Not measuring up

[Ike]

Here is one for the experts, in the designer a pattern looks good. It is centered and the measurements set. When the machine cuts the design it becomes off centered and after a couple tries it doesn't complete the cut.

What could be causing this? 1.30 was use first it completed the design, but off centered. Switched to 1.26 and it looked like it was in the correct spot, then went crazy and instead of finishing it carved 2 lines.

The designer doesn't seem to be the cause what else could it be?

Thanks
Ike

[ChrisAlb]

Did you re-flash your card to 1.126 again?

[liquidguitars]

Unless LHR tell you to change your setup, you should stay with 1.130.


First check the board for slippage.

Front and back rollers clean? Do you have the right pressure ? Stay under roller?

if your board size is not the same as designers and you select to "stay under the rollers" the CW will scale your work. not so good if you need 1.1 scale

post your MPC and someone will check it for you.

LG

[anonymous]

if your board size is not the same as designers and you select to "stay under the rollers" the CW will scale your work. not so good if you need 1.1 scaleLG

Forgive me cause I'm new here but from what I've read, isn't your board "supposed" to be a differnt size than it is in designer to stay under rollers?? 7" bigger on your real board?

just want to be sure i have that right?

[ChrisAlb]

Hi anonymous & welcome,

Yes you are correct. Your real board needs to be 7" longer than your virtual board in Designer in order to stay under rollers "without" the CW asking to rescale it. Good Catch!!

Chris

[anonymous]

Ok thanks Chris. I spent a lot of time reading the past few weeks and I thought i missed something. I was about to go reading again.

By the way, i really enjoy your posts. I read a lot of them and learned a bunch from you. THANKS!

[Ike]

Flashed the card, not using rollers and sticking to 1.130. Correct measurement and correct board size. No slippage noticed. Found the inside fence screw loose and stripped. Replaced it and worked ok for a bit, then crank became hard to lower and raise. Right side stop going up, checked bottom gears and gear bar held on with a screw and washer. All plastic and hole totally cracked, needed to install longer and bigger screw. Worked for awhile and still rough to use, trying epoxy next to form a new post.

If not don't know what else to do? PS after fix carving letters, carve 3 letters skipped 3 inches and then unreadable carving. Machine way out of warranty so too much to send in for repair.......Guess time to junk?

Ike

[SandBuoy]

Ike, I had a nightmare of a time with my machine right out of the box with the head slipping. If your gears seem to be slipping when raising and lowering it try this. On the keyboard side there is a gear thats attaches to the handle. Get some WD40 and spray the heck out of it. They even told me to take the handle off and spray inside there and down the shafts. Took a few minutes for mine to loosen up but that did the trick. Infact, I think mine had an extra washer in it making it seize a little they had me remove.

The opposite side still slips once in a awhile and I have to take the botton pan off, loosen the keyboard side and align the two sides but if I don't the machine gives me all kinds of fits with Please Load Board problems. Its a pain in the butt to have to do every few carves but it worth it.

BTW, just to let you know and save some wood in the future, you don't have to waiste 7" extra on every carve. You can make a sled and add 3-1/2" of spacers the same width as your sled and same height as your board at each end. Then make your board the exact size in designer. When you put the board on your sled the end spacers act like adding 7" to your piece saving you alot of waiste.

[liquidguitars]

Right side stop going up, checked bottom gears and gear bar held on with a screw and washer. All plastic and hole totally cracked, needed to install longer and bigger screw.

I feel your pain I had the same issue with CW unit1 "thanks UPS.. just kidding" epoxy works with CW plastic and the fix is holding..



Get some WD40 and spray the heck out of it.

Bad idea unless you can see what you are spraying :) WD40 in the wrong place can gunk up sensors, like the ones under the posts and keypad do not do it blind. I remove the keypad side panal first to clean, then dab the grease..



You can make a sled and add 3-1/2"

Try using 4" tail end not 3.5" as you can fit the sled better under the outfeed roller /board sensor. the extra 1/2" comes in handy..



