Can bit check be sped up or eliminated?

[FWMiller]

I have some very small projects that fit on a sled that carve in less time than it takes to go through the redundant bit checks. I can't merge multiple copies into a single carve because I am using my scrap wood to make them. I don't often do carves that run for 4+ hours so I'd love to see the unnecessary bit checks eliminated.

[SteveNelson46]

Back to my original topic again, the current procedure is really a significant time waster and not trivial. Granted, if doing a carve only, it is not significant. But I routinely run projects with a carving bit, cutting bit (sometimes two different ones), and a V bit. The cutting bit may be used for drilling, vector cuts, and cutouts. Sometimes the same bit is required to be loaded again, after it has been removed and another bit loaded, because it is for a different operation (e.g. drilling versus cutout). This can require 4 or more bit changes and the associated bit finding cycles before anything gets going. If you haven't run projects like this, you probably don't appreciate the amount of time that it takes. Maybe I should post a project so you can see for yourself. I don't babysit my machine the whole time it runs, so whether it is a 10 minute carve or a 4 hour operation, it makes no difference to me - my time is spent loading boards and installing bits, and this seemingly unnecessary bit loading is time I could be spent doing something more productive.

If the Carvewright people had thought that there was a faster and safer way when they programmed the firmware I'm sure they would have done it. It's just part of the cost of doing business. But then again, maybe they are sadistic at heart and just like to throw in unnecessary procedures so carving a project will take an inordinate amount of time (lol). I would rather see them working on fixing existing bugs and new features.

[bergerud]

In the beginning, I think the CW people wanted to make the machine as bullet proof as possible for novice users who would buy projects and make them. The pre-bit find procedure would make sure that the user had all the bits required before starting the project. It would not be a nice thing to find that one did not have a required bit in the middle of a project. That, to me, makes some sense if projects require many special bits. As it has turned out, most project creators make projects that require, at most, the two standard bits. It follows, I think, that the people who use the other bits are people who have made their own projects. These people know which bits they have and which bits their project uses and probably are not served by the pre-bit find procedure.

Another thing to consider is the change from the QC to the CT. The QC with its adapters made it quite easy to pop bits in and out. That was its claim to fame. With the CT, having to deal consistently with the fancy bits and adapter sleeves, requires collars and has really become problematic.

I think a compromise is needed. Have the display run through all the bits required in the project before the project starts. It could even require confirmation for each. (How about the option to skip a bit?)

[DocWheeler]

Steve,

I don't think there was any evil intent here.
My thoughts are that the program designer simply went about doing the things necessary to get to the final result.
One thing necessary in the program would to populate an array or work-file with information for each bit, and it
would be only natural to think of doing this first so that all programming that followed would have that information.
Later, in the program, it was probably deemed necessary to test the inserted bit to assure the number that was stored.
So, I can see how this developed, the problem now would be the introduction of new "bugs" by having zeros in the initial array.
Or, something like that.

[liquidguitars]

Sometimes the best way to do something is at ones own speed with a choice of options, with my new DC its not simple to install bits all day and can be painful.

[SteveNelson46]

It is kind of a PITA but, they probably won't change it anytime soon.

[liquidguitars]

they probably won't change it anytime soon.

No need to change anything the software gives you a choice, novice and continue.

[kroskam]

No. What you do is put in the carving bit (since it will be the first bit actually used by the project) even though it asks for the cutting bit. You leave the carving bit in for all the bit checks. It then does the carving with the carving bit. After it is finished carving, it asks for the cutting bit. Put in the cutting bit. After the bit check the program will choke because the length will not agree with the carving bit length which was measured. It is at this point you press 2) continue. The program will use this last measurement of the cutting bit and finish the project.

What do you mean by the last measurement of the Cutting Bit? Do you mean it would use a measurement stored previously for the Cutting Bit on a past project?

[bergerud]

What do you mean by the last measurement of the Cutting Bit? Do you mean it would use a measurement stored previously for the Cutting Bit on a past project?

What I mean by "the last measurement" is the measurement just before the bit is actually used.

On the last measurement of the cutting bit, the machine will notice a difference and prompt you to refind or continue. When you press continue, the last (and the only important) measurement is the one used. The machine discards the original measurement of the cutting (actually the carving) bit which it made during the pre bit checks.

[kroskam]

What I mean by "the last measurement" is the measurement just before the bit is actually used.

On the last measurement of the cutting bit, the machine will notice a difference and prompt you to refind or continue. When you press continue, the last (and the only important) measurement is the one used. The machine discards the original measurement of the cutting (actually the carving) bit which it made during the pre bit checks.

I am carving several projects that use numerous bits. Each one requires numerous bit changes during the initial setup that is time consuming. What I am hearing in your post is that I can use the Carving Bit
each time a different bit is asked for by the machine during the initial setup even say the shorter 90 degree bit, and I only need to choose 2. Continue when the machine sees a difference in length discrepancy between the two bits, and everything will carve, and drill successfully?