PDA

View Full Version : Is there a problem at CarveWright?



Dave Yanke
10-05-2008, 5:57 PM
Finally convince the wife to let me add one of these to the shop, and the site is down the last 3 or 4 days.

Is the sie just down or is it more ominous?

Neville Stewart
10-05-2008, 7:36 PM
Dave - If software/design is your weak point then CW is a good choice, if not I would go with another machine, CW is a neat hobby machine, but you will outgrow it fairly quickly. Can't address the site being down, but if your heart is set, then get the Sears version.

james mcgrew
10-05-2008, 8:21 PM
dave, carvewright is a very limited machine with problems for most users, i have one i got it in june of 07 and while it was fun i purchased a camaster machine with non propietary parts and gcode software, look at shopbot buddy or even rockler now has a 24x24 machine the extra you will pay up front will be worth it as there is a resale value, a used carvewright is a lost propisition, then your wife will be really po'd!!

i believe the site is down as they were hit hard in the hurricane i got an email from them with photos.

jim

Dave Yanke
10-05-2008, 9:42 PM
Dave - If software/design is your weak point then CW is a good choice, if not I would go with another machine, CW is a neat hobby machine, but you will outgrow it fairly quickly. Can't address the site being down, but if your heart is set, then get the Sears version.

Hmmm... this is contrary to some of the other threads. Sears no longer has the CompuCarve, which is why was looking at the CarveWright.

Neville Stewart
10-05-2008, 10:02 PM
actually I wasnt aware Sears stopped selling it, well then I would say my first proviso stands.

Bob Donaldson
10-05-2008, 10:59 PM
Here it is if you still want it.

CompuCarve

http://machinerydistributors.com/cww.htm


http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921754000P?vName=Gifts&cName=GiftFinder&sName=Craftsman%20King&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

james mcgrew
10-06-2008, 5:24 AM
mann tool may still have one

http://www.manntools.com/

i got one in the barn and my wife swears she wants to use it. otherwise it would be gone!!

james mcgrew
10-06-2008, 5:55 AM
here is email i got from carvewright

Hurricane Ike came bearing down on the Houston area early Saturday morning. With sustained winds of 100 MPH, damage to the area was unavoidable. The city of Houston and surrounding areas are still affected by the storm. Many are without power, water, and other amenities that most people take for granted. With all the damage and destruction, LHR Technologies, Inc. and it's staff made it through the storm relatively intact. Although there was severe damage to our warehouse building, no customer machines were damaged in the storm, We are getting everybody back in the offices and are ready to return to normal. AT&T is working on getting the call center back up hopefully next week sometime. If you have questions please email the appropriate party at the email address below. We appreciate everybody's patience and understanding in this time of recovery.
Hardware support: support@carvewright.com (support@carvewright.com)
Sales/Customer Service: sales@carvewright.com (sales@carvewright.com)
Software: software@carvewright.com (software@carvewright.com)

Nathan Camp
10-06-2008, 7:06 AM
The site was up at the end of last week. I believe they had the phone center back up after the storm. I think the site is just down.

nathan

Dave Yanke
10-06-2008, 7:48 AM
Here it is if you still want it.

CompuCarve

http://machinerydistributors.com/cww.htm


http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921754000P?vName=Gifts&cName=GiftFinder&sName=Craftsman%20King&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

The first one is for more than CarveWright had it for and if you look close at the second, it is discontinued.

I'll have to keep digging around before making a decision. Thanks guys.

Nathan Camp
10-06-2008, 2:35 PM
Looks like the web site is back up. I'm reading the forums now.

nathan

james mcgrew
10-06-2008, 3:26 PM
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66227

carvewright at 1500.00?

AL Ursich
10-07-2008, 9:08 PM
As a happy owner of 3 Sears Compucarve units:):):), it does have it's place. I use it for tourist stuff and signs. I post on the Forum as Digitalwoodshop and have a link to my web site there where you can view the things I make. I was told not to post my web link here.

Got a $2K+ sign order from a local development with a bunch of future work available. The Compucarve fit the bill for the signs. I have passed on some 4 x 8 foot sign work to my friends with big boy machines and plug on with what I do best with the machine I have.