LG

[SandBuoy]

I was told to use the WD40 by the Techs at LHR and you can see the gear from the top by looking down in between the cover.

Wouldn't adding 4" spacers take an 1" off your actual designer length?

[ChrisAlb]

I was told to use the WD40 by the Techs at LHR and you can see the gear from the top by looking down in between the cover.

Wouldn't adding 4" spacers take an 1" off your actual designer length?

I steer away from WD40 unless it's just used for "cleaning" the metal crank gears and then lubed properly afterwords. Since WD40 is NOT a lubricant but a rust penetrator/inhibitor.

If you have a 10" long "Designer" board, you could feed the CW an 8 foot board and it won't change anything when staying under rollers. As long as the real board is "at least" 7" longer than the designer board, you're good to go. Why you want to add an extra inch, I don't know??

[SandBuoy]

Chris, If you have your real board in designer set at 12" and them put it in a sled with 4" spacers wouldn't the machine read it as 11" instead of 12"? I think this would tend to mess up the design and layout. Just curious.

Your also right about the WD40 being used to just loosen up the gears. I applied a lubricant afterwards.

[ChrisAlb]

Chris, If you have your real board in designer set at 12" and them put it in a sled with 4" spacers wouldn't the machine read it as 13" instead of 12"? I think this would tend to mess up the design and layout. Just curious.

Your also right about the WD40 being used to just loosen up the gears. I applied a lubricant afterwards.

Well, no not really. If you use "center on board" (which with a sled you always should) regardless of how long your sled is, the carving will always be centered.

Like I have perimeter sleds I Make and use for all my standard size dimensional lumber. I make them 36" and 60" long. I can put a 10" long board in it "Centered always" and the CW measures the whole sled but carves in the center always.

Hope that's clear...getting pretty tired...lol

[luckettg]

I used Lithium spray on grease to good effect. WD40 is a favorite of mine but it might affect the plastic and rubber materials being used.

[liquidguitars]

Well, no not really. If you use "center on board" (which with a sled you always should) regardless of how long your sled is, the carving will always be centered.

Yes center works good, but.. some of the guys here like to use place on end "03"when indexing sleds as a option and not center. So it's up to the design of the sled and what you need. Here is a image showing my setup.

http://liquidguitars.com/SledZoneR004.jpg


When loading the sled into the CW I place the front 4" of the sled directly under board sensor and once carved if i need to return the wood back to the CW to fix it or make a new cut.. i do not no need to mask the sled.

http://www.liquidguitars.com/saltdot/NecksledsR001.jpg

Some sleds just need to do one job, like this one for the T rod using the 1/4 ball cutter and yes used "03"...



LG

[ChrisAlb]

Yes center works good but some of the guys here like to use place on end "03"when indexing sleds as a option and not center so it's
up to the design of the sled and how one uses it.. here is a image showing my setup.



3.5" tails are cutting to close with my sleds.. 4" or more is better.

When loading the sled into the CW I place the front 4" of the sled directly under board sensor and once carved if i need to return the wood back to the CW to add a pattern or make a new cut.. i do not no need to mask the sled.
LG

That's cool if you make your sled "just" big enough to hold the workpiece. But my sled is longer than needed so the ends are fixed but the center blocks are movable. I set the sensor over the center blocks so I never need any tape.

For what you're doing I can see the need for a tight fitting sled. But for average carvings, this works very well and takes any guess work out of the equation. But in either case, centering works the best.

[bayea]

Ike, try replacing traction belts. i had a slippage problem where the carving would go for a bit just fine then it skipped or carved over the pattern. I replaced the traction belts and things have been fine.

[liquidguitars]

very nice but that sled would never hold up with the kinda work we do..


But my sled is longer than needed so the ends are fixed but the center blocks are movable.

ok now your bragging :)

I kida dig center 2 but the best?


