Sears CompuCarve - Amazing

[Vince Heuring]

Found in the new Craftsman catalog.

I was standing over the garbage can idly thumbing through the Craftsman catalog that came in the mail, prior to throwing it in the can when I came across this:

Craftsman CompuCarve Compact Woodworking Machine, Computer-Controlled

Compact, computer-controlled, 3-dimensional woodworking machine with an easy-to-use interface. It allows a novice to make a complete project without a shop full of tools.The unique configuration allows it to perform many other woodworking functions, including ripping, cross cutting, mitering, contouring, jointing and routing. The CompuCarve can work in most soft materials, including wood, plastics (polycarbonate or cast acrylic) and certain types of high density foam. Set includes CompuCarve machine, (1) 1/16 in. carbide carving bit, (1) 1/8 in. carbide cutting bit, CarveWright Memory Card, starter software package, (2) 1/4 in. bit adaptors, vacuum bag adaptor, bit removal tool, hex wrench, owner's manual and Quick Start Guide. Built-in computer walks you through project setup QuickRout technology makes changing bits quick and easy Memory card - no need to keep a computer in the shop CarveWright design software is powerful yet easy to use - even novices can create complex designs in minutes Expandable 3-D design library Patented rising-head and feed-through configuration handles work pieces up to 14-1/2 in. W, 5 in. H and almost any length Allows you to achieve professional results regardless of space, time, budget or skill Requires a PC running Windows 2000 or XP with 128 MB RAM (256 MB or greater recommended), 75 MB of hard drive space and an accelerated graphics card with OpenGL support

It looks like they started with a 14" planar body and added the computer control and the bit holder.

Price: $1,899.99, Out of Stock.

No use posting the link, it had a cookie with it. The Sears part number is 00921754000.

Two things were mind-boggling: 1) the price:

[Troy]

[Tim]

I would sure like to see it work. Must be really slow, but if it is set and forget...

[Tall Oak]

It appears to be a CarveWright

[Troy]

That could be why it uses ... "

CarveWright Memory Card, "

:P

Tall Oak wrote:

[Swingman]

Damn ... I thought there was finally a crockpot for the shop.

[Morris Dovey]

| Found in the new Craftsman catalog.

| Guys, we're entering a new phase in woodworking.

Not really. If I read the carveright.com FAQ correctly, cutter positioning is accurate in 0.006" increments. For quality joinery, I found the ShopBot's 0.001" accuracy inadequate - and built my own machine from scratch to shrink the resolution to 0.00023". It's a "get what you pay for" situation. Anyone who hasn't already can see my ugly (but accurate!) machine by following the link below.

One of the things that's been fun for me is that my DIY machine's body is baltic birch plywood. :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Robatoy]

[snip]

Mosquito bombers were plywood. Fine pieces of equipment indeed. Spruce...like Martin guitars? I will never apologize for the proper application of plywood, as I know you haven't. Used in a proper application, plywood is good stuff. Real good stuff.

[Smaug Ichorfang]

(Morris comments about the accuracy of his DIY CNC router vs ShopBot)

So you've improved from xx1 to xx023. How much did yours cost?

[Morris Dovey]

| (Morris comments about the accuracy of his DIY CNC router vs | ShopBot) | | So you've improved from xx1 to xx023. How much did yours cost?

That's a difficult question to answer completely. The finished JBot materials cost was close to US$1K - but I made at least three of every part (not included in the total) and I didn't keep track of my time.

It'd have been difficult (but possible) for me to build the JBot without the ShopBot; but having that to make the baltic birch parts and being able to use it as a CNC milling machine for aluminum made things much easier. Without the ShopBot, I would have had to have all of the metal parts made for me.

Also not included in that total was the time spent "noodling", producing the CAD drawings (an absolute necessity for this project!), and hand-coding - and debugging - the part programs that controlled the ShopBot.

The interesting side effect is, of course, that when it was all done I had all of the design and debugged part programs to create knock-offs.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[J T]

Sun, Oct 15, 2006, 10:00pm (EDT-3) [e-mail] (Robatoy) doth writeth: Mosquito bombers were plywood.

