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Machine FAQ's
The basic CarveWright Woodworking System/CompuCarve includes a small tabletop size carving machine, with the user friendly Project Designer software, a carving & cutting bit, memory card, and memory card programmer. Additional accessories and advanced software, such as the scanning probe, full bit set STL & DXF Importers and Centerline Text, are available. Online web support from www.carvewright.com includes tutorials, projects, user's forum, FAQ's, downloads and access to purchase or sell additional designs through the Pattern Depot.
From simple signs to the creation of electric guitars, the possibilities with a CarveWright Woodworking System are abundant. There are tons of applications for this machine. See a few of them under the Ideas link. Most uses include woods, both soft and hard. Polycarbonate (Lexan), Corian and cast acrylics are other fun mediums. When acrylics are backlit, images such as photos, come to life in front of your eyes. Certain foams can also be carved, but do not attempt any type of Plexiglass, nylon, ABS, metal, ceramic tile, stone, concrete or glass, as these may damage the machine and/or cause personal injury.
Machine FAQs
Carving Capabilities
What is the CarveWright machine able to do?
You can think of the CarveWright machine as a desktop publishing system for wood and other soft materials. The easy to use CarveWright Designer software lets the user create original designs without having to use complicated CAD software. Once the design is ready, the information is uploaded to the machine via a memory card and carved. The machine can carve, cut, surface, edge route, and miter a workpiece with a variety of bits and techniques. To see a sampling of what can be done with the machine, visit the CarveWright website (www.carvewright.com). Check out the Projects/The Results page, the Customer Gallery or the gallery in the Users Forum. The machine requires no prior knowledge of machine tools or the programming language G-Code. It does all of the setup with its sensors and prompts the user for information when required.
What are the maximum workpiece dimensions?
The machine can handle a workpiece up to 14.5" wide x 5.0" tall x 12' long. The maximum length in most cases is dependent on the weight of the workpiece and is related to both quality of the carving and longevity of the drive mechanism. Any workpiece more than 20 lbs in weight places increased stress on the drive mechanism and will accelerate wear on the system. Although there is no physical limit to workpiece length, stand-alone support rollers should be used on any workpiece over 3' long to achieve the best results.
What are the minimum workpiece dimensions?
The minimum acceptable size of a workpiece that can be inserted into the CarveWright is 1.5" wide x 0.5" thick x 7.0" long. It will be necessary to mount the workpiece onto a jig, if any of the single dimension is smaller than the stated minimums.
What is a jig?
A jig is a piece that is constructed and made for project pieces to be placed inside. The jig tricks the machine into thinking it has a piece that is of acceptable size and shape. Although the CarveWright can be used to create a jig, LHR Technologies does not sell jigs. Consult our Archived Tips & Tricks for more information on jigs: ISSUE 7 April 2008 – Carving Jigs – Carrier Boards, Sleds and Rails
What is the maximum depth of cut?
The maximum depth fo cut is 1.0" with the 1/8" cutting bit and 0.8" with the 1/16" carving bit.
What is the ouput quality of the cutting passes?
Like a printer, projects can be configured to run in a DRAFT, NORMAL, BEST or OPTIMAL quality settings depending on the situation. Draft is the fastest and should be used on any first time "test" carves. BEST works great on tighter grain woods leaving little to no feathering or clean up required. OPTIMAL should be used for softer grained woods that will be final pieces and takes about 3 times longer than the BEST mode. The quality mode dictates the speed of the cut and amount of material removed per pass. On the best quality settting the spacing between passes is .006". Lower quality setting means less time on the machine, but perhaps more elbow grease. Higher quality setting means more time on the machine, but less elbow grease.
How long does a typical project take to carve?
The carving time of each project is determined by four main variables:
- The Size of the Project - (the most obvious of the four) the larger the project; the longer it takes to carve
- The Quality Setting Selected - like a printer, the user can select the output quality. The higher the quality setting selected, the longer the project will take to run.
- The Depth of the Cut - the deeper the cut and more wood being removed increases the carve time.
- The Cutting Mode - The CarveWright produces carvings by two different cut modes; raster carving and vector carving modes. Raster carvings are produced by making many small passes with the 1/16" carving bit, building the image one line at a time. The path is similar to that of a dot matrix printer. A Vector carving is produced when the bit follows a 3-D path generated by the software. The path is similar to that of a plotter. Vector carvings are typically much faster than raster carvings.
