I sent a note to the manufacturer of that router system that was mentioned here. Their reply was not accommodating and reflective of an attitude I'd be drawn into exchange with.
Does anyoone here have one or know someone with one of those machines?
Here is the reply I received.......
To answer your questions: Unfortunately we are not currently planning any demonstrations of the CarveWright. The best suggestion I have is to post our request to the forum and maybe there will be a customer close by that can demo it to you.
We do not offer free carved samples because of the shipping and handling expense. A small sample can be purchased for $15, which is applicable toward the price of the machine if purchased. We have a standard carving that we send out and we do not carve special orders. Unfortunately this carving does not include vectored cuts with the V-groove bit. If you haveany additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, David Jochim
LHR Technologies
PS. I never asked for a free sample, I do want to see an incised letter cut with this machine that has a stroke wider than the bit.
[ January 05, 2007, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: Rick Sacks ]
Posted by Deri Russell (Member # 119) on :
I KNEW it would be too good to be true. *sigh*
Posted by Thomas Lehn (Member # 5297) on :
I have seen a commercial running the last few days by Sears. The commercial shows a machine that looks like the same as the one posted on here. The commercial shows it for $1800.00 available at Sears stores and it has the Sears name right on the machine. Mabey check with them.
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
I guess it is usually true that "you get what you pay for".
I'd still like to see one running though.
Suelynn
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Every time I go in the Sears in Pensacola, someone is looking at that machine... but the guys working there know nothing about it.
I'd make a couple guesses...
First, you won't get much more information out of Sears. About the same response as if you call and want samples of boards cut on their table saws.
Second, since they selling that machine at Sears at $1800, Carvewright is not making a lot per machine. I bet they are banking on selling a few hundred thousand of them and making it up on quantity.
Therefore, I'd think it's hard for them to respond with custom routed samples to every one of the hundreds of people that call or email every day.
It ain't a MultiCam. MultiCam would probably fly a rep to you and hand deliver samples. They also probably make 50x the profit on the sale of one machine.
Posted by Frank Smith (Member # 146) on :
Rick, their website shows enough; I want one! How wrong can you go for that price? I like their "probe" accessory idea for duplicating things, too. You're right about wanting to see the accuracy of multi-pass letters, but, for that price, wouldn't you be willing to have to sand the results smooth a little bit?
Those things are probably going to become common so I'm not going to rush out and buy the first one to come along, but I cannot imagine being without one in a couple of years.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
last time I looked, they are selling faster then they can make them, so you are lucky if there is one sitting there at the local Sears. It is not available through my Sears store, or through the website.
About 2 months ago I e-mailed Carvewright for more info and an expected time for their machine to again become available and I am still waiting for a reply!
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
thats a true pea shooter.
To get an incised letter wider than the bit it may take two machine paths to get it. If the Z axis goes the full depth on the first cut it will bury the shank. We use a lot of 120 degree cuts to get wide stroke letters and not go so deep that is goes through our material. It should ramp to the corners in the first pass, then go to the final depth in the second pass.
Posted by Joe Crumley (Member # 2307) on :
Kelly started the question not so long ago and the response was a little negative. Since then I've changed my mind and think it may just have a nitch in the trade. Especially since V Carv Pro is writing software which is compatable with it.
The big question for me is, will it hold up to continual use.
Hope one of you guys purchases one and gives us a review.
Posted by Andrew Holmes (Member # 2064) on :
Kelly posted this tid bit some time ago:
From the Carvewright forum:
Can the machine be used in an industrial or commercial setting?
The CarveWright is designed as a light duty machine intended primarily for the hobby market and is priced accordingly. It is not suggested for continuous commercial or industrial use. There are plans for a commercial version of this machine that will be capable of a higher usage rate.
My two cents:
I believe this little devil will be a sign making tool. The hobby version is for folks who want to putter around, but the industrial version will be serious stuff. My guess is that it will cost 3K instead of 2K. I talk to a lot of shops who have routers and 4x8 3D carved signs take too long to machine, if only small areas are full 3D. Imagine a project where the big router is doing the v Carve/incised lettering and meanwhile the industrial vesion of the carvewright is chewing away a at full 3D ornaments that will be glued on to the big sign at all four corners, for example. Those four full 3D ornaments can double the perceived value of the sign.
Posted by goddinfla (Member # 1502) on :
I saw one of these at the local Sears outlet for $1100 still in the box. Might not be too bad at that price.
Posted by Joe Crumley (Member # 2307) on :
I've been keeping my ear to the ground on this product. Since my last post, one of my best friends, Lee Bentley, has made the purchase. Since he isn't a router person this is going to be even more interesting.
Lee is a Corel guy and was expecting to use his CDR files with the CarveWright. It turns out that it doesn't work off of vectors. It works from bitmaps. So it's necessary to rasterise any CDR. I'll be posting his favorite file extension in a few days.
So far his first pieces are coming along very well. The only difficulty is with the instructions and poor technical support.
