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Thread: Carving Rotary Lithopanes in 4” Inside Diameter PVC pipe (4 ½” Outside Diameter)

  1. #21
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    May 2011
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    Mount Juliet, TN
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    Quote Originally Posted by sunmiztres View Post
    Great job 200K and thanks for sharing. I just got done buying some 4" PVC to try this out as I am very interested. To me the way it sounds I could just put the 1/4" wide, 1/8" thick strips on top of the plates. Would I need to make the indentation where the bit touches during calibration? I just want to make sure the depth during carving is correct. Again great job.
    Bergerud, Couldn't we take your jig and add the 1/8 strips into the design so they lay over the top plate? What do you think?
    I had trouble with the board sensor stalling when I used 1/2" wide Corian strips. The 1/4" wide strips should pass muster. Make sure the outside edge of the middle piece is flush so the bit can bypass the jig on the first descent or you will get a z-stall. I even have a small groove to permit the carving(tapered) bit to slide down next to it.

    Just be sure the Y-truck is not contacting the PVC workpiece. My Corian pieces raise the machine head 5/16" to prevent this but it's got a little overkill built in. You might get away with only 1/8" extra height, but I'm sure 1/4" would certainly work. Maybe double up the thickness at the ends? Just make sure you have only 1/8" extra height in the middle where the bit touchpoint is to calibrate the workpiece height.

    I'm amazed how simple the solution turned out to be after going through a slew of false starts and dead ends in getting there.

    200k

  2. #22
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    Dec 2006
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    Brunswick, GA
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    Wow! I just ran across this thread after returning from a week at sea. It is an absolute joy to watch/read the thought process you and Dan are working through. Kudos to you both and congratulations for making the CW Rotary Jig that much more fun and useful. I am totally impressed. Thank you!
    Michael T
    Happy Carving!


    ═══ Links to Patterns & Resources for CompuCarve™ & CarveWright™ ═══

  3. #23
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    May 2011
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    Mount Juliet, TN
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    Thank you very much Michael. Praise coming from such a creative guy as you is high praise indeed. I can truthfully say that I wouldn't have been able to accomplish it without Dan's input and encouragement. But that's what the Forum is all about, right?

    I am constantly amazed at the amount of knowledge imparted and the marvelous projects that people post on this forum. This is the first time I actually feel I've contributed something besides an "Attaboy!", not that those are unworthy or unwarranted. Appreciation for those who accomplish artistic and skilled projects is vital encouragement to keep the creative juices going. Frankly I don't see how you manage to come up with a new, original project every month. I may be good at copying creativity, but muchos kudos to you for the Real Deal.

  4. #24
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    Oct 2007
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    Galloway Township (Egg Harbor City) NJ
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    Fantastic solution. I ran into that problem and gave up and went to a smaller diameter. Now I can try that diameter again.
    Thanks,
    George

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Hereford, AZ
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    I added a 1/8 strip on the rails and had no problem carving the 4" PVC without a machine error but I am having a problem getting the depth correct. It is carving much deeper then it should. I ran 2 tests and both of the tests it is carving about 3/16" to deep. On the 2nd carving I readjusted the depth settings to .090 and it almost carved through as well. Te 4" PVC has a diameter of 4.5". Is there a special depth setting needed when using the 4" PVC? I did not think so since we added the 1/8 strip but I was thinking maybe I need to add a 1/4" strip along the top of the rotary rails. Any suggestions? Thank you
    Heather

  6. #26
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    Nov 2008
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    Vancouver Island
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    That sounds strange. If the dowel in Designer was 4.25" and the strip added 1/8" to the touch height, it should have carved the right depth on 4.5". Give everything a double check. Was the dowel in Designer 4.25"?

  7. #27
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    Sep 2010
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    Hereford, AZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by bergerud View Post
    That sounds strange. If the dowel in Designer was 4.25" and the strip added 1/8" to the touch height, it should have carved the right depth on 4.5". Give everything a double check. Was the dowel in Designer 4.25"?
    .

    Yes the dowel was set to 4.25". On the 2nd test to avoid carve through I set the depth of the picture and lettering very shallow but still had carve through on the picture. Most of the right hand side of the picture carved through. I am including the MPC in case you can find anything wrong. Thank you
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Heather

  8. #28
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    Nov 2008
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    The mpc looks ok. The machine does not actually touch the dowel to find the surface as it does for boards. The machine knows the touch point is 1.75" above the jig axle. If you were carving a 4.25" dowel, the machine would expect the dowel surface to be 2.125" - 1.75" = 0.375" above the touch spot. Using the 4.5" pipe and raising the touch spot by 1/8" gives the same difference. Maybe you could check that the pipe surface really is 3/8" above the touch point.

    Use the z sensor data. Put the bit on the pipe and turn on the machine. Now look at the z sensor data (0 - 7 -down arrow a few). It will read 0.000. Move the truck over and touch on the top of the 1/8" shim. The z sensor should read 0.375. (This assumes, of course, that the pipe is centered and really is 4.5" in diameter.)

  9. #29
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    Sep 2010
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    Hereford, AZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by bergerud View Post
    The mpc looks ok. The machine does not actually touch the dowel to find the surface as it does for boards. The machine knows the touch point is 1.75" above the jig axle. If you were carving a 4.25" dowel, the machine would expect the dowel surface to be 2.125" - 1.75" = 0.375" above the touch spot. Using the 4.5" pipe and raising the touch spot by 1/8" gives the same difference. Maybe you could check that the pipe surface really is 3/8" above the touch point.

    Use the z sensor data. Put the bit on the pipe and turn on the machine. Now look at the z sensor data (0 - 7 -down arrow a few). It will read 0.000. Move the truck over and touch on the top of the 1/8" shim. The z sensor should read 0.375. (This assumes, of course, that the pipe is centered and really is 4.5" in diameter.)
    I just finished doing what you said and I got all kinds of readings. First I put the bit on the middle of the pipe and it was 0. I moved it to the left rail and got the reading of .359 and then moved it to the right rail and got the reading of .369. I then turned the machine off and tried again but this time I put the bit on the edges of the pipe rather then the middle. Bit on right side of pipe and got the readings left rail .388, right rail .430. Bit on left side of pipe and got the reading .469 right rail and .446 left rail.
    The end caps on the pipe are the ones that have a hole right in the center so I believe the pipe is centered correctly. What info is this telling you other then it is messed up Is there anything I can do to fix this?
    Thanks
    Heather

  10. #30
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    Nov 2008
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    I do not think there is anything easy you can do to level the jig in the y direction. There is no adjustment built into the jig design. As for the other measurements, you will have to look more closely at the pipe itself and how well it is held in the jig.

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