LG

[MikeMcCoy]

Chris - does your center set of blocks slide in a dado or how is it fixed for the carve? Do you just tape it once you have it set?

[ChrisAlb]

Chris - does your center set of blocks slide in a dado or how is it fixed for the carve? Do you just tape it once you have it set?

YES! ...LOL

[ChrisAlb]

very nice but that sled would never hold up with the kinda work we do..

Thought I made that clear?? That's a simple carving sled. I have more robust ones for heavier work.


I kida dig center 2 but the best? LG

For eliminating any chance of being off with the carve, ABSOLUTELY! ...LOL...simply can't go wrong.

[liquidguitars]

Chris,


Thought I made that clear?? That's a simple carving sled. I have more robust ones for heavier work.

you said average :) your jig would be sweet in aluminum... Question, why have the cross rails move anyway?



LG

[ChrisAlb]

Chris,



you said average :) your jig would be sweet in aluminum... Question, why have the cross rails move anyway?



LG

Where did I say average?? LOL...The blocks move to accommodate different "length" boards up to the sled's maximum length.

With the one in the picture, (36" between the fixed ends and set up for a 1 x 10), I can carve anything from a 1/2" to 36" long. By sliding the blocks up to the "centered" board's ends, it gives me something to tape the board to. One piece of tape on top at each end and one on the bottom. I don't wrap the tape "around" the rails so there's no interference with the guide rails on the CW.

There's no bottom on the sled so an automatic cut path is no problem.

I call it a perimeter sled.....http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

I would love to have it in aluminum. Of all the talents I have, welding is something I always wanted to, but never learned how to do.

[liquidguitars]

very cool! and the recess on the underside pins the work like glass in a window.

Gives me a idea for a guitar bodys sled ...

LG

[castingman]

Hey Chris ,

Cut what you want out off the pink foam everybodys talking about + 3/16 per foot and i'll cast you one .

Michael:mrgreen:

[ChrisAlb]

Hey Chris ,

Cut what you want out off the pink foam everybodys talking about + 3/16 per foot and i'll cast you one .

Michael:mrgreen:

Hmmmm...buddy, I wonder if that would work?? I was thinking about square aluminum tubing. Can you cast that straight and flat?

[castingman]

Chris ,

Wdaaya got to loose ? if you don't try ..younever know !! I'm game !!

You cutter out ...I'll maker metal !!


Michael

[ChrisAlb]

Chris ,

Wdaaya got to loose ? if you don't try ..younever know !! I'm game !!

You cutter out ...I'll maker metal !!


Michael

I tell what Michael, Ohio ain't that far away. I'd ride out there to see if we could pull that off. I might even be able to work up a two half mold so the slots for the moving blocks would be cast right in there....hmmmmm

Let me get through this week of 80 hours and I'll put some thought into it.

[castingman]

Chris,

Take you time Buddy , I aint going nowhere , I think you gotta good idea !!

Michael:D

[liquidguitars]

Another thing I do is use "Place on end of board" with everything. I draw a small 4 inch box on the right side of Designer and that always gives me a 4 inch under the rollers at that end. I have a collection growing every day of 4 inch blocks that will become small signs....

It makes 2 sided projects easier in my opinion as your only dealing with one end of the board.

AL

Quote from AL regarding "place on end" thought it was important to share as a alterative viewpoint.

LG

[ChrisAlb]

Quote from AL regarding "place on end" thought it was important to share as a alterative viewpoint.

LG

I agree for more experienced users. Centering is a great way to get a "feel" for things while producing mostly trouble free carves. I can't tell you how many posts I've answered where just having folks switch to using center solved the issue they were having until they get their feet wet.

[liquidguitars]

I agree for more experienced users. Centering is a great way to get a "feel" for things while producing mostly trouble free carves.

Good point.. I forget that I mostly use sleds and add the 4" or 6" in Designer overall.

http://www.liquidguitars.com/assets/images/sleadtapeR002.jpg

LG