CW WW'er or WW'er with a CW

[JDPratt]

I have noticed a lot of posts by people who make a living in numerous fields unrelated to woodworking (a lot of software and tech people). I was curious how many people who own the carvewright got into woodworking/sign making because of the CW vs. how many are true woodworkers who got a CW as another tool in the shop to enhance what they make?

I notice there are a lot of people with tech backgrounds who can do amazing things with the machine and really understand both the software and the inner workings of the CW (Digitalwoodshop [Al] would be a good example).

I, on the other hand, have been woodworking since about age 5 as a hobby and now as a living. The CW in my shop acts as just another tool among many. I don’t have even the slightest clue how the CW works deep down inside. To tell the truth I don’t have the time or the inclination to find out. I have to many other things I my plate with woodworking projects.

Are there other users out there like me, or are most users the tech savvy types who got into this because of the tech aspect?

John

Now if I could just find out what kind of secret squirrel stuff goes on in the Senior Member Forum????

[cestout]

I have been a hobby and a litle money woodworker all my life and I have to know how everything works, I can't just accept the fact that it does.
Clint

[Capt Bruce]

Hi John,

Like yourself I've been a lifetime woodworker and a hand woodcarver. Actually started doing neckerchief slides as a Cub Scout. The CW only joined my woodshop tools in 2009 after years of PC graphics for publishing and CAD experience. It has now evolved into my primary tool and I do less and less furniture but now I enhance most everything with CW produced engravings. I've also found it can often do more accurate cuts than my best attempts with my hand, scroll and/or table saw and its repeatability can't be beat. It has been fun to learn all its capabilities and to push those occasionally as I learn to think like the machine with out really learning all the mechanical details that make it all happen.

Good question and I'll be interested to see how our colleagues both new and old respond.

Oh, and we are a pretty boring group in the Senior Member Forum so you are not missing much, but keep on contributing and someday we will welcome you aboard.

[tedis]

I've always wanted to do woodworking but never had the space. I'm a programmer and know that eventually I want to retire from that field and I now have the space to pursue woodworking on the side.
I came across the CW online and thought it was very cool, so I bought one a year ago. I'm still learning but don't have the kind of time I'd like to have to spend at it - I have to still work at my day job.
Anyway, my plan is to make enough things to pay for my hobby and maybe make a few extra bucks to pay for some extra tools - a second CW would be nice.

JD - what do you make with 5 CW's?

Trevor

[JDPratt]

I have been a hobby and a litle money woodworker all my life and I have to know how everything works, I can't just accept the fact that it does.
Clint

I know how my car works, but that doesn't make me qualified to be taking it apart, making modifications, repairs, or how the computer systems within the car make it go Vroom. The point I was making is that this is a tech tool moreso than a nontech tool. I know how to use my computer, but you won't see me taking it apart to add, remove, or make repairs. I can take apart and repair any other tool in my shop to include the motors in most of the machines. However, I don't have the base tech/computer knowledge to be taking apart the CW. Could I spend the time to learn it? I suppose, but at what cost to all the other things I have to do or gain knowledge of?

JD - what do you make with 5 CW's?

I run a woodworking shop for the DOD and produce furniture, cabinets, museum displays, command boards, etc. The CW's allow me to sometimes add another element to these items. There are times when I will have all 5 machines running and then there are time when they will all sit idle for extended periods of time.

John

[DickB]

Maybe you should start a poll with your questions.

I was curious how many people who own the carvewright got into woodworking/sign making because of the CW vs. how many are true woodworkers who got a CW as another tool in the shop to enhance what they make?

I am a woodworker who got the CW as another woodworking tool. I got the CW to build a project (a dash panel for my boat) that I could not figure out how to make without a CNC. I do make signs and lake map "plaques" similar in construction to signs, but also use the CW to build stuff such as step stools, toy boxes, and clocks. For projects such as the toy box I used the CW for embellishment with most of the construction done in the more traditional manner.

Are there other users out there like me, or are most users the tech savvy types who got into this because of the tech aspect?

I am an electrical engineer and competent in digital and analog design as well as firmware (most of my career was in firmware development and test). I did not get the CW because it is a cool tech toy. But certainly my tech background is helpful in using the Designer software and the CW, and without itI might have been less inclined to take the plunge.

I don't need to know how things work deep inside just because, but I find the more that I do know the better I am able to exploit Designer and the machine to do what I want.

[tierman]

Hi John, I got my first hammer when I was about 4 years old from my father who was a cabinet maker for a piano company in Mich. He taught me all I know today. I went to work Howard Miller Clock Co., left to work for a P.O.P. display mfg company as a model maker(full sized prototypes of automobile showrooms not reduced or scale models) retired from there. At my retirement party one of my coworkers gave me a catalog ad of a compucarve and after a couple of months of retirement I figured I better try to retain what my brain had learned from working and I bought my first machine, I now have two and so the story goes....... the machine you love to hate. I consider myself a computer illiterate but my Carvewright enables me to enhance a piece of woodwork or cabinetry with something I can picture in my mind but my hands do not have the the skill to do or the patience for it.

[aokweld101]

My history is being a weldor and fabrcator for the past 34 yrs. I had problems and had to have my leg apputated I seen the carvewright about 5 yrs ago at sears, I thought having little experince and the add saying just push and carve sounded easy, so I bought one, I was 58 yrs old and at that point and retired not by choice, believe me, it been a learning experience but I could get around and work things out of my lap or table top....I couldn't just watch TV and wait to see the promiss land I needed a hobby and this was my ticket, I don't regret it.

[CW-HAL9000]

I got interested in woodworking in my twenty's watching Norm Abram on New Yankee workshop. I did small projects and furniture until about 5 years ago I bought a used CW after seeing one online somewhere. Now I use it to embellish some woodworking and for small woodworking items I sell at flea markets and art sales. I have extensive computer skills which have helped with those issues all though I am a complete novice when it comes to making my own 3d or 2d patterns. Just have not had the time to explore it more. I have kept my investments to a minimum with 2 used machines that I keep for myself and only centerline , scan probe and pattern editor as my add on software. I still use 1.87 and until a customers project pays for more then that is what I will stay with. I have done all my own repairs and can completely disassemble and reassemble any CW. I have helped repair others machines and have bought, repaired and sold at least 8 machines over the years. Have one in pieces now that will be put together and sold soon.

[RogerB]

Have only worked in a wood shop for the last 10 year's before that . Solid wood bedroom furniture and kitchen Cabinets. So total of 20 years or so. Got the CW for a toy.