CW sales have been so excellent they apparently can't keep up with deliveries or support. Perhaps I'll hear more soon.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Well, if you're so-inclined, there's always the CNC forums, where amongst other things there are links to free pland & data & threads on how to make your own CNC router, you'll have to look here:
Would you trust a hammer bought at the dollar store ???
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
come on folks...do you really think you're going to be able to make a hobby machine work in your business? when it seems too good to be true...it is! i have no doubt its junk...but if someone wants to waste $2k to prove a point, i'll have no problem eating crow...as long as i can have a few bbq chips with it. cripes my spindle alone was $2k.
[ March 07, 2007, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: KARYN BUSH ]
Posted by Steve Purcell (Member # 1140) on :
Though I have no interest in this machine (from what little I've seen of it), I do have some concerns about the consequences of this "probe" feature.
Digitizing, mapping, or molding the work of others just brings the issue of copyright infringement into a new dimension.
Posted by Andrew Holmes (Member # 2064) on :
The CarveWright.com forum is featuring a lot of "signs" these days. Admittedly, some of these sign makers are in the learning stage, but with the help of Vector Art 3D designs, the future is clear. For us, it is a huge new market for our artwork, at least 10X the size of the sign industry (that is to say, those shops in North America who have CNC routers may be 10,000)so we are big fans of the CarveWright idea. There will be 100,000 machines built, 20,000 this year, and an industrial model is on the way. We will soon have a machine to play around with here at Vector Art and we will know more about the actual capability, but visually it looks pretty sophisticated and is a lot of build for the price. The free software package that comes with the machine is state of the art, very powerful and incredibly easy to use for both MAC and PC. This device is no comparison with a big CNC router, nor is it meant to be. It is however, a dandy little machine for knocking out carved signs. It is fast, fun and easy and the folks who have them are nuts about them.
Posted by Michael R. Bendel (Member # 5847) on :
It looks like it only does about a 12"-18" wide.
What is the commercial application here besides very small signs? Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:Originally posted by Michael R. Bendel: It looks like it only does about a 12"-18" wide.
What is the commercial application here besides very small signs?
12 - 18" letters
Posted by Michael R. Bendel (Member # 5847) on :
True Doug... & besides that...? Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
6 - 12" letters
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Been a while since I had a good "Harding Laugh" I believe it would be a handy little tool to create mouldings, scrollwork, insets or lettering to add on to signs. It isn't for everyone, but for those who do not have the means to a big boy CNC I have seen some pretty nice stuff come off of it...I have also seen some abonimations....but I can say the same for a quill, a jigsaw and a digital printer. Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
personally i would buy those little scrolls from my architectural catalog for a fraction of the cost that it would take that little toy to make it. and moulding??? there would be alot of pull thrus to make a 8ft piece of moulding. just seems to me that it creates a huge needless distance to get from point a to point b...and there really isn't a good enough reason to waste precious time...unless of course someone just wants to say they own a cnc.
Posted by Joe Crumley (Member # 2307) on :
Dave H.
I agree with you. This equipment wouldn't be of much use if it only cut small pieces. However it transports wood, HDU, etc. through in the same way a thickness plainer. So you can cut panels 14"X 200" if you want. This is a friction process what may or may not be all that accurate.
Like Kelly, I can see where this equipment could be very useful in a small shop with limited space. It's not all that large. It wouldn't take long to pay for itself if used for cuting out letters.
There may be a way to panel work so a whole engraved sign can be carved then glued up. I look forward to see where it goes.
Posted by Joe Cieslowski (Member # 2429) on :
I'm not putting my chisels and gouges away just yet!
Joe,
Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Any update on this topic?
Thanks...
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
i put this thing in the same catagory as "THE CRICKET."!!!!!!!!!!! gret to play with for small home projects like house numbers, and dog house names.
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Nev, it's kinda like this.... it is to full-scale routers what Joe's Encad 736 is to large format printing. Something to play with and learn on. Nice for certain applications, but limited in it's capabilities. Very inexpensive compared to the next step up. It is very nice for making appliques and other carved items less than 15" wide.
I've made over $5,000 with mine, so it's paid for itself a couple times over. I actually got it for a toy and have been very surprised at what all you can do with it. I do know a couple people who are making their living exclusively with these machines...
Check out a few of the projects in these threads and you'll see what is it is really nice for...
/Cue the dissertation on cost vs. value/why spend 2k when you can spend 50k/that thing won't work for my projects/Multi-cam commercial //3..... 2...... 1........
Edited to add: As a side note, I subscribe to Inc. Magazine and I saw LHR was #36 in the "Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies" list. Back when the list was done, they had sold over 15,000 units in like 2 years.
[ November 26, 2008, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
Posted by Buren Harrelson (Member # 9381) on :
I've heard of alot of problems arise with those machines & the replacement is not up to par either. I was going to get one but I heard more negative then positive. So I'm waiting to get the shop bot myself.
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True Doug... & besides that...? ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
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Something to play with and learn on. Nice for certain applications, but limited in it's capabilities. Very inexpensive compared to the next step up. It is very nice for making appliques and other carved items less than 15" wide.