# Words on a Compucarve/Carvewright



## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

I am getting an itch for some reason, this thing combines gadget meets woodworking and the itch is getting tough to scratch. Anybody have one? What are your thoughts? Are they reliable? I know there are other CNC machines out there but I like the virtually any length of the compucarve. Looks like one can be had on the eBay for a decent price. I also like the simplicity of the software. Anything else mandatory to buy upon the purchase of the machine itself? Please tell me someone here has scratched the itch, and it feels good...........


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## Davet (Nov 16, 2007)

Here is an interesting site for you Nate.

http://www.carvewright.com/forum/index.php?


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

Davet said:


> Here is an interesting site for you Nate.
> 
> http://www.carvewright.com/forum/index.php?




I found that site and have looked it over, I just figured that any information posted about any MAJOR deficiencies may not survive over there. I figured I would post this were some might be able to speak there mind.........Thus far I can't find anything wrong with the product.........


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Nate,
I saw a demo on this at the last woodworking show I went to. It looks pretty nice. I guess it depends what you want to use it for. I could see it at a craft show making personalized signs with people's names on it. It would be good for cutting pieces parts or multiples. I don't know if I would by one off ebay though. I think having some kind of backup and support for a machine like this might be worth it. I would also want to get the most up to date machine as this is fairly new. I wouldn't want the first edition, especially with computers involved. Looks like fun,
Mike Hawkins:smile:


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## goingenoan (May 24, 2008)

Nate1778 said:


> I am getting an itch for some reason, this thing combines gadget meets woodworking and the itch is getting tough to scratch. Anybody have one? What are your thoughts? Are they reliable? I know there are other CNC machines out there but I like the virtually any length of the compucarve. Looks like one can be had on the eBay for a decent price. I also like the simplicity of the software. Anything else mandatory to buy upon the purchase of the machine itself? Please tell me someone here has scratched the itch, and it feels good...........


 
Hi Nate!
I too have gotten a serious itch for this gizmo! I went through all the reviews at Sears.com and Amazon.com and decided to take a step back! I did call the Carvewright customer service to ask about the unlimited length of boards that can be shoved through and they promptly and curtiously told me that as long as the board was well supported there shouldn't be a problem. I have since come across a statement that the total weight of the board should be under 20#.

If you have already taken the plunge as I am sure a lot of us would like some unedited and unscreened advice about this whiz-bang machine!

_________________________
Work to live, not live to work!


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

Nope, I have not. There was just too much conflicting info out there for this item. Two many issues for me to justify the cost. They come out with one that is more reliable and I am game.


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## caytortuga64 (Sep 11, 2008)

*CompuCarve/CarveWright*

The machines were launched in December 2006 exclusively through Sears as the CompuCarve until summer 2007. Those were the first machines off the line and they did have some problems. Also, Sears employees had no idea what the machine was, how it worked or what to do with. Many people took it back just b/c they couldn't find anyone at Sears to answer their questions. 

The second run of production were the first CarveWrights in the summer and fall of 2007. They were much better as production changes were made after the first batch. They are sold on the manufacturer's website, Amazon.com, Woodcraft Supply, Machinery Distributors.com and other small retailers. The manufacturer did take back machines and fix or replace them. They put out free software updates that are helpful every month or so. 

This is not a simple saw or drill. The software is easy to use but it is software. You do have to own a computer and you do have to know something about using it. You can download it for FREE and practice all you want at www.carvewright.com. They'll even answer your questions (713) 473-6572 while you design things on the practice software to see if it will do what you want. If you really want to see what you can do with it, go to www.carvebuddy.com. This guy is amazing.

The machine is simple to use once you read the manual. Actually, you don't have to read the whole manual if you just read the "tips and tricks" online at carvewright.com. But, it is a new kind of machine and it will not be intuitive like the latest table top saw.

I heard one guy was mad because he couldn't draw a picture by hand and have the machine carve it. 

You do have to clean and maintain it. The 4 posts need to be greased regularly, the flex shaft (which spins at 20,000 rpm) needs to be lubed occasionally, you need to check head pressure and make sure the bit is set in the quick changer so it doesn't get thrown. It uses sandpaper belts to feed the board, so if those get caught or torn, it will effect your project.

But the results are very very good for a machine with software under $1900. Don't get me wrong, it's not a $25,000 CNC machine. It's not a laser engraver. But it can carve very well in all kinds of wood, acrylic, corian and foam. It can scan and replicate existing carvings, create domed surfaces and really do some impressive stuff. I mainly make signs and jewelry/cigar boxes that I sell. I also make lithographs with photos that people give me.

