Universal Carrier Base

[rchatch]

This is my first time on the forum. I just finished constructing the CW universal carrier base and I'm having a problem using it in the machine. I mounted the board according to instructions and slowly turned down the crank and pressed enter to proceed. The machine read the width OK, but will not read the length. the machine moves the carrier base in the x direction beyond the board and beyond the rollers and displays "Edge detection failed err E03-0400.
Wondering if folks on the forum could give me some suggestions as to what I am doing wrong or what to do to correct it. just a note: I have no problem running the board on the belt. The board measurements are accurate.

[lynnfrwd]

This is my first time on the forum. I just finished constructing the CW universal carrier base and I'm having a problem using it in the machine. I mounted the board according to instructions and slowly turned down the crank and pressed enter to proceed. The machine read the width OK, but will not read the length. the machine moves the carrier base in the x direction beyond the board and beyond the rollers and displays "Edge detection failed err E03-0400.
Wondering if folks on the forum could give me some suggestions as to what I am doing wrong or what to do to correct it. just a note: I have no problem running the board on the belt. The board measurements are accurate.

Once the compression roller releases the machine knows about how far it should go (3.5") before the board sensor sees the back edge of the board. What color is your carrier board? Is your compression roller stuck? What is your head pressure? What is your board sensor reading?

[bergerud]

Welcome to the forum. When you slowly crank down the head (watching for the load board message in the display to change) make sure that the board is actually under both rollers. Listen and you should hear the roller switches both click.

The idea is that the roller switches are "right on the edge" of switching and when the rollers drop the 1/8" at each board end, the switch will switch.

[CarverJerry]

How long is your carrier board? If it's on the long side and your outboard rollers (the ones on the flip out shelf) doesn't hold the board you will loose contact with the brass roller between the rubber or sandpaper belts causing an error. This can happen when the board comes out from under the rollers when it is measuring the length. My longer carrier board does this from time to time. I just looked at the universal carrier base for the first time but can't really see it well enough to be certain. Also remember that masking tape under the carrier will help keep the brass roller from slipping. Hope this helps.

[Digitalwoodshop]

At the point that the carrier lets the roller drop, you should have a wood edge under the board sensor to detect. A Open Rail Carrier and no end piece wood for the board detector to see the edge will spit the board out.

A picture of your carrier with a board would help solve this. I am betting it is a simple problem of no end detect wood under the board sensor.

My rail carrier had a end piece and I used place on end of board so it measured from the blocked end and never needed a rear piece as it stopped when it had enough wood. The other carrier has blocks of wood and I dropped a blank in the middle.

AL

[bergerud]

Hey guys, we are talking here about my Universal Carrier Base, not a normal type sled. I do not want rchatch to be confused.

rchatch, consider my post #3 and give it another try. Hopefully you can let us know how it goes.

[Ducky63]

Hi Bergerud, I hope somebody tells you how to use the Universal Carrier Base!! Because I bought it also and when I went to use it The machine done the same thing as yours. It ran all of it out the end and didn't stop where it should of so I went back to my sled. I made the 24" and the 36" ones and both done the same thing. So I haven't used it. Please help us know what it wrong and the right way to use it. Thank you!!!!

[bergerud]

It ran all of it out the end and didn't stop where it should of .... Please help us know what it wrong and the right way to use it. Thank you!!!!

Maybe if I explain how the board is measured in the UCB, you can figure out what is going wrong.

The board is mounted in the carrier so the top surface is 1/8" above the sides of the carrier. This is so the rollers will drop and switch at the ends of the board and trick the machine into measuring the board. For this trick to work, the roller switches must switch with only a 1/8" drop. This is accomplished by only very lightly clamping down the head. One slowly cranks down the head just until both switches click. (The display will change from "Please Load Board" to " Press Enter".) It is important that both switches just click at about the same time and that the board is under both rollers when this is done.

If the carrier moves past the end of the board without measuring it, it means that the rear roller did not switch when the roller dropped off of the end of the board onto the carrier. I would think that the head was clamped down too far or clamped down with the rear roller already on the carrier instead of the on the board.

(One should listen to the roller switches to make sure they do switch at about the same level as the head is cranked down. This carrier ejection problem could be caused by a faulty roller switch or an unlevel head.)

[Digitalwoodshop]

Hey guys, we are talking here about my Universal Carrier Base, not a normal type sled. I do not want rchatch to be confused.

rchatch, consider my post #3 and give it another try. Hopefully you can let us know how it goes.

My bad... Not even sure what a UCB looks like...

AL

[rchatch]

First of all, thank you for responding to my original post. Bergerud, your explanation is very helpful. I finally got back to running it again and I had no problem with the board measurement. I proceeded to step 4 Measuring the bit. This is where I got hung up again. I loaded bit, cranked head down as usual, pressed enter waited for "Finding Surface" pressed Stop. I chose # 3 - jog, displayed Jog to Touch Position 9.524" Long x 0.12" I then pressed forward arrow and the carrier base moved forward and stopped with the bit directly opposite of the front touch hole. The display showed " Jog to Touch position 3.062" Long x 0.12". At this point I hit Enter and the bit moved across the board a short distance and displayed "Z Axis Stall Err E06-0324, Press Stop. I tried this ( from scratch) 2 more times with same results. After this I ran the project on the belt and added the 7" to the board size. I had no problem completing the project. Your UCB will work great for me once I figure out what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully you might have more suggestions I might try. Can you briefly explain what is taking place when the machine is measuring the bit?