Rock Chuck and Bits

[dbfletcher]

I sincerely hope I dont get flamed for this, but I would at least like to vioce my experience. I do not want to deminish Ron expertises in any way, becuase with out a doubt I can say her know far from about machining, cnc, hss, carbide bits then I will probably every know. However, that being said, I would just like to state what my experieicne with rotozip bit are in the rotozip tool. My particular rotozip max's out at 30K rpm... in the ball bark of the carvewright i beleive. In the 9 years i have oweded my rotozip, I have snapped 20-25 bits. Typically becuase i tried to move the rotozip to quickly through the material. I will say i have seen the zip bit flex somewhat... but very minimal before 'snap' the bit broke. My take from Rons reponse was the he expected the zip bits to flex far more than my usage would indicate.... but like i said, I fully beleive Ron know's very well how hss is supposed to react. perhaps I have just been very lucky and have never seen this "whipout" that Ron describes with the rototzip tool. If i use to much force, I know the bit will snap. And after having my carvewrite for several years now, I do have a feel for how fast it moves on the x,y,z axis... and anytime i have broken a rotozip bit, I am positive I was moving it thru the material at a much faster rate than I have ever seen my carvwright move.

I have not tried a zip bit in the carvewright yet. Will I? I'm guessing once i get the rock i ordered.. i probably will give it a whirl withe there heavy duty bits... and i certinaly will keep a very close eye on the bit thru the saftey sheild and see if I can see a lot of deflection.

I believe that most if not all the bit the i have broke on my carvewright machine had nothing to do with me at all. Most of them where very early on from head dives.... call support.. replace z-truck... control boards... powersupply... ect... and every so often out of the blue on a project the carved fine before... i'll hear a screech.. go out and look and the z will be all the way down drilled though one part of the machine or another that it wasnt supposed to... and another $50 out the window.

So... I'm fine with LHR saying the no -non LHR bits are not supported and could very well damage your machine. And i guess when the reports start rolling in the zip bits are indeed totally incompatible.. i will scratch them off the list as a possible useful add on tool. Obviously so far Robb has had some success... and with my 10 years as a user of a rotozip.. i'll almost surly give them a whirl.

Let just keep the info comming.. both good and bad. In the end it can only help all of us.

Thanks,

Doug Flethcher

[badger]

My comment I should have posted is geared towards the newer users that dont have some of the expertise some of you have. I just didnt want them to go out and purchase cheap bits just because they are cheap without knowing what they are doing.

For the rest of you that have years and years of cnc experience by all means test what you want to test. You are adults and think you know what is best for your machine so by all means use what you want.

For the not so experienced please do your research before you use other than what is intended for the machine.

[HighTechOkie]

You SIR have NO idea how I clean my machine! Did you know that I have a dust blower and dust colection system? Did you know that even though I have what I already stated I stop the project and vacuum it out every 30 minutes (even though there is a minimum amount of dust) to vacuum it out?. Did you know that after each carve I clean out, wipe down every part of the machine? I didn't address you so what gave you the right to address me in that manner? I fully expect this to be deleted so I am keeping a copy just in case! Check your arrogance at the door or don't bother to show up to the party!

Good Day!

Take it easy Steve, life is too short to take everything so personal. I have seen your comments numerous times regarding your cleaning habits and was not questioning the machines cleanliness. It seems if someone doesn't address you with kid gloves you get all bent out of shape like it was some kind of personal attack.

There is more to "maintain(ing) your machine"(my exact words) than just keeping it clean and dust free. Dust can (and does) get into the encoders. Screws become loose. Grease dries out. Castings can fracture. These are all issues that should be part of routine maintenance. When was the last time you checked TIR?

Then we have the list of "user error" issues such as board binding on the squaring plate because the wood isn't square or loosing contact with the board tracking sensor.

If the machine can't run wide open on select pine, then you have an issue somewhere in your machine. Strip it down and put it back together to find the issue(s) or send it to LHR for them to go through it.

