've got to go without the machine until I can afford to buy a second card or while I wait on carvewright to deduce that my card is, in fact, bad (pending shipping it back to them of course).

All that said, my question is this: Will they replace the bad card, or am I stuck going out of pocket for a new one either way?

[Digitalwoodshop]

Many of us use a strip of tape folded over on the end of the card to aid in pulling it out of the machine. Some have reported squeezing the end of the card metal can bend it and cause card problems. With the tape, pull easy and no problems... So a ear of tape sticks out to grab.

AL

[2A Finishing]

Many of us use a strip of tape folded over on the end of the card to aid in pulling it out of the machine. Some have reported squeezing the end of the card metal can bend it and cause card problems. With the tape, pull easy and no problems... So a ear of tape sticks out to grab.

AL

First thing I did. Does LHR replace cards that test bad, or am I stuck paying for a new one out of pocket regardless?

77907

[bergerud]

If the machine is still under warranty and the card is bad through no fault of your own, I think they will replace it. The first step would be to send it to LHR to be tested.

You should contact them. They may want the reader sent in as well.

[2A Finishing]

If the machine is still under warranty and the card is bad through no fault of your own, I think they will replace it. The first step would be to send it to LHR to be tested.

You should contact them. They may want the reader sent in as well.

I've been meaning to, but it's difficult to be awake during their business hours - I work nights in my shop, and I'm usually asleep during their business hours. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and stay up tonight/today so I can call them. Since there's no physical damage and I've been having issues from day 1 pretty much, I don't see how it can be any fault of mine, but I've also dealt with large companies in the past - So far I haven't had any problems with LHR customer service (left them a message asking about my backordered decorative router bits and they called me back within 8 hours), so there is that.

[lynnfrwd]

Send in only card. You will need to pay $12 per warranty agreement. No need to call for now. Send contact info and note.

We are not a large company.

[2A Finishing]

Send in only card. You will need to pay $12 per warranty agreement. No need to call for now. Send contact info and note.

We are not a large company.

10-4, thanks. I'll make sure to include a USPS money order for the warranty work payment (I assume that is to cover return shipping with insurance? I also run a business and I've never heard of a company requiring payment to fulfill warranty service, but then I also didn't fully read the warranty agreement when I gave y'all over $3000 for the machine and attendant accessories - my own mistake as I had other considerations on my mind at the time, no hard feelings or ill will at all)

If possible, I'd love to get in touch with the designers/engineers who came up with the system to discuss a possible memory card upgrade addon or retrofit similar to the 3rd party lighting and dust collection systems offered. It would most likely cut your production costs significantly to upgrade to a memory card technology that didn't become obsolete in the early 2000's, as well as reduce end user problems related to the memory card system.

[lynnfrwd]

You are welcome to send your proposal to marketing (at) Carvewright (dot) com.

And yes, the $12 is for shipping, handling and insurance.

Technically, you are supposed to call in for troubleshooting with a hardware tech, but I was attempting to be accommodating.

[2A Finishing]

You are welcome to send your proposal to marketing (at) Carvewright (dot) com.

And yes, the $12 is for shipping, handling and insurance.

Technically, you are supposed to call in for troubleshooting with a hardware tech, but I was attempting to be accommodating.

I very much appreciate it - With you all being on Central time and me being on Eastern time as well as working nights, it's very difficult to modify my schedule to be able to call in. Thank you again.

[normrichards]

10-4, thanks. I'll make sure to include a USPS money order for the warranty work payment (I assume that is to cover return shipping with insurance? I also run a business and I've never heard of a company requiring payment to fulfill warranty service, but then I also didn't fully read the warranty agreement when I gave y'all over $3000 for the machine and attendant accessories - my own mistake as I had other considerations on my mind at the time, no hard feelings or ill will at all)

If possible, I'd love to get in touch with the designers/engineers who came up with the system to discuss a possible memory card upgrade addon or retrofit similar to the 3rd party lighting and dust collection systems offered. It would most likely cut your production costs significantly to upgrade to a memory card technology that didn't become obsolete in the early 2000's, as well as reduce end user problems related to the memory card system.

