CarveWright is here!

[Rob Will]

My CarveWright machine came in today. Here are a few thoughts so far.

The function of the machine is very slick and the software is easy to use. It requires no manual. The machine is quite loud and ear protection is a must to watch the action up close.

The carvings that I did of a person's face are OK but would probably look better if carved in plastic & set at a very shallow depth. At a viewing distance of 4 feet or greater the carvings look really good. Up close everything looks like it was sandblasted. Sort of a driftwood effect.

Text looks really good.

Selecting boards: sides must be parallel and the board must be longer than the finished part by 8" or so. (if you want the peice to stay under the rollers).

Rob

[Vaughn McMillan]

What? Is your camera broken? :eek:

Congrats on the new machine. I sure wish I had a spare couple o' grand sitting around. Seems like one of those tools that could pay for itself.

- Vaughn

[Rob Will]

Sorry Vaughn, I stayed up so late playing with the machine that I don't even remember going to bed. Here are a few pics of the trial runs.

Anna the spokesbaby says it passes her inspection!

Rob

[Brett Baldwin]

Very cool. I have a feeling you are about to become very popular with your woodworking neghbors.

[John Miliunas]

Way cool, Rob!!! :D While most purists will say that's "cheating", guys like myself who would end up carving most of my left hand, can really appreciate how a rig like that will add another dimension to your projects! Keep us posted on progress/experiments/projects! :) :cool:

[Rob Will]

Way cool, Rob!!! :D While most purists will say that's "cheating", guys like myself who would end up carving most of my left hand, can really appreciate how a rig like that will add another dimension to your projects! Keep us posted on progress/experiments/projects! :) :cool:

Confession: I went to take a shower while "Waverly's Wood Shop" was being cut out. I wasn't even there.....how could that be cheating:rolleyes: ?:) !!!

Rob

[Andy London]

I am giving very serious consideration to buying one of these, ever since I read the first post. Running a small business means one is always looking for an angle or something different, the projects that I currently do added with the abilities of this machine are very exciting.......I think you should bring it over and we will explore the possibilities:D

[Bruce Page]

Man, this is killing me, I want one sooooo bad. :(
Anna is a doll!

Congrats!

saving my pennies in Albuquerque, NM

[Ed Lang]

How long did it take to cut one of those and what size are they?

Looks great!

[Rob Will]

I am giving very serious consideration to buying one of these, ever since I read the first post. Running a small business means one is always looking for an angle or something different, the projects that I currently do added with the abilities of this machine are very exciting.......I think you should bring it over and we will explore the possibilities:D

Andy, Send two plane tickets and I'll bring it over, I've always liked Canada.....we have to buy a seat for the CarveWright, it is too heavy to go in baggage.;) ....80 lbs ship wt.

Rob

[Rob Will]

How long did it take to cut one of those and what size are they?Looks great!

Ed, The "angel" is about 5x5 and took about 15 minutes. "Waverly's" is about 6x20 and took about 40 minutes. Rob

[Rob Bourgeois]

Anyway to post a real close up on the "sandblasted look" you mentioned. Also have you tried to sand it in any way or maybe burnish it in anyway to remove the marks and improve the appearance.

/I previously said it was cheating if you sell it as hand carved..otherwise it isnt cheating any more than using a router sign maker.

[Lee DeRaud]

What bits came with it?

Reason I ask, it looks like the detail on things like the angel plaque really want a smaller one. Given the way the machine works, the bit size/profile and the overall scale of the picture need to be matched up: smaller picture, smaller bit.

[Rob Will]

What bits came with it?

Lee,
Most carving is done with a 1/16" bullnose (included). I think you are correct about the size. Another issue is speed. This thing zips along pretty fast and I have to wonder about detail. The machine also comes with a 1/8" straight bit.

I like what it does from 4 feet away...or perhaps as you suggest, some larger scale carvings might tolerate the bullnose bit a "bit" better:D.

Rob

[Lee DeRaud]

Most carving is done with a 1/16" bullnose (included).Ok, it looked like quite a bit larger bit was in play...my initial impression was something like a 1/4" V-groove bit. I guess it's elements in the actual artwork that make it look like that: in particular, the radius at the corners of the bevel of the angel plaque "frame" caught my eye.

[Chris Fite]

Imagine that a completed picture frame or small frame and panel door or drawer front could be run through the carvewright with monetary implications.

[nic obie]

I got my machine yesterday but it won't boot-up. Carvewright thinks it's the memory card screwing up so they are over-nighting me a new one.

So far super service! I actually talked to the head tech on my first call without going through a bunch of mumbo jumbo push 1 for ... .

[Rob Will]

Anyway to post a real close up on the "sandblasted look" you mentioned. Also have you tried to sand it in any way or maybe burnish it in anyway to remove the marks and improve the appearance.
.

Rob, note the beading around the edge and the angel's hair. We tried using a peice of soft synthetic steel wool attached to a dowell in a drill as a burnishing tool. It took off the fuzz but the texture remains. Generally speaking, larger carvings look better than small.

