CarveWright or like machines info wanted

[jess bunch]

Have any of you EVER used a CarveWright or Compucarve machine. I would like to hear about your first hand experiences, GOOD or Bad!

Please!
Jess, in Mid Mo

[Ben Cadotte]

I have seen 2 samples from a Craftsman Compucarve. They both needed a lot of sanding. I wasn't there to watch the machine, or know if maybe the wrong bit was used (if there are different ones). But the samples were so rough I lost interest in it at that point. Best way to describe it is like a ink jet printer that has banding issues. Lines across the wood where the cutter didn't quite cut smooth. Compared to a big expensive units they are relativily cheap (seen sears at $1,559 for craftsman club). But I think they still need some work. Or at least the one that did the 2 samples I saw.

[Glen Walker]

I watched one at the St Louis WoodWorking show and was so impressed that I forked over 2300 dollars for the entire setup. The carvings that it made were fairly impressive, and I thought I could use if for extra designs for the pieces that we already make. Anyway I got the machine home and unpacked it and set it up to make my first trial run of it. I went thru the program and designed my carving then downloaded it to the CarveWright and started setting it up. Just when it was about to start carving it gives me a "Power Fluctuation Error", which no one ever mentioned when we were asking questions about the machine, but apparently this is a common problem that happens when the power supply is damaged during shipping. Well we went thur tech support and were informed that it needed a new powersupply which they would ship to us after they recieved the faulty supply. So two weeks later I recived the new powersupply and installed to find that now the display does not come on when I turn the power switch on. It shows no indication of being on and is completly unresponsive. So back to Tech Support I went and finally decided that I would just send it back for a full refund. This is when they informed me that I had 30 days from the date of purchase to send it back and also if I sent it back there would be a 10% restocking fee, meaning that even though the machine never functioned at all I was going to loose 230 dollars automatically, and on top of this I purchased the CenterLine Text software which is nonrefundable, so this is another $99 lost, bringing my losses to $330. Then you figure in another 70 for shipping back to the factory and it makes it an even 400 dollars lost. Dont read this the wrong way I do believe that CarveWright (LHR Technologies) has a great idea for a machine, but I do think they need to go back to the drawing board on a lot of the issues with this machine. I realize this machine isnt designed for a industrial standard, but it should be designed to handle being shipped from point A to point B without being damaged from bumps and shakes. I am an Electrical Engineer by trade and I deal with this type of equipment every day. I just couldnt see paying this much money for a machine that didnt function right out of the box, and I know I probably shouldnt mention it but the one thing that sours me the most was the big sticker that was on the bottom of it that said "MADE IN CHINA"....... So I guess to wrap it up I would say the service is great, the people are helpful, but their product really needs further development.

[Rob Will]

I have one of the first 200 beta machines. It has worked fine.

As far as roughness goes, I always run programs on the highest possible resolution. I think the results are good, probably not excellent but good.

The thing that my machine does best is sign making.

The software is easy to use but I do sometimes wish that they offered more complex carvings in the library.

Rob

[Ed Lang]

Take a look at ShopBottools.com while researching CNC machines.

[James Stokes]

I allso have one of the Beta machines. I used it a couple times and it broke. Returned it and had it fixed. Got it back and played with it a couple times. It has sat every since. I have to use it out side, if I don't I get dust in the lasers. It is slow.
I am in Springfield If you want a good deal on a used one.