I think this card system is used because it has been set up to be proprietary, You have to buy it from CW and Only CW. A standard memory card technology would allow you to buy memory cards anywhere.

[2A Finishing]

You are welcome to send your proposal to marketing (at) Carvewright (dot) com.

And yes, the $12 is for shipping, handling and insurance.

Technically, you are supposed to call in for troubleshooting with a hardware tech, but I was attempting to be accommodating.

Finally got the chance to go into town and stop by the post office. Sent the card inside a bubble mailer with the note explaining what's wrong, and then put that inside another bubble mailer with the USPS money order for $12 and a logo sticker I had made for my company as a "thank you" for being so helpful.

[lynnfrwd]

Will be looking for the package.
Connie

[2A Finishing]

Just wanted to let you know that the card arrived today (yesterday), and I completed the carve successfully, first run through, not one single error. Noticed some significant flexshaft heat after the carve (an hour and a half including the edge routing I did manually), but I'd imagine that's because I neglected to re-lube the flexshaft after it sat idle. That will be remedied as soon as it cools. Thank you for your assistance!


https://www.facebook.com/2AFinish/videos/10153097515238045/

[DianMayfield]

I have had my machine sit for a month without showing any increase in heat in the shaft. Did you lube it after you received the machine? It may have sat there a lot longer, and I am not sure when they lube them before shipping.

It really helps to have a infrared thermometer. I would have to do a search, but I believe that you are looking at keeping it below 129 or something like that. I think that some have even put those fish tank glass types of thermometers on the sheath. :)

[2A Finishing]

I have had my machine sit for a month without showing any increase in heat in the shaft. Did you lube it after you received the machine? It may have sat there a lot longer, and I am not sure when they lube them before shipping.

It really helps to have a infrared thermometer. I would have to do a search, but I believe that you are looking at keeping it below 129 or something like that. I think that some have even put those fish tank glass types of thermometers on the sheath. :)

I did lube it when I got it, unfortunately I think the lube I have has gone bad or is a bad batch - EDIT TO CLARIFY: I can't afford even what LHR charges for theirs, and I've not had a chance to go shopping around for something with organic moly in it (nothing suitable in price or formula is available locally)

[lynnfrwd]

I did lube it when I got it, unfortunately I think the lube I have has gone bad or is a bad batch - I can't afford what LHR charges for theirs, and I've not had a chance to go shopping around for something with organic moly in it (nothing suitable is available locally)

It is $5 and could have been shipped with the memory card...

[2A Finishing]

It is $5 and could have been shipped with the memory card...

I'm aware - If I had the extra $5 for more lube, I would have ordered it - I'm not going to discuss my personal finances publicly.

[aokweld101]

I have bought 4 flex cables in the last 3 yrs. and just today my flex cable burned up and both machine that I have, need replacement of the flex cable, but I have put them through heck and back between both machines I have 800 hrs. on one and 500 hrs. on the other. that is why they call it a hobbiest machine and not a industrail machine...;)

[lynnfrwd]

Not trying to get into your personal finances, but your statement made it sound REALLY expensive.

Also, any lubricant with the word ORGANIC in front of Moly...will not work. That is why the Liquid Wrench doesn't work any more.

[lynnfrwd]

And...we are off topic again...

[TerryT]

I have bought 4 flex cables in the last 3 yrs. and just today my flex cable burned up and both machine that I have, need replacement of the flex cable, but I have put them through heck and back between both machines I have 800 hrs. on one and 500 hrs. on the other. that is why they call it a hobbiest machine and not a industrail machine...;)

I have 4 machines. My A machine is 8 years old and has several thousand hours of carve time. I had to replace the flex shaft once, and that was my fault. If you went through 4 in 3 years you have a major problem. Best do some checking to find out what is causing it. I put a hundred or so hours a week on each of the 4 machines and have no plans of replacing a flex shaft. But I guess you never know.

