Another Canuck Newby -travel, purchase test?

[alpmeadow]

Hi everyone
I am jumping in with both feet! Next week I will find either success or many challenges with a new CW machine.(Sorry, I moved this to a new thread rather than be buried, in another. See my previous below)

Another Canuck newby
I am travelling south to Idaho, to pickup a new carvewright, and will need advice how to setup the machine and test it. I have a laptop and will download program beforehand. Any recommendations as to what pattern and size of workpiece(wood) blanks I should take down with me to test it fully? The drive is 14 hours turnaround so I hope to get it right the first time?
Any experience buying from Canada will also help(Can't get it in Canada through carvewright or sears, I have been waiting patiently for 16 months)
Thanks for your kind assistance.
alpmeadow

[oldjoe]

You could just take any size maybe a piece of 1 X 8 or something like that. Just make sure the piece is at least 7" longer then the project you have programmed that way you can stay under the rollers. As far as patterns just go thru the library that comes with the software and pick something you like. Maybe throw some text in it especially if you purchase centerline. Also maybe put your project in and area oval or rectangle and do a cut path. Just make sure before you run your project you give the machine a good once over to make sure everything is right and tight.
Hope this helps Good luck with your project.

[rcdages]

Always keep your carver cleaned up after every carving project and it will do right by you.

Learn your softwear well and don't for get to use SEARCH on this Fourm for help.

rcdages
Robert

[alpmeadow]

Thanks rcdages and oldjoe
I have the pdf detailing the needs for weekend warrior, however since Texas won't ship to Canada, I will be checking prices and order for the replacement board. Cleaning up after each use will be a change of behavior.
From the software side, I have being using sketchup to design my rustic furniture, and I wonder if anyone uses it and import/exports into carvewright software.(i do have photoshop too)
Cheers
alpmeadow

Tallis Creek Woodlot, woodmizer mill and Alpine Meadows Lodge in Golden BC Canada

[alpmeadow]

Hi Again
Got the software loaded, and talked to the shop near Spokane Wash where am picking it up. They have never seen the carvewright machine before so it will be blind leading the blind testing it in their shop.
Below is an image of the test pattern, this is artwork from my lodge. I kept this image small, grayscaled it and will try it as a test pattern. What type of manipulation should be done to adjust greys for depth rather than look?
Thanks for your help.
cheers
alpmeadow

[Amonaug]

Hi Again
Got the software loaded, and talked to the shop near Spokane Wash where am picking it up. They have never seen the carvewright machine before so it will be blind leading the blind testing it in their shop.
Below is an image of the test pattern, this is artwork from my lodge. I kept this image small, grayscaled it and will try it as a test pattern. What type of manipulation should be done to adjust greys for depth rather than look?
Thanks for your help.
cheers
alpmeadow


The thing you have to understand about the greyscale is it's used by the machine to determine how deep to carve into the wood, in other words the greyscale is a height map. Dark areas will be the highest (ie least carved depth) and light will be the lowest or deepest carved. The program will pick up every little defect in that picture as well, although it's a nice pencil drawing it will come out with dots all over due to the uneveness of the pencil.

[alpmeadow]

in other words the greyscale is a height map.
Thanks I expected the detail on the image of the elk was too busy, and this would be a problem? I was hoping to use photoshop, and use (have to relearn) different methods to adjust and modify the detail, contrast, and gradient levels.

I haven't searched the forum well enough yet, to see how others have done it?
I do have an old version of coreldraw 8, however I can't make it work on windows XP.
Cheers
alpmeadow