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[mmartin55]

Thanks again. Would you be interested in cutting me a part each from 1/16", 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" baltic plywood if I mail you some samples?

Tom

[hotpop]

Sorry Tom I don't have my machine available right now. Perhaps another forum member can help you.

[Dave Boland]

Would be nice if we can get a check list or punch list of what was actually performed on our machines while they were in the shop for repair? I was having problems with the "Y"
track. Machine came back with no "Y" problems, however it also had different "Z" truck installed, synchronous belt had extreme slop, new crank handle, sliding guide plate was loose, and x drive gear was missing teeth. Could not have passed a run test. My machine is 6 months old and I was told it is one of the older models. I understand the need for cannibalization, but are old parts and new parts interchangeable?

[muntin chops]

I've been absolutely infatuated with this machine, it's capabilities, and the depth of knowledge, experience, creativity and ingenuity flowing here in this forum (sorry, can't help the sappiness, i do mean it though).

Anyhoo...all that being said, my carvewright hasn't even showed up yet. But i already have so many questions! I've tried my best to get as many answered as i can through searching. So here goes:

-i'll be working with expensive species of woods (mahogany, cypress, cedar, etc). I'm human and I expect to make my own mistakes, so i'll buy those screw-ups. But if a bit breaks, like the carving or cutting bit, is there any way for the machine to sense that break and prevent further damage to the wood, or more importantly, the machine itself, by stopping at the time of the break?

-I've read about this elusive '10 hour carve club' and can't wait to join it myself. But does that refer to the total amount of machine time added up over the duration of the project, or an actual 10 hour nonstop running of the machine? I'm curious because I wanted to know what the maximum comfortable time is to run the machine on a daily or monthly basis. I can understand that complex carves or dense woods would play a role in the average times.

-the manual says that the 'sand belts' (those are the traction belts, right?) need to be paid more attention to if you carve on material weighing over 20 lbs. Does anyone have maximum comfortable weights they've worked with? I forsee some heavy pieces in my future. Has anyone found they need to replace the belts more frequently due to heavier pieces?

-i need to make templates for cutting moulding knives. the manual says a polycarbonate or cast acryllic can be used since they won't melt. I've also read that many projects have been made from corian. has anyone had good/bad results with 2D plastic cuts? my need, as far as the plastic goes, is a long lasting, hard plastic.


I know these are a lot of questions to start with and I'm pretty long winded. I appreciate any help you guys can give me and look forward to giving back to the forum based on my future adventures.

Thanks guys!


PS-my fiance wants me to use more smileys. so

[woodbug]

Hey guys thinking of getting a machine how tough are they, will they last for a long time.

[hotpop]

muntin chops

I'll try to answer some of your questions.

But if a bit breaks, like the carving or cutting bit, is there any way for the machine to sense that break and prevent further damage to the wood, or more importantly, the machine itself, by stopping at the time of the break?

It's not likely that a bit will break while the machine is running. Breakage usually occures when the bit in not all the way in the chuck properly. In that case, the bit will usually fall out before the cutting takes place or when it makes initial contact with the wood. Once the machine is cutting a minute or so you can feel comfortable walking away from it. If the machine has a broken bit, the machine does not know it and will keep running. Just hit the stop button or open the cover to stop the machine.

I visit my machine every 20 or 30 minutes to check the flex shaft for excessive heat.

-I've read about this elusive '10 hour carve club' and can't wait to join it myself. But does that refer to the total amount of machine time added up over the duration of the project, or an actual 10 hour nonstop running of the machine? I'm curious because I wanted to know what the maximum

I invented the "10+ Hour Club" as a joke. To be a member you need to do a project that has a cut time of 10 plus hours. Sort of like being a member of the "Mile High Club". Just something to boast about.

I don't know if there is such a thing as maximum running time. You might want to open the cover and vacuum out chips and give the machine a rest once in a while. Closing the cover will start the cutting where it left off.

I can understand that complex carves or dense woods would play a role in the average times.

Dense woods won't make any difference. The machine doesn't know what it is cutting. Curves won't make much difference either.

the manual says that the 'sand belts' (those are the traction belts, right?) need to be paid more attention to if you carve on material weighing over 20 lbs. Does anyone have maximum comfortable weights they've worked with? I forsee some heavy pieces in my future. Has anyone found they need to replace the belts more frequently due to heavier pieces?

I think I read in the Owners Manual that the sandpaper belts should last the life of the machine. Some people have replaced them because they tore them.

Weight will probably not be an issue. Length of your boards is probably more important. Any board longer then three feet should have additional outboard support.

i need to make templates for cutting moulding knives. the manual says a polycarbonate or cast acryllic can be used since they won't melt. I've also read that many projects have been made from corian. has anyone had good/bad results with 2D plastic cuts? my need, as far as the plastic goes, is a long lasting, hard plastic.

Corian is acryllic palstic I believe. Many people in the forum are carving the stuff. I haven't heard anything negative about Corian except the dust tends to stick to everything inside the machine.

[hotpop]

woodbug

Hey guys thinking of getting a machine how tough are they, will they last for a long time.

WoW! That's a loaded question. How long is a long time? When you buy a car do you ask the same question? It's like a car, change the oil every 3000 miles, check the tires, and only take it out of the garage to drive it to church on Sundays it will run a long time.

Machine life will depend on you. How you maintain the machine and use it is up to you.

[mesa007]

Can any one tell me what to expect for the finish product? i.e, is a lot of additional hand sanding required? I 'wood' expect some in softer wood, but I am referring to surface cut like those in corbels. Some of the photos presented herein look very good, but what preparation was done in advance of the photos.

thanks in advance

dave

[hotpop]

mesa007

A lot will depend on the wood you select. I found that the harder woods don't need a prep before sanding. Soft woods I usually apply sanding sealer to stiffen any whiskers.

In Designer there are five setting for bit optimization and when uploading to the flash card there are three additional quality settings. Setting every to the best setting will probably double the machining time. You will need to experiment and decide what is best for you.

[castingman]

Hey hotpop,

I carved four panels 4.5 hrs each in one day , can i count that ?

Michael