I heard that Sears just ordered about 1200 new CompuCarves and that new CarveWrights will be available as a special order item at Lowes and Menards stores starting in November. These machines will all just have been manufactured and should be the best of all.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Until there is a Linux port of the software, I am not interested... BUT given Linux compatible software, I think that would be a cool gadget to have...


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Linux? Wasn't that the kid on Charlie Brown that dragged the blanket around?:laughing:
Mike Hawkins


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## goingenoan (May 24, 2008)

caytortuga64 said:


> The machines were launched in December 2006 exclusively through Sears as the CompuCarve until summer 2007. Those were the first machines off the line and they did have some problems. Also, Sears employees had no idea what the machine was, how it worked or what to do with. Many people took it back just b/c they couldn't find anyone at Sears to answer their questions.
> 
> The second run of production were the first CarveWrights in the summer and fall of 2007. They were much better as production changes were made after the first batch. They are sold on the manufacturer's website, Amazon.com, Woodcraft Supply, Machinery Distributors.com and other small retailers. The manufacturer did take back machines and fix or replace them. They put out free software updates that are helpful every month or so.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the run down on this interesting machine. It sounds like they are working out the bugs as production proceeds on this interesting little bench top gadget.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Busy Bee Tools recently advertised one for about $2200. I had no idea the price was coming that much for a pretty sophisticated piece of equipment.

Gerry


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## Kurtsara (Oct 26, 2008)

Hi, I am new to the forum

I had a compucarve, I bought it back in December of 2006 and I used it allot until I sold it a few months ago.

I made allot of signs and picture frames with words on the frames (babies names, pets names, aniversaries, weddings)

I also used it to cut half circles for wine rack that I made

To answer a few questions

If I remember correctly the software will only let you do 12 feet long and 14½" wide

The warranty I got from Sears was 200 hours of use and I had to send it back once in the 200 hours and they fixed it and paid for shipping both ways. That was sent back to Carvewright in Texas not Sears, they don't no anything about the machines.

They are amazing what they can do but I just was not using it as much lately as I thought I would so instead of letting it sit around I sold it.

The machines are not perfect, I did have pretty good luck with it though

Any other questions just ask 

Kurt


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## ob1gnob (Feb 21, 2009)

*The CarveWright dosnt need much space*

I used to have a Shopbot, it was great but it needed a lot of space, that is a big advantage of the Carvewright.

Paul Reynolds
www.CarveWrightStore.com


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## BobbyfromHouston (Jul 4, 2008)

I saw Scott Phillips demo one on his show. They said that it took like 3 - 3 1/2 hours to carve an average cabinet door. Does that sound fast enough to you guys? I realize that it would take dozens of hours to do it by hand, but I though it would be faster than that.
Bobby


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## tduncan1959 (Feb 1, 2011)

I am having carvewright problems. The z axis keeps hanging. Any suggestions


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## ebrabec (Apr 20, 2011)

*Compu carve*

does the compu carve have the ability to do engraving, such as for plaques or things of that sort?


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

Update on where I went on this, I opted out on the commercial machine and built one myself. It works great, I am limited to 4' x 30" but it suites my needs just fine. Built it for a little less than half the cost of the Carvewright. Here is a demo vid.


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

I know it's an old thread but let's revive it! I saw an ad for an old Carvewright/Compucarve, did some searching and found the company selling new ones - the price is down to $999, which sounds great but here's the kicker - the warranty is only for 30 days. If you want to guarantee it lasts a year then that is an extra $200 bucks! Pretty slimey way of doing business, IMO, especially given the buggy history of the older versions. 

But that video!? How did nobody respond? Nate - you got a website? Blog? Instruction sheet and materials list? I want to build one of those *today* . I've seen homemade CNC machines littering the net, but yours looks like a solid piece of machinery. More info please!


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## lynnfrwd (Mar 31, 2011)

> I know it's an old thread but let's revive it! I saw an ad for an old Carvewright/Compucarve, did some searching and found the company selling new ones - the price is down to $999, which sounds great but here's the kicker - the warranty is only for 30 days. If you want to guarantee it lasts a year then that is an extra $200 bucks! Pretty slimey way of doing business, IMO, especially given the buggy history of the older versions.