As for reliability, the machine does have it's issues, and I have had issues too. Lucky me, I am a Mr. Fix it, with this computer electronic stuff being retired Navy and a former Sony Tech with lots of training in this stuff.

For the average user, there is a learning curve as with other high tech equipment. I even had to send my machine back twice before I learned to fix the problems.

I bought machine 2 and 3 broken and fixed them.

As for the machines, LHR developed them and list them under the CarveWright Name. They let Sears sell them under CompuCarve and it was a good move getting the machines out. With all high tech equipment, problems were encountered and fixes were found. The problem was that so many machines had moved through the system so fast and the known problems were talked about so much as each new customer found it easier to post "I have a Lemon" than read other posts about how to handle the problem. Any problem a new user had was posted numerous times and had they spent time reading the forum they would know what to do. Most required a call to LHR for parts or shipping the unit back. In the current configuration it is a very reliable machine.

Sears got caught up with so many new users found it easier to return the unit rather than get it fixed or find out what was wrong. What they did not know is that the new machine they got was going to do the same thing.. It was a viscous cycle and Sears blew a fuse and stopped selling them.

From what I know or believe LHR has a newer version of the same machine with the known fixes being installed in China. The same configuration as the 3 machines I own, having upgraded them myself. The new parts or improved parts in the basic machine make for a BETTER MACHINE.

I believe Sears is through selling the machines. LHR has now had the national exposure it needed and for this reason, they will be sold through other the other outlets including..... Harbor Freight.... I was shocked to see it sold at HF but what is the difference... The Support is through LHR..... SO I would buy one from HF.... I am still not able to confirm if they are refurbished machines or NEW machines.....

So in my opinion, if the machine fits your needs and you can make money with it, then it is a good deal for you.... If you use it for a stepping stone to a better bigger machine later than that is good too..... Donate it to a School when you out grow it.... If you are in a business, then it is a write off anyway...

As for the site being down, I found that last week my saved link stopped working and found when they changed servers the link was no longer valid. A quick trip to the home web site then to the forum got us back on track. Then the servers were down for a few days on the weekend. I had a friend in California that could not log on either site on Friday night where I had good access. The next day I was down... not able to get on the site.

The phones were down after the storm, I had heard they lost the equipment in the wood shop and about 50 machines were trashed in a dumpster when the doors blew in on the building. I have a Cousin in the area and he made out OK but knew of the damage at LHR. Things are getting back to normal now.

They just released the best version of the software 1.131 that gives me control over things that will make projects easier and more fun. I took a Halloween Witch on a broom and placed a Circle under it then selected outline and it outlined the outside of both combined patterns. Previously I had to do the combined outline by hand with the mouse, that is a great change. They added the ability to control how deep each pass is for a cut path, so that is a good thing for different types of material. They added the ability to do a cut path in thin material on a carrier board or sled using the auto cut feature. This will let me cut out FRP or Plastic tags for my Sublimation side of my shop.
They added support for a 1/16 inch cut path bit and will sell the bit soon... Great for my FRP tags.... There is MORE but I am a very happy user.....


Good Luck with you decision,

AL

If you are interested in buying a Ford and you ask a Cadillac owner you will most likely hear how bad a ford is..... If the Ford gets you to work for 3 years and you can now buy a Cadillac life is GOOD... Ask that same man how was that FORD and he will most likely tell you good things.

This is a Cadillac Forum..... And a darn fine one too.....

AL Ursich
10-08-2008, 7:20 PM
Wrapped up the sign project tonight and will deliver tomorrow. This was a perfect project for the CarveWright machine. I have a few more orders for replacement signs and will add things like bears that are popular here in the mountains.

Someday I see my shop having a Shop Bot so until then I will make due with the little machine that could....

With Christmas Craft Shows I will be setting up a machine to just cut Christmas Ornaments from wood scraps, a big craft show seller.

I mentioned the new cut path on a sled software update from LHR that will support my Sublimation part of the business. I have a job to cut some unusual size tags that are used for Fire Department Accountability tags. I sublimate them and Epoxy coat them for a great product. A Shop Bot could cut the tags too but with this new feature I can now do it.

I am betting that for Christmas that LHR comes out with a 4th Axis to use a sled with a axis to make spindles. The Jack is already in the cover of the machine for the 4th axis. They now plug the probe into it.

AL