Board Positioning

[PghDrake]

OK I've watched videos, read the manual, I've made several carves....but one thing I just can't seem to get right every time is pinpoint positioning on the board.

Is there some step-by-step instructions on the different ways to position the bit on a board that someone could share/link to please?

For example: you have to leave 3.5" on either side of a board to keep it under the rollers. so let's say I have a plaque to carve that's 10" long. I need to have a 17" board for this to work this way. I try to position the bit on the part of the board that would represent the corner of the carve - 3.5" from the actual edge of my 17" board. I do that.........and it seems to just decide on its own when it measures the board where it's going to position it. I must be missing something silly here, but honestly it's kept me away from using the Carvewright for a couple weeks because I'm just afraid I'm going to keep wasting valuable wood.

All the videos are really old, I wish they'd update them - but that's beside the point. I just can't seem to find the exact information that I'm looking for and I'd think it would be obvious. Must be me, I'm certain......

-Don

[fwharris]

All (the majority of) the videos are still very current as far as the software features. As new features are added new videos are made to demonstrate them.

Is there a specific reason you want/need to position the bit on the board? Most users just say to "place the carving on center" during the set up. There are some that will use "place on end" or "place on corner" or "jog to position". Each are selected by using the arrow key on the key pad during the start up, how to place carving on the board.

Center on board will put your 10" design on the center of the 17" board (length and width), Place on end will place the "right end/edge of the design as seen in designer" 3 1/2" from the left end (as standing at the key pad end of the machine) of the board.

Place on corner and jog to position I do not use so others that use this will need describe the function.

[lynnfrwd]

Make sure you say NO to "Stay Under Rollers?" question.

[DianMayfield]

Hi Don,

I use Jog to Position almost exclusively. I do this to make sure that I control any board imperfections impact on the final design. You can also add projects to a single board with this method.

I am not at my machine, so the steps may a little vague :)

I mark the board at 3.5 in from the right edge - or from the imperfection I want to avoid or include (standing at keyboard side)

I load the board, and then tell the machine to measure the length. I do this so that if it is going to have a tracking issue, I find out early. Sometimes the sliding plate will bind against some small bump out in the board.

Then I load the project. I always choose "stay under rollers" - NO - less wear and tear on the machine running the board in and out to confirm there is enough length. I know there is enough length because I have planned well. I also tell it that I will jog to position when asked how to place the project (this is where I am vague - not sure of the timing of the question)

Then the machine will run the board the distance from the left to carve (in your case it will be 10")

The machine will then ask Jog to Center or Corner - I choose corner, and I use the arrow keys to move it to the place I marked on the board in the first step. Sometimes you get a position coordinates that are listed at 0"/0" I use the arrow keys to clear the first two coordinates and then it will let me use the arrows to move the board. Haven't seen a reason that sometimes it preloads the 0 coordinates, just figured out how to work around it :)

[Digitalwoodshop]

I use Place on END or Corner. Corner comes up when the physical board is wider than the Designer Board.

Look at your screen in Designer. The top is the Keyboard side of the board or the Brass Roller side. The Right side of the screen is the head of the board.

Now you use the very excellent X Y Capability and position your artwork and let the bit find it's own place... You use the Artwork to do the work.

Case in POINT... I print Plastic or FRP Accountability Boards. I install the plastic edge guides. I use a JIG to hold the plastic board and use a tool made by just cutting some slots the first time and laying the printed plastic UNDER my guide. Tape it down and let it CUT...

The pictures might make it easier to understand....

I could not find a picture but the measurements are based off the right edge of the board on the screen using PLACE ON END. To space and position my HOLES to match my PRINTING I would measure on the plastic needing to be cut while it was in the carrier sled. I would get that physical ruler measurement then draw a rectangle on the screen the length to 3 digits that I needed. I would position the right edge of my rectangle ruler on edge of my Designer Board and place my Rectangular HOLE centered on LEFT EDGE of the Rectangle Ruler.

AL

[Mugsowner]

I use jog to center on a few of my projects. I have some small cut outs that I use it steady as it allows me to make multiple cut outs on the same board at different times. I noticed that the truck moved to the same position every time to measure the board. I use long boards to do the cut outs and after I do a cut out there is a now a hole in the board that will mess with the measurement process. I know the length of my cut out, so IO measure down past the last cut out to find the center of the new carve add a little just to be sure I do not hit last carve and place a mark for placement. I place masking tape in a T shape on the board where to board sensor mounted on the truck will look for the board to mask the first carve. I tape the end to the left of key pad. I always start the carvings on the end and work my way down the board. After I put the tape on the board I never remove it, no need to. once the measuring process is done and I am ask where to carve I choose jog to center. The truck moves to the width center and I use the arrows to move the board along the X axis to the mark I put on earlier and hit enter. The machine measures to make sure there is enough board for the carve and starts carving. You also select no to "Stay Under Rollers?" question. Little winded, but I hope it helps.

[PghDrake]

Make sure you say NO to "Stay Under Rollers?" question.

Can you please explain why? I always say this because I want to make sure the board stays flat and even through the entire carve.

-Don

[bergerud]

You need not always say NO to "stay under rollers". In some cases it makes no difference, and in others, it is actually useful.

First one needs to understand what the machine does when you say YES. The virtual board size in Designer is taken to be the pattern size. (Whether true or not, the machine expects that it will be carving on the whole virtual board.) If you say YES, the machine expects a real board which is at least 7" longer than the virtual board. If your real board is more than 7" longer than the virtual board, the real board will automatically stay under the rollers, and so, it does not matter whether you say YES or NO.

The problems occur when the real board is not 7" longer than the virtual board. If, for example, the virtual board and the real board are nearly the same size, then:
If you say YES, the machine will want to scale down the virtual board (and pattern on it) to keep the real board under the rollers. This case you probably want to avoid.
If you say NO and the pattern on the virtual board is less than 3.5" from the ends, the real board will not stay under the rollers and problems like snipe or poor tracking can occur. This case you really want to avoid.

What most people do is simply make sure that the real board is at least 7" longer than the actual pattern size and say NO to stay under the rollers.

YES can sometimes be useful. If one chooses place on end and then YES to stay under rollers, the pattern will be carved 3.5" from the end of the board.