Universal Carrier Base

This is my first time on the forum. I just finished constructing the CW universal carrier base and I'm having a problem using it in the machine. I mounted the board according to instructions and slowly turned down the crank and pressed enter to proceed. The machine read the width OK, but will not read the length. the machine moves the carrier base in the x direction beyond the board and beyond the rollers and displays "Edge detection failed err E03-0400.
Wondering if folks on the forum could give me some suggestions as to what I am doing wrong or what to do to correct it. just a note: I have no problem running the board on the belt. The board measurements are accurate.

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Originally Posted by rchatch

This is my first time on the forum. I just finished constructing the CW universal carrier base and I'm having a problem using it in the machine. I mounted the board according to instructions and slowly turned down the crank and pressed enter to proceed. The machine read the width OK, but will not read the length. the machine moves the carrier base in the x direction beyond the board and beyond the rollers and displays "Edge detection failed err E03-0400.
Wondering if folks on the forum could give me some suggestions as to what I am doing wrong or what to do to correct it. just a note: I have no problem running the board on the belt. The board measurements are accurate.

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Once the compression roller releases the machine knows about how far it should go (3.5") before the board sensor sees the back edge of the board. What color is your carrier board? Is your compression roller stuck? What is your head pressure? What is your board sensor reading?

Welcome to the forum. When you slowly crank down the head (watching for the load board message in the display to change) make sure that the board is actually under both rollers. Listen and you should hear the roller switches both click.

The idea is that the roller switches are "right on the edge" of switching and when the rollers drop the 1/8" at each board end, the switch will switch.

How long is your carrier board? If it's on the long side and your outboard rollers (the ones on the flip out shelf) doesn't hold the board you will loose contact with the brass roller between the rubber or sandpaper belts causing an error. This can happen when the board comes out from under the rollers when it is measuring the length. My longer carrier board does this from time to time. I just looked at the universal carrier base for the first time but can't really see it well enough to be certain. Also remember that masking tape under the carrier will help keep the brass roller from slipping. Hope this helps.

At the point that the carrier lets the roller drop, you should have a wood edge under the board sensor to detect. A Open Rail Carrier and no end piece wood for the board detector to see the edge will spit the board out.

A picture of your carrier with a board would help solve this. I am betting it is a simple problem of no end detect wood under the board sensor.

My rail carrier had a end piece and I used place on end of board so it measured from the blocked end and never needed a rear piece as it stopped when it had enough wood. The other carrier has blocks of wood and I dropped a blank in the middle.

AL:lol:

Hey guys, we are talking here about my Universal Carrier Base, not a normal type sled. I do not want rchatch to be confused.

rchatch, consider my post #3 and give it another try. Hopefully you can let us know how it goes.

Hi Bergerud, I hope somebody tells you how to use the Universal Carrier Base!! Because I bought it also and when I went to use it The machine done the same thing as yours. It ran all of it out the end and didn't stop where it should of so I went back to my sled. I made the 24" and the 36" ones and both done the same thing. So I haven't used it. Please help us know what it wrong and the right way to use it. Thank you!!!!

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Originally Posted by Ducky63

It ran all of it out the end and didn't stop where it should of .... Please help us know what it wrong and the right way to use it. Thank you!!!!

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Maybe if I explain how the board is measured in the UCB, you can figure out what is going wrong.

The board is mounted in the carrier so the top surface is 1/8" above the sides of the carrier. This is so the rollers will drop and switch at the ends of the board and trick the machine into measuring the board. For this trick to work, the roller switches must switch with only a 1/8" drop. This is accomplished by only very lightly clamping down the head. One slowly cranks down the head just until both switches click. (The display will change from "Please Load Board" to " Press Enter".) It is important that both switches just click at about the same time and that the board is under both rollers when this is done.

If the carrier moves past the end of the board without measuring it, it means that the rear roller did not switch when the roller dropped off of the end of the board onto the carrier. I would think that the head was clamped down too far or clamped down with the rear roller already on the carrier instead of the on the board.

(One should listen to the roller switches to make sure they do switch at about the same level as the head is cranked down. This carrier ejection problem could be caused by a faulty roller switch or an unlevel head.)

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Originally Posted by bergerud

Hey guys, we are talking here about my Universal Carrier Base, not a normal type sled. I do not want rchatch to be confused.

rchatch, consider my post #3 and give it another try. Hopefully you can let us know how it goes.

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My bad... Not even sure what a UCB looks like...

