Breaking bits

[DJKnutsen]

There are a lot of MPC's in that package. The one I was working with was the "half_parts.mpc"... I bought it hoping to learn how he did, what he did, so I could understand by example and results... and I am learning.... just traveling a bit more laterally than I intended..! Thanks

[DJKnutsen]

I'm sure I should clarify... I am extremely new to the CarveWright world, and am undoubtedly doing everything wrong... and I'm well used to learning the hard way, I've just become accustomed to fall back on documentation to fill in the gaps and goofs... and when you get a firmware update, but no explanation as to what was changed, and how it might effect your operations, it's hard to identify the cause of some unexpected effect... me or thee??? I don't really care much which, I'd just like to not repeat the same thing unknowingly!

[lynnfrwd]

See Changelog on update page.

[DJKnutsen]

Thanks for the info... a bit had to find (http://www.carvewright.com/assets/do...adme_2_005.txt) but a lot of information there!

[fwharris]

Are your cut outs using multi pass or in full depth? At the bit change did the bit/cut motor spin at the start of the bit measuring step? Most times the cause of the cut motor not coming on is the cut motor switch (switch on the cover on the bit plate end of the machine) is not going closed.

[DJKnutsen]

Yep... it did spin up when entering the new tool measuring routine. I've never gotten to actually cutting anything at that phase... The first time it broke the bit (and ended that board-try), next time I killed the power (and ended THAT board-try) and this last time... I stood there and watched as it broke the second bit (ending that... and so on!!) ???

[DJKnutsen]

ANSWERS!!! I talked to Lynn at CW, and she told me a lot about the evolution of the Designer program, and how there were mostly additions to the original coding, and that there really shouldn't be any hardware conflicts between the two (1.87 and 2.xx), and that the only problem encountered with Mavericks was due to the NAP function designed into the system for portables and battery life.... So, I set up my system with an empty sled, and in as much as I wasn't actually carving anything, I didn't turn my vacuum on.. (I have the Dust Devil Collector installed). I got everything purring along, and after about 30 minutes, the router motor shut off..!!! Using the OPTIONS 8 motor test function, it said that the motor should have been running, but it wasn't! SO.... poking, prying...twisting I discovered that the cover's motor interlock switch on the right side wasn't making, and if I pressed hard on the cover, I could get it to run... Long story-short... I'd had to cut the cover down to accommodate the Dust Devil, and (being a machinists at heart!!) I made it a nice tight clean looking job... and it worked... right up to the point the things heated up and then that switch wouldn't make... My shop is quite cold, so running Dick's MPC took about the same amount of time to heat up and fail (all three times).... if it had been much warmer for my last run, I'm sure it would have stopped sooner. I am waiting on CW to deliver my replacement cutting bits, so I can't actually run for real 'till then, but I'm sure it'll work as designed.

It's interesting that the motor interlock is hard wired into the motor control circuit, and not monitored by the program... so the program thought the motor was running therefore no error existed..!? Ta..da.. broken bits!!! It's all on me, but boy am I happy to have found the answer!!!

[lynnfrwd]

This is about the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this be the issue. It is better to overcut on the cover than to be perfect or undercut.

[DickB]

Why does the software not monitor the cut motor speed and stop all movement when the cut motor interlock switch shuts the motor down?

[fwharris]

Why does the software not monitor the cut motor speed and stop all movement when the cut motor interlock switch shuts the motor down?

We get "check cut motor" errors a lot of times so why wouldn't it be possible for the system to check that the motor was not running?