CAMaster MC-2840 Problems and Solutions!

[Bryan Cowan]

I want to be as polite as needed and still make my point. But I lived in Chicago most of my life and my approach usually comes off as a little to blunt for the rest of the world.

Posting on a third party forum for help on your new machine seems to be a poor way to receive said help.
Would you post here for help on your new grizzly band saw or your new Stopsaw or even your Jet jointer? I think not. You would have visited the manufactures web site or called them directly. This would be the proper way to get the help you need on your new machine. At the least, you should have posted there and called as well as having requested help here.

From reading the posts and what slowly came out over several days, It would appear that you do not fully understand how to set parameters in, or completely understand how to use your software. Your settings are off and you are putting unnecessary strain on your machine that resulted in mechanical failure.

The fact that Camaster is willing to handle this on a third party forum to help you with your problem is a testament to their willingness to service their customers. Most manufactures would not even consider answering a request for help not placed through proper channels.
Best Regards
Jim J.

This third party forum is what helped me acquire the CAMaster. Between the efforts of Joey, Jim, and Guy, I made the purchase of this particular machine. I didn't once visit the CAMheads forum prior to making the purchase. We also have an Epilog FiberMark laser which also shares a section of this website. Call me lazy, but I like not having to jump around to different websites when my questions could be answered in one.

Like I said earlier, if this was my livelihood, I would have contacted everyone including the President himself if I was in dire need. The fact that I came here, and here only, is because of the help I have received previously. If nobody responded to my problems, do you think I would have not tried another channel? Everyone has different approaches to how they do things; this would be mine.

[james mcgrew]

If Jim wants to do a Crossloop session after 7-8pm on the weekdays, I'm game. Remember, this isn't my day job. I don't have the luxury of spending 9 hours each day in front of the CNC or the computer running it. I have to learn everything in small steps day by day.

Jim,
I just sent you an email with the .crv file.

absolutly!! i am the same way, it looks like i just sit here all day when those who have been to my shop know i have computers at the machines, in the barn, in the pond house, in my closet, in my office and a pair of laptops so for the most part it is when i stop for a minute. lets shoot fot tonight or tommorrow just call me 803 518 2074!

jim

[Guy Mathews]

absolutly!! i am the same way, it looks like i just sit here all day when those who have been to my shop know i have computers at the machines, in the barn, in the pond house, in my closet, in my office and a pair of laptops so for the most part it is when i stop for a minute. lets shoot fot tonight or tommorrow just call me 803 518 2074!

jim

Same for me, Our shop has 13 computers on a network and 3 that stand alone for the machines. I can access my computer from anywhere in the shop at one of the other network computers. At home we have 6 computers as well, 3 are desktop and 3 are laptops. My blackberry, chirps nonstop alerting me to 5 different email accounts and the phone, (particularly this time of the year), rings constantly.

Why do we do this? I can honestly say it is not for the money. I enjoy this as much as my family, friends and a good prime rib dinner!

It comes with a sense of satisfaction when you can take a person who is 700 miles away that has never used a CNC machine, and have them cutting something useful within a few hours of them getting their machine running.
Add to that the Oohs and the ahhs from professional woodworkers who look at the work of a guy that holds a culinary degree yet I can reproduce carved furniture to within .02 inches... well it is a nice feeling to say the least.

Jim, as far as being friends, I don't question that, you are a stand up guy in my book, however, you just want me for mind and my laser scanner, you care nothing about my body!!!! I'm going to hell! LMAO Be good and have great weekend. Starting to feel better.

Bob, I will get the info up on the urn/box shortly. The sides were carved with the CAMaster. Top was edged on the router. Inlay was CAMaster. Base and feet were table saw and router table. Design was somewhere in the dark depths of me mind. No plans on paper, just shot it from my brain to the computer and made the cuts as I went.