Okay, so for several years it was $1899.99 and included a one year warranty, whether you wanted one or not. 

Warranty was voided, if you took it out of the country (which I'm guessing are between 100 to 200 machines) because 1. we could not support it in multiple languages or different time zones 2. shipping was too expensive 3. most countries are not 110 volt. 

Warranty was also voided for industrial full time use in commercial environment, it was after built AND SOLD as a hobbyist machine. But, as most commercial machines (particularly 5 years ago) were $50.000-100,000+, a lot of smaller shops saw the value of a $2000 dollar machine that could do so much for so little $$ and they bought the machine even though they knew the warranty would be voided (still worth it!).

Back in April of 2010, LHR was coming out with the new Version C machine and many customers had for years been asking for a two year warranty option. Other customers who already had a machine and were comfortable with it, didn't want to have to buy a warranty.

So, LHR took $300 off the $1899.99 price taking it down to $1599.99 and made a one year ($200; not $300) option available and a two year ($500.00; not $600.00) option available.

This way customers were not FORCED to purchase a warranty, they might not want or need. Plus, they were given an option of one year or two year. It of course, comes with a 30 day warranty at no charge.

Now, fast forward to 2012. The Anniversary Edition is $999, same version C that was $1599.99 in 2010 & most of 2011 (minus one $40 bit; plus free $30 project). And MUCH better than A&B models at $1899.99

$600 dollars less than in 2010-2011 & $900 less than before that. 

How is that slimey?


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

I'm guessing than when you say "we could not support...." you mean that you are affiliated with the company making them and are here to defend it. Am I right? Just want to understand where you are coming from.

As for all the rest - 
1. You're saying the early versions were buggy but the customer should just trust that now it's all been magically fixed so there is no real need for any added insurance. For me, when I spend a grand on something I want a guarantee that I'm getting something that will last. 
2. You mention a lot of things that the customer would do to void the warranty, not to mention how stupid the customers must be if they couldn't read the manual to figure out what to do. Lots of companies out there that believe the customers are dumb sheep. It's refreshing to hear one admit it in person. As for the first part, if the action voids the warranty then that should have no bearing on normal use by a normal customer in a normal environment. That type of person should be able to expect that the machine will continue to perform normally, and for more than a couple of months, and that the company will back them up.
3. Yes the price has dropped considerably, even without the fuzzy math of adding in/out a warranty. I should hope so. The tooling costs should have been partially absorbed by now, computer hardware costs have dropped dramatically every year since the tools inception, and the distribution process should have been streamlined by now. 
4. If the correct price is $999 for the base unit, and the warranty is $200 then that means it costs an additional 20 percent to ensure that if the machine breaks at month 10 or 11, the company will stand behind its product. 20 percent. One fifth of the base price. That's like when you buy a $20,000 car and they try to sell you the extended warranty - but even then they don't try to charge 4 grand for it. So either the company is trying to make some serious cash on the extended warranty business, or they expect one in five of these machines to break in under a year. 

Maybe then slimy isn't the correct word, but this is a familiy forum so I would hesitate to use the other ones that come to mind.

PS: I'm not really here to argue the merits of the original - I already made up my mind, and searching the web shows many people have also decided one way or another. My original post was to request more information on the alternative pictured up above.


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## lynnfrwd (Mar 31, 2011)

*CarveWright*

If anyone is worried about paying $200 for a warranty, then you might consider purchasing one of the many times we run specials where the warranty is free. 

Lynn
Sales & Marketing
LHR Technologies the makers of CarveWright Systems


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## CNC_Carver (Feb 23, 2012)

*Carvewright Owner*

I've owned a carvewright for about 1 year. I purchased a remanufactured A version. This has all the upgrades that the current C version does. I've been able to make many projects and enjoy using this machine weekly. I've had 2 breakdowns that were fixed with help from carvewright forum and $25 total in parts. I must say that I saw all the negitive reviews and was worried but man what a machine!


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

joesbucketorust said:


> I'm guessing than when you say "we could not support...." you mean that you are affiliated with the company making them and are here to defend it. Am I right? Just want to understand where you are coming from.
> 
> As for all the rest -
> 1. You're saying the early versions were buggy but the customer should just trust that now it's all been magically fixed so there is no real need for any added insurance. For me, when I spend a grand on something I want a guarantee that I'm getting something that will last.
> ...


Well said. I'm also wanting more info on this this from Nate.:thumbsup:


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