# Looking for some answers from carvewright owners



## ScottS (Apr 3, 2008)

Hello all,

Newbie here. My name is Scott . My wife and I are Chainsaw Artist here in Branson, MO. Along with chainsaw art I do Log cut threw signs,Cedar beds, lamps and cedar flat board routed sign.

Althought I despise my flat routed signs they are a bread and butter for me.
I have contracts with 2 masterplaned communitys here in Branson. Right now I am Supplying Flat cedar board 12" wide by 24" long. These are currently routed freehand with a last name on top and a city and state on the bottom. These are in turn hung on threes on the sold lots.Later we will get to what I really enjoy carved benchs,bears,*****,bass and more in differnt areas of the community.I currently have @ 200+ names signs to make over the next couple of months. I was looking to get a used craftsman on ebay to start.(I can't justify $800+ for a 100 hour warranty as I will almost hit this within a month after startup.

So I believe this is the rout to go But had some questions for those that own them.

Being that I will have the same layout on these signs will the memory card hold sveral different projects at one time or can I change the names on the maching easily or will I have to reload the memory card with the new name after each sign?

Also I had planed on using a v bit or round bit. Can someone tell me how fast or approx. time to cut a simpler sign as I have decribed?

Also owners do you feel that this little workhorse could cut 1000+ signs or are these for a kind of once in a while home user?
At this time I can not go all out CNC Because of price. we are selfemployed and being we just purchased 10 acres. I am saving for a new house,Tractor,Big work shed and everthing else we would need to maintain 10 acres.I personaly just like the idea of getting a 3rd hand in the shop to do the crap work. and when The come out with a box I can sit a carved bear in and it will finish seal it I will be after on of those too.

Scott S


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi ScottS

Let's start with the " warranty" if you buy it new from Sears you can get a 5 year warranty, called a tool bench warranty , I have one,,it ran 185.oo dollars and worth ever penny because I was not sure when I got it.. 
They will come to your shop to repair it or replace with in the 5 years.. 
No service calls for me yet

Will it do 1000 + signs, that I don't , I have done many and it still runs like new.
It will use any router bit you have to a point or what you want to use, but you must tell it what it is 1st.It will ask for the right bit to do the job at carve time.


"memory card " it will hold many projects, I have 3ea. memory cards and I just switch them all the time, it's not a standard memory card and you must buy it from Sears or CarveWright but the price is right ..
When you put the project on the card you can call it what every you want to call it and when you put it hte machine it will tell you what you have on the card by name that you have selected..

Speed,,,,or to say fast will it do the job, that's hard to say most will be done in less that a hour but some can take longer..

!2'' wide is the max but it can be 12ft long if you want..that's to say you can make 24" long ones with one load, just load it on the card the way you want it to cut it out..

The software has a learning curve I suggest you download the software 1st and play with it for ajust bit to get the hang of it...

Plus sign up for the free emails from CarveWright you will get some great tips how to use the machine...

Hope this helps , if I didn't get all of them just ask me one time and I will try to help... ...

=========


ScottS said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Newbie here. My name is Scott . My wife and I are Chainsaw Artist here in Branson, MO. Along with chainsaw art I do Log cut threw signs,Cedar beds, lamps and cedar flat board routed sign.
> 
> ...


----------



## ScottS (Apr 3, 2008)

*another question*

I work with Easten Cedar Boards on these signs. They are 12" wide by 24" long 1" thick. I have a planer so they are flat. But I leave the edges with the outer exposed bark or nots in them. Well cedar don't have bark . I strip the bark on the edges to expose the outer tree.(I hope this make sense). My ? is Do the board have to be flat on the edges? like ran threw a jointer? If this is the case That would be bad and a def. no go for me.

I understand the carftsman warranty. but they are out of stock online. and none in my area. plus thers that 850-900 dollars more price.The wife is complaining already and it's much easier to say hay I only have to do 75 signs to brak even on it verses 150 more signs. Realisticly I have 200 names now on one subdivision and am work on lots sold in 2005 on the other subdivision. I easily could be making these simple routed signs for the next 5 years and easily 1000-2000 more for just these subdivision's. Thats not the 25-30 a year for the store that I wholesale too. I just want some help so I can get back to the enjoyable carving with the chainsaw.These routed signs seem to take up alot of my time. Of course I will still have several hours into Sealing all of them. Seems like 50% of any carving time is burnt up in handpainting and sealing the projects. 

Thanks ScottS


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi ScootS

" My ? is Do the board have to be flat on the edges? "

They should be true and square and flat...but maybe it could be ruff like a log,,the machine has two rollers that hold the stock down and it has a slide bar to on one side to keep it running true to the side of of the machine, like a guide..
When you put the stock in the machine it will measure the board in total L-W-H and will set up the cutting pattern from all the measurements and tell the onboard computer how to cut the pattern, if it can't control the cut it will put out error note telling you to check the board or reset the board..
When the machine checks the board it almost come all the way out of the machine, it's on a belt drive,,,then it will pull it back in under the router head and start the cut.

It's like a dollar bill change machine ,the dollar bill goes in and if it's ok you will get change if not you need to play with the bill to get the change out...sometimes many times to get to take it..  and sometimes a takes a new dollar bill..

But do keep in mind that it's made for the home shop and not for comm.duty..
You may want to check out the forum, you will see some that use it to make money with it.....I'm not a pro.but many on the forum are...

http://www.carvewright.com/forum/

=========


----------



## ScottS (Apr 3, 2008)

Thanks Bob. You havbe been a great help.

I figured out that with my type of signs not being squared up on the edges but instead left as the outer part of a log, that I will need a carving sled to get this accomplished with this machine. And since I have a long commenment to supply 1000+ signs over the next couple of years that the 5 yr extended warranty from sears was a must. Although they want $299.00 for that warranty now. Anyways I feel for the simple fact that I will need this machine running for some time,the warranty will surely pay for itself over the next couple of yaers. I downloaded the software And ordered the compucarve. Now to find some good carving sled designs.

I will post more of what I'm doing sign wise later on. Looks like I will be adding the center text right of the bat too. I am glad bob that you answered it doesnt seem to lively in here.  

Thanks ScottS


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

You'er Welcome ScottS

I have one and Charles M. a member of the forum are the only ones that have one as far as I know.. 

http://www.routerforums.com/members/charles-m-7718.html


=====


----------