And I've got a book that shows how it was done. Hehehe Unfortunately I don't have much use for a bomber, being as how I don't care for flying anymore.

PT Boats where alsol made from plywood, along with various other military craft. And if you want to see some high quality boats with plywood used in them, check out WoodenBoat sometime.

I won't say a lot of high-end furniture is made from plywood. Some is certainly, but plywood often is talso he material of choice of some of the "artistes" that "make furniture" - and the stuff they make I don't consider "fine", and sometimes not even "furniture". There is some furniture made from plywood that I do think looks very good, sadly I thik most of it is vastly overriced too..

I'm pretty fascinated with plywood, it's my wood of choice for my most of my jigs, all my patterns, and a sizeable percentage of my projects, in whole or part.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

[J T]

Mon, Oct 16, 2006, 7:42am (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Morris=A0Dovey) doth sayeth: I didn't keep track of my time.

Good thing for you that you were working for free then. 'Cause if you'd charged yourself by the hour you might have padded your time, and then you might not have been able to afford to finish the machine after you'd paid yourself. I always charge myself low in cases like that, so I know I can afford to finish. Charity begins at home.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

[Andy Dingley]

It's worth distinguishing Mosquitoes from PT boats though. Boats were "made from plywood", i.e. there was a shed where plywood went in and boats came out. Mosquitoes weren't "made from it" in the same way - individual sheets of single veneers went in and they only became multi-lam plywood whilst in the curved Mosquito-shaped mould. This allowed much better control of tight curves and also fewer joins.

Incidentally, the first UK jet aircraft were plywood too. Those early twin-boom designs like the Vampire and Venom were a Mosquito-stye plywood egg containing the pilot and engine, in front of two skinny aluminium tube booms to the tailplane.

[Tall Oak]

That was a clue but don't jump to quick though. Craftsman could have had this manufactured to a proprietary "Craftsman" spec. I looked at the CarveWright before and thought it was funny that Craftsman would stick their name on it, since nowadays they do sell other brands.

[steamer]

--Is this sloppy tolerance a function of software or funky hardware; i.e. might one tighten up the cheap machine by swapping in some ballscrews?

[mac davis]

Just run a tab, bro... lol

Mac

[J. Clarke]

The Gotha 226 and Heinkel 162 jets that the Germans didn't quite have done in time to see combat was also plywood.

As to plywood fine furniture, the Eames lounge chair is a plywood classic.

[J T]

Mon, Oct 16, 2006, 9:48am (EDT-3) [e-mail] (mac=A0davis) doth adviseth: Just run a tab, bro... lol

No way. I'd probably not be able to pay myself, which means I'd have to sue myself to get my pay, which means I'd probably have to declare bankrupcy. It's just not worth running a tab.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

[Morris Dovey]

| Morris Dovey wrote: || Not really. If I read the carveright.com FAQ correctly, cutter || positioning is accurate in 0.006" increments. For quality joinery, || I found the ShopBot's 0.001" accuracy inadequate - and built my own | SNIP | --Is this sloppy tolerance a function of software or funky hardware; | i.e. might one tighten up the cheap machine by swapping in some | ballscrews?

Probably not software and probably not sloppy/funky hardware - much more likely a choice involving costs of the linear motion components: steppers, driving electronics, lead screws, etc.

Software is glitzy but weak. I'd expect any CNC machine to be able to handle the industry-standard g-code (or equivalent) part programs. This is probably the Carveright's greatest weakness because it prevents use of generally available CAD/CAM packages.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[brianlanning]

0.006 is better than 1/128. I wouldn't be using this for joinery anyway. Even though it says you can use it for that. I'm mainly interested in artistic carving. I especially like the carve-through stuff. My only complaint is that the maximum depth of cut is only 1". I can't complain though. I guess you could make a 2" thick carve-through relief carving by running it through one side, then flipping it over and running the other side through. Lining things up might be tough.

brian