AL

First of all, thank you for responding to my original post. Bergerud, your explanation is very helpful. I finally got back to running it again and I had no problem with the board measurement. I proceeded to step 4 Measuring the bit. This is where I got hung up again. I loaded bit, cranked head down as usual, pressed enter waited for "Finding Surface" pressed Stop. I chose # 3 - jog, displayed Jog to Touch Position 9.524" Long x 0.12" I then pressed forward arrow and the carrier base moved forward and stopped with the bit directly opposite of the front touch hole. The display showed " Jog to Touch position 3.062" Long x 0.12". At this point I hit Enter and the bit moved across the board a short distance and displayed "Z Axis Stall Err E06-0324, Press Stop. I tried this ( from scratch) 2 more times with same results. After this I ran the project on the belt and added the 7" to the board size. I had no problem completing the project. Your UCB will work great for me once I figure out what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully you might have more suggestions I might try. Can you briefly explain what is taking place when the machine is measuring the bit?

You have me stumped. The only time I get the machine to z stall is if the bit misses the touch hole.

You will have to explain to me exactly what the machine does. Does it stall on the first bob? Does it stall on the carrier side or on the the board? How thick are the sides of your carrier base?

I hope I didn't confuse you with what I posted. Wasn't sure on this UCB (universal carrier board), but I now understand it better after Bergerud explained it. My bad also.

The attached 30 second video shows what is taking place after I jog to the front mark opposite the front touch hole and press Enter. It appears I'm still doing something wrong because as you mention the bit misses the touch hole. When the bit moves to the right side it bobs and hits the carrier side and that is when the "Z Axis Stall" appears on the LED display. The UCB is constructed of 1/2" MDF.


[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/jeiOu79vooA

The touch hole is on the wrong side. Where the bit stalls is where the hole is supposed to be. You either have to flip the jig around or drill the touch hole on the other side.

bergerud, thank you! After sending the video I read your comment again where you stated you only had the z axis stall when it missed the touch hole. Well the lights finally lit in this near 70 yr old brain. Yep, wrong side. I now have 4 touch holes, two that work.

I just made one but I used 3/4 mdf will I have a issue with it? I'm knew to this it was easy to build

I don't think that 3/4 MDF is going to matter except it will limit your max. usable board width by 1/2". I just used my carrier today on a board that I could not get flat/square enough to work with the machine. Was getting tracking sensor errors or "clear board sensor" errors. Worked great in the carrier :cool:

3/4" is ok. The bob holes in the side will not be in the center as they would be with the 5/8".

I made it out of 3/4 mdf. it was easy to build, and looked good but would not fit in the machine it was to tall. the head was all the way up, it just be that 1/4 inch, lol it was good practice making it, back to the store for 1/2 inch,

The UCB is less than 4 inches high! What did you build?

Could you post a picture? I cannot imagine how it can be too tall.

yes when I get home ill take a picture and post it, I'm in Augusta, Ga. know

lol i don't what i built it looked like the picture, but the headed topped out and it still didn't fit all i did was use 3/4 MDF from home depot

Attachment 87310Attachment 87311Attachment 87313Attachment 87312I feel stupid know it is me I own 4 Machines. the one I use all the time is on wheels so that's the one I tried it on was so dirty the head would not go up all the way. then I tried it on one I haven't used in sometime and it went right in, know cant wait to try it,

Looks just like mine! Glad you got it figured out.

I got it to work on the first try but I don't know how. I got lost when it said jog the X using the lower arrows, I didn't use the touch holes at all. all I did was move the bit all the over to the far side and hit enter, need help but I carved my first one using the UCB.Attachment 87384Attachment 87385Attachment 87386Attachment 87387

The reason you did not need the touch holes was because the carving was not deeper than 1/2". In this case the machine does not bother to measure the board thickness. Now for the bad news. The touch holes are on the wrong side. The holes are for when the bit thinks it is bobbing between the board and the sliding plate. Without those holes, the bit will stall onto the side of the UCB. When you do make the holes in the other side, make them nearer the inside. (The holes would be in the center of the side if the side was 5/8" wide.)

When you do a project deeper than 1/2", you will have to follow the instructions and jog to line up one of the new holes.

thank you, after you told me that I looked at the picture again sure enough I did it drill the holes on the woung side. lol I'm learning. do they have a video I can watch to see the right way to do it, you are good I would have never noticed the holes drilled one the woung rail,