Cutting loses depth 1/4 thru project

[hetzerguitars]

attached is photo and MSC. about 25% thru the project it just stopped with the proper depth. I let that thing run for 3 hours. And it drew it. But very faint on the wood, excluding the first 2". Any ideas?

- Jim

[The "DH"]

Jim,
Not sure why it would do that, but I had a similiar situation and it was due to the bit loosening just enough for it to slid up into the collar. It carved the surface but didn't penatrate into the wood. Also just a suggestion you have the carve region at 0.4, lg letters at .25, sm letters at .125.... At these setting you are most likely to get alot of chipout and detail lose since the bit will go to .4. I would suggest changing all the depths to .4 and leave the letter height at 80 to 100..

[ChrisAlb]

attached is photo and MSC. about 25% thru the project it just stopped with the proper depth. I let that thing run for 3 hours. And it drew it. But very faint on the wood, excluding the first 2". Any ideas?

- Jim

Jim,
I agree with DH about the possibility of bit slippage and definitely the depths. Unless you really need those depths for a reason, I'd reduce all of them. Try this one...

Chris

[hetzerguitars]

Checked Bit slippage. It's solid as a rock. Even checked it with my calipers.
I will try the new drawing. Thanks guys

- Jim

[Jeff_Birt]

I think I remember someone posting a few weeks ago that had a similar problem and they figured it had something to do with the machine hitting a knot in their wood.

You might also check the Z-truck belt tension to make sure it's not loose enough to allow it to skip a tooth. It does not need to be really tight (really tight is bad).

[hetzerguitars]

Found the problem, the whole cutter head is loose. Wow, wasn't expecting that so early in. I used tightthread green, and tightened it. It just seems like there are still a lot of bugs in these machines and it's software. Like I said before maybe I just got a Friday model. But damn! Bad probe, the sliding thing, cover that vibrates open, now the head.

I still have yet to have one successful project. Maybe because I am not trying to do the cutesy 3d carve of a jpeg. I am trying to draw a box that is the size I tell it to be. Imported from a JPEG or GIF like I was told this would do.

I am a very patient man. And I've given up on cutting a guitar, my main purpose of this thing, mainly because I can't even get something as simple as a template to come out right. I am drawing these things spot on. They look perfect on the screen but the machine can't even come near what I see on the screen. The misleading scan size that the mfg and woodcraft told me has proven I can't scan a guitar body because of the sled size. So my purchase of the probe is a complete waste. I guess that's good because it's dead anyway. And the company agrees it's bad but won't let me send it back until I can call them during their business hours in front of the machine to give them a dianostic code. How about Z AXIS STALL !!! I get it everytime. How about CHECK PROBE. I work a day job, at a company that has working machines I can't get home in time to call them. Any day. So I am screwed.

I perfectly understand machinery I work in a machine shop. I've designed machinery! But this thing is far from being consistent enough to be sellable. Unless these problems are isolated to my machine. I hope all of you are getting better results. I know many of you kept saying this is probably user error. But cutting small squares in poplar .20 deep seems pretty tame for this thing to do. How much can an intelligent person screw it up doing that?!

At this point I am glad I kept the box, cause this thing will probably be on Ebay in a few days. For $2000 this thing is far from a decent value. To be told by the mfg, you must lube it because some escape the factory without lube is ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. That is a quality issue that once addressed should never happen again.

- Jim

[pkunk]

Found the problem, the whole cutter head is loose. Wow, wasn't expecting that so early in. I used tightthread green, and tightened it. It just seems like there are still a lot of bugs in these machines and it's software. Like I said before maybe I just got a Friday model. But damn! Bad probe, the sliding thing, cover that vibrates open, now the head.

I still have yet to have one successful project. Maybe because I am not trying to do the cutesy 3d carve of a jpeg. I am trying to draw a box that is the size I tell it to be. Imported from a JPEG or GIF like I was told this would do.

I am a very patient man. And I've given up on cutting a guitar, my main purpose of this thing, mainly because I can't even get something as simple as a template to come out right. I am drawing these things spot on. They look perfect on the screen but the machine can't even come near what I see on the screen. The misleading scan size that the mfg and woodcraft told me has proven I can't scan a guitar body because of the sled size. So my purchase of the probe is a complete waste. I guess that's good because it's dead anyway. And the company agrees it's bad but won't let me send it back until I can call them during their business hours in front of the machine to give them a dianostic code. How about Z AXIS STALL !!! I get it everytime. How about CHECK PROBE. I work a day job, at a company that has working machines I can't get home in time to call them. Any day. So I am screwed.

I perfectly understand machinery I work in a machine shop. I've designed machinery! But this thing is far from being consistent enough to be sellable. Unless these problems are isolated to my machine. I hope all of you are getting better results. I know many of you kept saying this is probably user error. But cutting small squares in poplar .20 deep seems pretty tame for this thing to do. How much can an intelligent person screw it up doing that?!

At this point I am glad I kept the box, cause this thing will probably be on Ebay in a few days. For $2000 this thing is far from a decent value. To be told by the mfg, you must lube it because some escape the factory without lube is ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. That is a quality issue that once addressed should never happen again.

- Jim
Maybe you should bring the machine to work, explain to your boss that you need an hour off & resolve the issues with LHR. I can understand your anger, but only you can resolve it. We here really can't do anything but cringe at your emotions.:confused:

[hetzerguitars]

That portion of frustration comes from where even tech support will acknowledge that it's defective but won't let me send it back. And no, I don't think *I* can resolve it, LHR should. My cringing is directed toward them. If you run a machine for less than 1 hour, and the head falls off. Something is wrong. I don't like having to play games to get something returned that they clearly said is malfunctioning. Or at least replaced with something that could prove the problem was something else.

I really think the machine has a defective z axis. That would point to 90% of the problems. Let's look at it this way. If you bought a car and drove it for 1 hour and the head crack or fell off. Would you not think the car was defective?

I apologize for the outward display of emotions. I spent a long time saving every spare dollar I had to buy this machine. A father of 3 working 2 jobs, it took me a year to get this. And now that I have it, It turns out to be defective and I have to play games to get the problems squared away.

- Jim

[hetzerguitars]

I want to apologize, I don't mean to come across this way. I am a very patient man believe it or not. This is the only place I have to discuss or even vent any of this. Everywhere else thinks I am an idiot for not returning it or for even buying a machine with so many known issues. I knew some of these going in. I had just hoped that in the 2 years since some of these posts were made some advancement has been made.

- Jim

[TIMCOSBY]

if you got it from sears i would take it back for a refund....walk to the next counter and buy a new one(your 90 days starts over!!!) do this till i got a good one. they are out there i got one. this may force them to fix the qaulity control issues too.

[hetzerguitars]

I got it from WoodCraft. And it took 2 weeks to get one. I paid $2000 and then had to pay shipping too. I did find something very interesting with may solve 90% of my problems.

http://www.carvewright.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6121

- Jim

[forqnc]

At this point I am glad I kept the box,
- Jim

Jim, just a heads up, keep your box, if LHR asks you to send it to them for a warranty repair (which they pay shipping) you need to ship it in your original box. Do not throw it out.
Sorry for your pains, once you do get your first carving done, it will make all this seem worth it.
Good Luck