The software will estimate total cut time when you upload the project to the memory card. For comparison, the top of the small jewelry box (8.5" x 5.5" x 3.5") on the Projects/The Results page of the website took one hour to carve in NORMAL quality mode. The larger box (10" x 13" x 6") took 5 hours at BEST quality mode.
Can the machine carve object in the round?
The CarveWright does not currently have the capability to fully carve in the round.
Can I carve of both sides of the material?
The CarveWright software enables you to place designs on both sides fo the workpiece. Many times a two sided design will require a special jig because of the way the machine moves and measures the material. The machine does not currently have the capability to fully carve in the round.
Can I seam two pieces together to create a larger piece?
The machine has the precision to output multiple pieces that will line up well when seamed together, if the project is laid out correctly in the software and appropriate steps are taken during the carving.
Can the machine cut all the way through the material?
Yes, the drive belt configuration allows the machine to plunge any bit below the bottom surface of the workpiece. The machine is also configured so that the entire topside of the material can be carved (although to do this, the piece may have to be mounted into a jig).
How does the machine perform cutouts without the loose pieces interfering?
The software automatically adds small tabs that bridge to any pieces that are cut out using the "Cut Out" function. These tabs keep the pieces from dropping out and binding the system or cutting bit. These tabs can be cut with a razor or snapped off after the piece is removed.
Can the machine do joinery?
The CarveWright can currently do miter and bevel cuts and can be commanded to do dados and rabbets.
Can the machine carve complex surfaces?
Yes, the machine can carve complex surfaces. A very accurate representation of an existing surface can be obtained by using the surface - scanning probe available for $299. Many times a jig will be required to index the material to be carved.
What is the resolution of the machine?
The core capability of the CarveWright is as a carving machine. The machine configuration and control software are quite different than a classic mill. As such, the terms resolution and accuracy are hard to correlate to what you expect from a classic milling machine. Our controllable resolution is .00025" on the Y and Z-axes and .0015" on the X-axis. The accuracy of any single raster carving line is on the order of .005" - .010" in the Y and Z and the step width is between .005" and .010" depending on the quality setting you choose. When you are talking accuracy of position of two elements across a 60" board the value is even higher.
Can the machine be used in an industrial or commercial setting?
The CarveWright is designed as a light duty machine intended primarily for the hobby market and is priced accoringly. It is not suggested, nor waranted, for continuous commercial or industrial use.
Do you have plans to offer a larger industrial unit in the future?
No. At this time, we only sell one model of the machine. However, we are continually working to expand our product line to meet customer needs. Please continue to monitor the website to see press releases on new products and software.
Can I buy this machine and take it out of the country?
The CarveWright is only available in the continental US and Canada (www.carvewright.ca). It is powered with 110V connectivity. Our customer support is not available 24/7, nor are we multilingual. Taking the machine outside of the US or Canada will also void the warranty on the machine. We will only ship the machine or parts to a continental US address and funds may only be accepted that are US funds (all major credit cards accepted). Any export of the machine outside of the US is the sole responsibility of the customer. All Canadian customers must order shipments to Canada from our Candian dealer.
Any items such as software, subscriptions, patterns, and projects are sent via email to customers.
Where can I find additional information on the capabilities of the machine?
Visit any or all of the following locations on our website www.carvewright.com:
- CarveWright Project Results
- CarveWright Customer Gallery
- Customer Spotlight & Past Spotlights
Where can I learn more about using the machine?
There are several educational materials available for learning to use your machine:
- CarveWright Instructional Video - this 45 minute video mostly covers the machine. One is shipped with every new machine. You can also order it online at the CarveWright Store. The video is free, but shipping and handling is $7.00
- The CarveWright Manual is available from our website under SUPPORT
The CarveWright can work in most soft materials including wood (even exotic hardwoods), suitable plastic and foam. Any materials outside these families are not to be used with the machine unless explicitly state by CarveWright. At present, the CarveWright does not carve in metal, ceramic tile, stone, glass or concrete.
Wood
The machine can carve the full range of wood types from soft pine to exotic hardwoods. While we have not tested every conceivable hardwood, we have yet to find one that cannot be used in the CarveWright machine. We have found that hard materials with tight grains produce the best finishes. In most cases, feathering and chip out will increase as the grain size increases. Also dry materials tend to produce a better quality finish then matarial with high moisture content. The CarveWright Designer Software has several tools to control chip out to help when working across all types of wood grain.