Rob

[Bruce Page]

Lee,
This thing zips along pretty fast and I have to wonder about detail.

Rob

Rob, is the feed rate non-adjustable? It seems like a variable feed rate would be necessary for the best results.

[Rob Will]

Rob, is the feed rate non-adjustable? It seems like a variable feed rate would be necessary for the best results.

Bruce, It seems you are right....I just figured out that the CarveWright has different quality settings that you control at the machine: DRAFT, NORMAL, and BEST. I was thinking that this setting was in the software.

In the "angel" picture that I posted earlier, that carving was cut at the "NORMAL" quality setting. Here are two pics that are both done at the "BEST" quality setting. The one on the left is a 1/16" bullnose, the one on the right is a 1/8" straight bit.

As you can see, the 1/16" bullnose sample is much more detailed than the 1/8" straight. They are both smoother than the "NORMAL" samples that I made last night and both look good up close.

Rob

[Jim Bunton]

My CarveWright machine came in today. Here are a few thoughts so far.

The function of the machine is very slick and the software is easy to use. It requires no manual. The machine is quite loud and ear protection is a must to watch the action up close.

The carvings that I did of a person's face are OK but would probably look better if carved in plastic & set at a very shallow depth. At a viewing distance of 4 feet or greater the carvings look really good. Up close everything looks like it was sandblasted. Sort of a driftwood effect.

Text looks really good.

Selecting boards: sides must be parallel and the board must be longer than the finished part by 8" or so. (if you want the peice to stay under the rollers).

Rob


Rob, Those carvings are great what a way to dress up a simple design. How big of a piece will this machine except?

Jim Bunton

[Vaughn McMillan]

Rob, Those carvings are great what a way to dress up a simple design. How big of a piece will this machine except?

Jim Bunton
Jim, from what I've read the capacity is 12" wide by up to about 8'. It's open-ended, so it'll handle long boards, but eventually you run into a weight limit that the feed belt can handle well.

Rob, your second set of pics is making it really hard to justify not buying a CarveWright. I see they could be little moneymakers. Thanks for showing the new toy off.

- Vughn

[Rob Will]

Thanks for the kind words guys. The longest peice that I ran in the CarveWright was about 30" x 7" --- and that took about 2 hours. Long and wide boards such as 8' x 15" would take more than a day to cut. A board that long would require outfeed tables on both ends.

I agree that raised panels in this thing would work great.

Rob

[Bruce Page]

Bruce, It seems you are right....I just figured out that the CarveWright has different quality settings that you control at the machine: DRAFT, NORMAL, and BEST. I was thinking that this setting was in the software.

In the "angel" picture that I posted earlier, that carving was cut at the "NORMAL" quality setting. Here are two pics that are both done at the "BEST" quality setting. The one on the left is a 1/16" bullnose, the one on the right is a 1/8" straight bit.

As you can see, the 1/16" bullnose sample is much more detailed than the 1/8" straight. They are both smoother than the "NORMAL" samples that I made last night and both look good up close.

Rob
Those carvings look great! Man, this is getting harder for me by the minuet!

[Reg Mitchell]

Nice score Rob... thas neater than sox on a rooster and a lot handier ....was wondering if you could do a large piece and dowel it together and make a larger picture....or is that even feasable :eek:

[Cecil Arnold]

Reg, I made a trip to Carvewright and looked at the machine and talked to Chris Lovichek, the CEO. It will handle material up to 14 1/2" wide and 5" tall. The limiting factor on length is weight. The transport mechanism will handle about 20 lbs. and as Rob said, you would need in-feed and out feed support. The Carvewright web site, under FAQs (I think) says you can dowel together if you are careful in your design, and they are working on software upgrades to incorporate this feature.

Rob, those last two carvings were awesome.

[Shari Loveless]

Rob,
Those are some awesome pieces you've done! Have you noticed any particular kind of wood carving better than another? I thought maybe I'd make a run to Home Depot and get a few practice pieces for when my machine shows up. Maybe I'll even hit a local cabinet shop and see if they have any "scrap" I could use.
When you said the board had to be longer than the project; how can you router the edge then?
Shari

[Rob Will]

Here's an interesting addition to one of the peices made with the CarveWright......used a black paint marker to hi-light the tops of the text. Otherwise, the finish is BLO (my first attempt).

So help me out here guys, what do I need to do to apply a BLO finish? How many coats, how long to dry? etc.

Any other sealer or finish suggestions for these carvings?
Most will be on Cherry for now.

Thanks,
Rob

[Cecil Arnold]

Rob, BLO is a wipe on wipe off finish. Wipe it on (heavy) and let it sit for 10-15 min. Then wipe dry. The piece needs to sit for a week to completely dry. You can do a second coat the next day, but it will take a week to be dry enough to quit smelling. Other finishes you might want to consider are shellac and water based poly. The only problem I have with the WB is that the wood doesn't get that nice amber sheen it gets with other products. For sign making, you might consider using a 45 or 60* bit, painting the cut out, then sanding the surface.