Carve depth changes?

[rhglassdr]

I just recieved my machine back from carvewright less then two weeks ago and now i am having a problem with the carve depth changing as the carve progresses. I have tried w/sled, w/o sled, adjusted in infeed/ outfeed tables. You can see in the pic's that the carve loses depth as it progresses, my Z truck is not binding, its new. My board is at least 8" longer, and I tried stay under rollers and dont stay under rollers, centering the project. I have used the search to no avail.

[Amonaug]

I'd give LHR another call. May be a faulty controller, something could have been jogged loose during shipping, etc.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Sawdust in the cogs of the Z Belt? They act as a speed bump and cause the Z to skip steps.

OR.... Like happened to me.... The Belt on the back of the Z came LOOSE.....

Put your finger on the cog gear of the Z and try to move it up.... or down... Does it slip....

I had just replaced my Z Spindle with a new one from LHR and did not check the screw holding the belt to the spindle and it was loose....

Or.... Bad new Z Bundle..... Looks like the encoder solder joints are broken and vibration causes the lost steps.


AL

[liquidguitars]

like Al said.. and check your bit, QC and bit adapters to see if its running loose.

Just look at all the "tear out" you bits are not cutting clean.

Is your CW runninng extra loud?

LG

[Ike]

Know this is not the case, yesterday it was cold 32 to 36 degrees. My shop was just as cold. Remember the CW does not like the cold and will act up. The lubed parts get sticky and raising or lowering can seem to be having trouble. I lowered and lock my board the clutch clicked, but it told me to load my board. So I unlocked and raised it to get a running start and the clutch engaged click click.

I took my hair dryer I use to dry paint and heated up the gears and it then locked. Then the Z truck moved very sluggish. Before I started the project I let it run through the steps while I heated the shop and pointed the hair dryer at the CW.

Once it loosen up and warmed up it ran as usually.... GREAT! So as the colder days come don't panic when you have trouble with raising or lowering the head. or the Z runs sluggish along the Y. Oh or if the bit finder doesn't come out.

It is like me when I am cold,....... slow and stiff joints!! Let it warm up before running, it will save your CW and your mind!

Ike

[Kenm810]

Ike, ---- Thanks for reminding us http://forum.carvewright.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

For the newer carvers out there that haven’t gone through a winter yet with their CW or CC Machines.
Ike is right, like most machines that depend on Lubrication for their moving parts the Carvers just don’t like the cold weather.
They can act up or become sluggish in temperatures below 60 Degrees.
Even the metal and plastic parts expanding and contracting at different speeds can causing some parts to bind or others to loosen.
Also watch for moisture, the heating and cooling of your Shop, Garage, or whatever area you use your machines,
condensation can accumulate on and in your machines Housing, Gears and Electronics, and cause problems throughout its components.
There are several posts on the CW Forum about these problems that you can read so you’ll know what to expect and how to deal with them.

[rhglassdr]

After calling LHR they had me send my new z motor back to them because of a faulty encoder, the clear disk was covered with black dust, (was just replaced with a reman.) the z readings were constant when we checked them but it was still bad, after installing the second new one all is good again!

[mtylerfl]

Glad to hear everything is OK now.

Also, I wanted to say "thank you" for following up on your original posting. All too often we're left hanging, wondering whether a problem was resolved when the original poster fails to post a conclusion to an issue.

It's always appreciated by all the forum members when folks like you tell us what the problem turned out to be, and how it was resolved.

Thanks again!

[liquidguitars]

the z readings were constant when we checked them but it was still bad, after installing the second new one all is good again!

Funny how the encoaders work but the bad pack still plunges, Thomas we know your name now..

LG

[Digitalwoodshop]

Think of the encoder as a Clicker..... The lines on the back of the encoder make a click or pulse to the computer. So the numbers won't flicker but if you move it slowly they may stop updating or counting. A motion check is really to only good check of the encoder.

Vibration is really the key and the vibration makes and breaks the connection in the encoder at the plug. The weak point is where the solder pad holding the wire and the line copper trace is located.


So what happens is the head is moving and the vibration breaks the connection for a few pulses and the head keeps moving until it gets the number of pulses it is looking for.

So you head is told to move down 25 pulses and start a cut... On the way down the bit hits the board and starts cutting making vibration at say pulse 10. Pulses 1 to 10 are good but due to vibration pulse 11 to 15 are missed but the connection is made again due to vibration and the head stops moving at 25 pulses. The error is that the head moved physically 5 more pulses that the computer does not know about. The head is now physically at 30 pulses down and it this keeps happening, it will carve through the bottom of the board.


AL