Plastic
Sutiable carving plastics include polycarbonate (Lexan), cast acrylic (sign makers plastic), and acrylic base (Corian or Staron). Most other plastics such as Nylon, ABS and extruded acrylic (Plexiglas) tend to melt and gum up because the melting point of the material is lower than the temperature generated at the bit tip when carving. The great thing about cast acrylic and Corian is that they come in many different colors and opacities. Note that the machine is always expecting soft material like wood as the carving medium and will automatically set the speed and feed rates based on this expectation. Therefore it is very important to keep any carving in plastic to less than 1/8" deep. Deeper carving will put excessive load on the machine by trying to push a bit through this hard material and can cause damage to the bit and/or machine. The only bit currently approved for plastic is the tapered 1/16" carving bit. This means that some functions will not be availalbe to you when using hard plastic. DO NOT use any machine function that employs a bit other than the tapered bit when using plastics. For example, do not use decorative bits or the cutout function on plastics. Also remember to clean the machine very thoroughly when using plastics. The "dust" and chips produced can damage drive components and belts.
Foam
Foam is a great medium for carving. Sign foam, such as HDU (Hish Density Urethane), is particularly suited for creating signs and molds. The denser the foam the better the surface finish.
Other Materials
Any materials outside of those stated above are not to be used in the machine. In fact, not that the CarveWright warranty is null and void if the machine is used to cut metals, stone or any other hard material not explicitly allowed. We encourage all of our customers to be creative with materials within the wood, plastic and foam familiies and to report successes and failures so that we can share this information with the entire CarveWright community.
What voltage is required?
The machine is wired for 110V only. Some customers are reporting using transformers to step up to 220V, but this generally means they are using the system outside of the US and their warranty is in this case voided.
Is it possible to run the machine on 220V AC?
The CarveWright can only be used with a 60 Hz 110V AC power supply. Using a transformer to convert to 220V will void your warranty.
Can I use an extension cord with the machine?
When using the CarveWright at an extended distance from the wall outlet, use an extension cord heavy enough to carry the current that the tool will draw without inducing a large resistance load. An undersized extension cord will cause a drop in line voltage, which can result in a momentary loss of power. This can cause damage to the machine and in some cases can cause the machine sensors to work intermittently. this may show itself in random machine stalls or even a full electronics reboot.
Additionally, only connect to a dedicated circuit. Circuits with other large loads (AC units, other tools, dust collection systems, etc.) can also cause a momentary voltage drop when operating at the same time (especially at startup).
Use the chart provided below to determine the minimum wire size required in an extension cord. Only jacketed cords listed by Underwriters Labrotories (UL) should be used.
Length of Extension Cord vs. Minimum Wire Size (American Wire Gauge - AWG)
Up to 10 feet - 14 AWG
10 to 50 feet - 12 AWG
Over 50 feet - not recommended
When working with the tool outdoors, use an extension cord that is designed for outside use (indicated by the letters WA on the power cord's outer jacket). Before using any extension cord, inspect it for loose or exposed wires and cut or worn insulation.
Can I use my own bits?
The machine has a standard library of approved bits that can be used. Because of the variations in bit geometry and size among different brands, only CarveWright brand bits can be used. Use of other bits may void the warranty. The majority of machine functionality is done with the included carving and cuttting bits. Please visit the CarveWright website sotre for a listing of bits and bit sets.
How long will the carving bits last?
The 1/16" carving bit is solid carbide and will last for many hours, if handled correctly. Lifetime is directly related to what materials are being cut. Cutting in materials with glue (such as plywood or particle board) will tend to wear the bit faster. The typical reason a carving bit needs to be replaced is that it is dropped and the tip has been damaged.
Can you use more than one bit during a project?
The software will allow the user to create projects that use as many of the CarveWright approved bits as desired. On projects that use more than one bit, the machine will prompt the user for each bit, as it is needed. The patented quick-change system makes changing bits fast and easy.
Does the software automatically select the bits for the user?
It depends on what functions are being commanded in the software. Some functions will automatically use certain bits, while others functions can use any one of the many user selectable bits. By default the machine will use the 1/16" carving bit for any raster carvings.
Can I reuse my bit adaptors?
The CarveWright utilizes a patented quick release chuck system to make changing bits fast and easy. To use this system the bits must first be installed into the tapered bit adapters. The 1/4" bit adapters are single use only. They are not to be removed from one bit to use on another since the setscrews are required to be permanently thread cemented. Swapping adapters will lead to stripped setscrews and loose bits. 1/2" bit adapters can be reused on multiple bits.
What is the capacity of the memory card?