Guy

[james mcgrew]

ok so here is the story i have never told, we were at iwf in 08 at the camaster booth, it was a big deal it was not the first time the x3 was displayed but we had worked hard to make a nice booth and shows are always big deals for cnc companys. we met a lot of people and it was a lot of fun the x3 was a big hit and it was cool to see other manufacturers coming over to the booth to see the machine, it truley is a very cool innovation at this level of machine.

i met a lot of different people (the omish fellows were pretty cool) but one i will not forget was this really big fellow who must have come to the booth 10 times or better, each time he had been to another cnc booth and would go back and forth most of the time telling us all about his shop and what he did and the cnc experience etc.etc. well that was just about what every tire kicker was doing except this fellow kept coming back to the camaster booth and constantly saying he was gonna buy one, personally at that point i thought he was nuts! and was just another fellow excited to be at the show (i would soon know other wise!) well the show dragged on for four days and your feet get tired you eat convention food and it begins to wear on you at this point, on the last day here comes that fellow who loves to tell you all about cnc and with his booming voice and large structure (his body) i was just shaking my head. all of the sudden i see him handing one of the fellows a credit card and i asked joey what was going on, joey told me "GUY" was buying a machine and i told joey " you better make damn sure that machine is perfect or you will never hear the end of it if it is not!! joey just smiled and said "no problem" Guy mathews became a camhead that day and we are all better off for it!!

jim

[Guy Mathews]

ok so here is the story i have never told, we were at iwf in 08 at the camaster booth, it was a big deal it was not the first time the x3 was displayed but we had worked hard to make a nice booth and shows are always big deals for cnc companys. we met a lot of people and it was a lot of fun the x3 was a big hit and it was cool to see other manufacturers coming over to the booth to see the machine, it truley is a very cool innovation at this level of machine.

i met a lot of different people (the omish fellows were pretty cool) but one i will not forget was this really big fellow who must have come to the booth 10 times or better, each time he had been to another cnc booth and would go back and forth most of the time telling us all about his shop and what he did and the cnc experience etc.etc. well that was just about what every tire kicker was doing except this fellow kept coming back to the camaster booth and constantly saying he was gonna buy one, personally at that point i thought he was nuts! and was just another fellow excited to be at the show (i would soon know other wise!) well the show dragged on for four days and your feet get tired you eat convention food and it begins to wear on you at this point, on the last day here comes that fellow who loves to tell you all about cnc and with his booming voice and large structure (his body) i was just shaking my head. all of the sudden i see him handing one of the fellows a credit card and i asked joey what was going on, joey told me "GUY" was buying a machine and i told joey " you better make damn sure that machine is perfect or you will never hear the end of it if it is not!! joey just smiled and said "no problem" Guy mathews became a camhead that day and we are all better off for it!!

jim

Everything is true except the credit card. My boss used his! My limit was 10K and my card wouldn't cover it!!!!!!!!! And you left out the look on your face when I walked you down to the Polhemus Booth and showed you the work with the scanner and the canes I make using the 4th axis. You could see and hear the gears turning in Jim's head when he looked at that cane!

Large structure? Is that the politcally correct term for FAT???

Our machine had a few glitches, some that I needed CAMaster for and others that I just modified myself and passed the info on to CAMaster. My boss gave me the final decision on which machine to buy even though it was his money. I looked at many other machines and my budget was 75K. (Joey's heart just stopped!) My boss wanted to go with a company called DNC or something like that and I talked him out of it. In hindsight with the econmy tanking I am glad I did and so is he. We have not had a single job come through that our CAMaster could not handle. Our 510 ATC is enough machine for us however I will eventually add additonal tool holders because my ATC will handle up to ten. I will also change the location of the ATC and be able to turn 10 foot long columns. I will also be changing the throw on the lathe from 12 inches to 16 as well as turning it into a fully functional CNC lathe. These modifications I will openly share with the forum and with CAMaster as I make them. Many of the changes that I have made are documented here and at CAMheads.org.

Large Structure?? Well if that ain't the half inch end mill calling the half inch ball mill sharp!

Time to go home and make dinner for the kids! Remember, my culinary degree is still valid!

Guy

[james mcgrew]

that polhemus was a beautiful thing!! i had seen it before but it is truely a beautiful thing to see it operate in person. and later we went back and he did josh's head!!

jim

[Guy Mathews]

Here is the urn/memory box with 10 coats of lacquer. The book-matched flamed walnut really pops with the high gloss finish.

It is an honor to make a final resting place for a friend, and painful at the same time.

[Bob Savage]

That's absolutely beautiful, Guy. A great tribute to your friend.

[James Jaragosky]

Here is the urn/memory box with 10 coats of lacquer. The book-matched flamed walnut really pops with the high gloss finish.

It is an honor to make a final resting place for a friend, and painful at the same time.

That's beautiful work Guy. I am sure that your friend would be honored.
I am sorry to hear of your loss.
Jim J.

[Joey Jarrard]

Guy,
Great job as usual sorry about your loss

[Michael Schwartz]

Beautiful box, nice selection of the walnut. Hurts to loose a friend but I am sure he would love that box.