Rob

[SteveEJ]

OK Rob.. I'll bury the hatchett and accept your explaination. I do still firmly believe there needs to be that added feed rate feature. Stating so does not make it SPAM either. The SPAM statement was quite unnecessary. I do not have to be treated tenderly and have quite thick skin but even that is sometimes not enough to insulate me and others from some of the statements by folks here.

You did make a statement, that LHR has basically known of this request for a long time. Why have they not responded? I would rather have the basics nailed down in the software then all of the advanced features in the world.

Steve

[Lobo]

Rob,

Does the scanning probe fit in your chucks?

[cnsranch]

I do still firmly believe there needs to be that added feed rate feature. LHR has basically known of this request for a long time. Why have they not responded?

Steve

I think a lot of people agree with you, Steve, regarding having some kind of feed rate (I'm one of them).

My thought was for the programmers give us the ability to tell the machine what type of wood we're carving, and then thru programming, the machine would adjust the feed rate (it's seems clear to me that, say, pine will carve softer and faster than, say, ironwood).

My guess is that this is a more complicated issue than we think - after all, if we're given the ability to adjust the feed rate, and we adjust it too fast, and we break a bit, whose fault is that? Or, if LHR gives us the ability to adjust the rate, and we adjust it too fast, way too fast for the tolerances of the bit, and the bit blows thru the cover, and drives itself into my forehead (and rattles around there for a while, 'cause there's nothing there to stop it), whose fault is that?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - LHR HAS to be evaluating every suggestion we make here - they have a vested interest in making the machine and its software better - that way they'll sell more machines, AND MAKE MORE MONEY (novel concept for any company these days)!!!

Someone venture a realistic guess - how many cutting bits do you think they sell in a month? 100? 250? Do the math - you don't drive your auto company by selling oil changes, you do it by selling cars. And LHR isn't making a fortune by selling cutting bits.

So something else has to be at work in an instance like this.

But that's just me.

[PCW]

Hi Jerry,

The feed rate issue I don't see it being any different than other hobby CNC on the market with the exception of the CW being proprietary in hardware and software. They offer full control of feed rate and passes so I don't think the problem would be the fault of LHR. It should be just the opposite if they are programing these figures and a bit breaks goes thru the cover, and drives itself into your forehead (and rattles around there for a while).

I think LHR is more interested in things that are bringing in the dollars. They are not overly concerned about things that don't and they end up on the back burner.

Someone venture a realistic guess - how many cutting bits do you think they sell in a month? 100? 250?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a lot higher.

[Ike]

Rob,

Does the scanning probe fit in your chucks?

This is a good question, does anybody know? I just bought the Rock and I have a probe that I never tried. Dang I was on the phone with Ron yesterday I wish I read this before to ask! I bet it will work!

Ike

[al2888dj]

it will fit

[PCW]

Hey Ike,

How are you doing and hope you are selling a lot of Soda. Below is a quote from Ron over at CarveSpot.

Quote
catawba
Thanks Ron, because there is a problem. I put a ruler to the shaft and can say it looks like the manufacturing specs must have been 0.5 inches. Somehow I just cannot see tightening on that plastic. It seems like a quarter inch to half inch adapte from anyone would have to be better than pinching plastic. I put a mic on the diameter and it is .250 inches. I don't have a quarter-inch Rock Chuck or quarter-inch adapter yet, so I don't have any path on going that way. I can put something up on YouTube to show the end of it if you want. If it is important, I would send it to you for your inspection.

Hi Catawba,
If the stem is .250 diameter, and is sticking out .35 or more, you will be able to clamp on the stem ok in either version of the Rock Chuck.... Keep in mind there is no true force trying to pull the probe from the spindle, so just a slight tighening of the clamp screw in the Rock Chuck till it doesnt want to pull out is all you need... and yes, if you have the 1/2 version of the chuck, and didnt purchase a Rock Sleeve, you would need the 1/2 to 1/4 sleeve.

Thanks for the feedback!

Ron