The capacity of the memory card is large enough to hold a significant number of projects and scans. How many it will hold depends on the size of the individual projects. Typically, we get 30 to 40 projects on a card. if the card fills up, simply delete some of the files using the Flash Manager in the software. As long as you keep the project file saved to your computer, you can re-upload the project to the memory card at any time. Once on the memory card, the file is no longer in a format that can be brought back into the software and changed. Always save your projects to your hard drive. Backup your projects from time to time, so that you can retrieve them, if your computer crashes.
Can I buy additional memory cards?
Additional memory cards and programmers can be purchased online at our web store.
Can you connect the machine directly to your computer?
There is no need or accommodation for connecting the machine directly to a computer. The CarveWright is configured this way so that your computer will not have to be exposed to the dirty shop environment. The machine comes with a memory card and a memory card programmer that plugs into a USB port on your computer. Once a project is downloaded from your computer to the card (via the programmer) you simply remove the card and insert it into the memory card slot in the machine. Also, the machine is not wireless compatible.
Can I go buy any PCMCIA card and use it as my memory card?
No, the CarveWright memory cards have special files on them that communite to the machine.
Where can I order parts?
Parts for your CarveWright machine can be ordered by calling 713-473-6572. Check our website for hours of operation. Some parts are being added to the online store. To find those, click on "The CarveWright" under Categories (to the left of store front page). Click on the words SERVICE PARTS. They are listed in two categories CONSUMABLES & MECHANICAL PARTS. Consumables are non-warranteed items.
Will you be adding all parts to the online store?
Some more parts will be added; some parts will remain available only by phone.
Do you have a Parts List online?
An Expanded Parts List and instructions for repairing the machine are available on our website under SUPPORT - SERVICE DOCUMENTATION. This will assist you in determining which part you need to order.
Where can I find information on repairing my machine?
- Assistance is availabe at our website under SUPPORT - SERVICE DOCUMENTATION.
- CW Community Forum
- Call Customer Service at 713-473-6572. Check our website for hours of operation.
What type of maintenance is required for machine?
There is not a lot of maintenance required, but it is VERY IMPORTANT! Detailed instructions for maintenance can be found in the CW User Manual, on the CW Instructional Video and on our website under Service Documentation. Briefly, you should at minimum:
- Keep it Clean
- Check Head Pressure
- Lubricate Regularly
- Keep within 40 to 110º Fahrenheit
- Avoid Static Discharge
- Avoid Power Fluctuations
- Properly Prepare Materials
What additional products do I need to purchase to properly maintain my CW machine?
- bathroom scale for checking head pressure
- industrial chain lubricant with moly, such as Liquid Wrench Chain Lube for
- Spindle Flexshaft
- white lithium grease
- 3 in 1 oil
- dust collection system
Make sure you follow instructions for proper use of these products to avoid damage to your CW System. Instructions for maintenance can be found in the CW User Manual and on the CW Instructional Video and in the Service Documentation area of our website. LHR Technologies is not responsible for the accuracy of suggestions and information found in the Community Forum.
Where can I find more information on running the machine?
There are several sources for finding out more information on how to run the machine:
- CarveWright User Manual
- CarveWright Instructional Video - DVD included with each machine sold after April 2009, you canview online or order a DVD (S&H Charges-$7) online now or by calling 713-473-6572
- CW Community Forum - search for your topic or post your question
- Archived Tips & Tricks
- Service Documentation
- Call Customer Support at 713-473-6572
Where can I see a machine run?
- Check our Show Schedule to see when we will be in your area
- Attend a Training Class or Visit our Houston TX location any Wednesday afternoon, call ahead to schedule an appointment 713-473-6572
- Check the Member listing at www.cncartguild.com to see if there is a customer listed in your area that will show you their CW
- Look in at our Dealer Listing - call ahead to see if they have a live demo machine they can show you - then purchase it from them
- Post on our Community Forum to see if there is anyone in your area that will show you their CW
Package Size: 28.5” x 20.25” x 18”
Package Weight: 78 lbs (35.4 kg)
Machine Weight: 70 lbs (31.8 kg)
Cut Motor Speed (No Load): 20,000 rpm
Cut Motor Horsepower (Peak): 1.0 Hp
Electrical Rating: 110VAC at 8 A, 60 HZ
Power Cord Length: 6 feet
Maximum Workpiece Size: 14.5” wide x 5.0” tall x 12' long (Limited by weight)
Minimum Workpiece Size: 1.5” wide x 0.5” tall x 7.0” long