[TerryT]

I'm aware - If I had the extra $5 for more lube, I would have ordered it - I'm not going to discuss my personal finances publicly.

Go to your local O'Reilly's, or whatever auto parts store. Get the cheap "Assembly lube" with molly. Black grease, I have been using it for 5 or 6 years. LHR doesn't recommend it because they think it is too thick. They are wrong (surprise!). It flows out with very little heat. That's why they use it to assemble brand new, tight, engines. 5 bucks will buy enough for you and 2 friends for the rest of your carving life. I used it when I built my 55 chev, 375 hp 327. That's a little more pressure than a carvewright.

$1.97 here.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hrs-msalube?seid=srese1&gclid=CMTfyo75kMgCFcZhfgodr-UGZQ

[bergerud]

Not trying to get into your personal finances, but your statement made it sound REALLY expensive.

Also, any lubricant with the word ORGANIC in front of Moly...will not work. That is why the Liquid Wrench doesn't work any more.


If I recall, it is the other way around. The new Liguid wrench changed to inorganic moly and that is not good. The original stuff (we still have it in Canada) was the organic stuff. (Black and messy.)

[lynnfrwd]

I went and verified with Lovchik before I posted. He said "molybdenumdisulfate" (possibly sic) was inorganic.

[TerryT]

I went and verified with Lovchik before I posted. He said "molybdenumdisulfate" (possibly sic) was inorganic.

Molybdenum disulfide is the inorganic compound (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inorganic_chemistry) with the formula (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_formula) MoS

2.
The compound is classified as a metal dichalcogenide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcogenide). It is a silvery black solid that occurs as the mineral molybdenite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenite), the principal ore for molybdenum.[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum_disulfide#cite_note-ullmann-4) MoS

2 is relatively unreactive. It is unaffected by dilute acids (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid) and oxygen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen). In appearance and feel, molybdenum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum) disulfide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfide) is similar to graphite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite). It is widely used as a solid lubricant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubricant) because of its low friction (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction) properties and robustness.

This is from Wikipedia.

[lynnfrwd]

I was pretty close to spelling it correctly. ✋high 5!

[bergerud]

I went and verified with Lovchik before I posted. He said "molybdenumdisulfate" (possibly sic) was inorganic.


Ok, I stand corrected. Memory must be going. We can still get the good black stuff here in Canada.

[fwharris]

Go to your local O'Reilly's, or whatever auto parts store. Get the cheap "Assembly lube" with molly. Black grease, I have been using it for 5 or 6 years. LHR doesn't recommend it because they think it is too thick. They are wrong (surprise!). It flows out with very little heat. That's why they use it to assemble brand new, tight, engines. 5 bucks will buy enough for you and 2 friends for the rest of your carving life. I used it when I built my 55 chev, 375 hp 327. That's a little more pressure than a carvewright.

$1.97 here.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hrs-msalube?seid=srese1&gclid=CMTfyo75kMgCFcZhfgodr-UGZQ

Ok Mr Gear Head! :) Is this stuff very similar to the CarneCam Lube with Molly? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-99002-1

It looks to be and used for the same automotive pre assembly purpose and a way lot less $$ for way lots more..

[TerryT]

Ok Mr Gear Head! :) Is this stuff very similar to the CarneCam Lube with Molly? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-99002-1

It looks to be and used for the same automotive pre assembly purpose and a way lot less $$ for way lots more..

The item I linked to is 1/4 oz.
The item you linked to is 1 oz., and "Crane Cams" name brand. That should explain the cost difference.

[fwharris]

The item I linked to is 1/4 oz.
The item you linked to is 1 oz., and "Crane Cams" name brand. That should explain the cost difference.


Ah, take glasses off, rub eyes! Yes there is a decimal point there! Thanks!