I just noticed that Sears has come out with a PC aided wood carving machine that sells for less that $1900. Every wood carving machine I’ve ever seen has cost a lot more and I was just wondering if anyone knew of comparable types of machines made by other companies? In other words I’m interested in buying a wood carving machine that is affordable but I hate to buy the first thing I see.
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Replies
This may be lame but I'd suggest you go at it yourself, learn how to do it, it's not that hard. Like anything there's a process, start small, learn the basics and build off that.
I asked for information concerning machines. I have no interest in your opinion on my spending endless hours trying to create wood carvings that could never match the perfection of a computer controlled machine.
The only problem is that the machine can never reach the perfection of hand carvings--just very uniform mediocrity. But if you want machine carvings, why not.
Dear Steve,
"The only problem is that the machine can never reach the perfection of hand carvings--just very uniform mediocrity"That may be true, on a truly masterpiece level, but it is an interesting technology, just the same. "Perfection" is more typical of machine than man, but true artwork is man's realm alone. I will leave it to others more skilled than I, to decide whether this is a revolution or not, but I suspect that it will become what you suggested.... an avenue for "machine carvings"....but still interesting.Best,John
Dear Steve,
I am neither a carver, nor a CNC operator, but the manufacturers claims an accuracy up to .005" . Now, I don't think that is practical or necessary for woodworking, and I am sure that one is limited by the availability of router bits. What do you think?Best,John
Yes I agree, the name Craftsman is a concern to me. My primary interest in using such a machine is to be able to use the computer to carve out highly personalized pictures. It would be great to be able to carve a family portrait into the side of a fine piece of furniture. Even if I was a true wood carver, I could never do that by hand because I lack the artistic talent that is needed for portraits. However a computer with the right software and a machine could carve a nice likeness which would truly make a piece of furniture a priceless family heirloom.
I'm sure that with enough axes you can get a very good version of a hand carving by a master, but with the resources likely to be available for furniture making, there are likely to be cuts--undercut and the like--that can't be done with rotary tools. It's not the precision or accuracy that are problems in making good looking machine carvings, it is the modifications to the design that make the carving more machine adaptable.
Dear Steve,
I understand. You put it much better than I would of!Best,John
SteveSchoene,
Why stop at that machine? Cut all boards by hand and you can truley say that you've built hand crafted, don't use a roubter but hand gouge all such needs. hand plane hand whatever and you too can become a ludite..
I'm not saying that a ludite is a bad thing..
Simply that it's not the way many who post here choose to go, at least judging by all the questions about various brands power tools..
I don't have any problem at all with using a carving machine, but the designs need to take account of the limitations of the machine and not try to be imitations of patterns only truely carveable by hand. The way the many of the classical carving patterns for furniture are laid out there isn't much if any benefit of "roughing" out before finishing by hand. But there are plenty of things that can be decorated with machine carvings, I'm sure.
SteveSchoene,
What you forget is the confidence factor.
I would no more grab my set of carving tools* and start to carve anything than the man on the moon! Fear, intimidation, a decent sense of proportion, or the skills to execute the work all would prevent me.
However if roughed out by equipment I'm certainly capable of coloring in the lines to steal a metephore from the art world.. maybe with that behind me I might attempt more carving.. eventually achieve something worthwhile on my own. In the mean time if I can do just enough hand work to eliminate the shortcomings a machine like this would have, or enhance what would otherwise be a plain ordinary object, isn't that worthwhile?
* Christmas present from wife
I had the same carving issues. Then I took a quickie course from Will Neptune, and suddenly, it's really easy and fun. Like turning, you get fast results. It's freehand, and it's supposed to have mistakes, that's what makes it look good. If it was perfect, it wouldn't really look right.It let me add another dimension to my work. No dust issues. No noise. Fast results. Forgiving mistakes. Go for it.
Daryl
when you draw does a horse come out looking like horse not a hippopotimus?
If so you are vastly more talented than I am..
I grant you, I can draw. But the answer is, "Hon, I wanted to do a horse, but I thought this hippo was so much cuter."
I'm just a bit doubtfull that starting from a "roughed out" machine version makes it much, if any, easier to finish by hand. It's the final cuts that give the carvings the hand carved look and those are the ones where 90% of the hand skills are required. So basically, if you develop the hand skills to complete the carving, the more challenging skills, learning how to do the roughing steps by hand will be only a small stretch, not a big one.
What I am saying is that it's usually best to use a machine carver to make designs that look good carved by machine, and not try to use it to substitute for learning hand carving skills.
SteveSchoene,
There's an outfit in Calfornia that sells wood carvings to a lot of cabinet shops and etc.. Their name escapes me. I've got their catalog around here somplace and it cost me something like $120.00 (for a catalog!) but that's exactly what they do.. The machine carves out 95% of it and then they go in by hand and finish up. They show guys carefully finishing off the carvings but never show the rough out work..
I wanted a number of their carving to dress up my timberframe but I wanted to use my wood. I called them and they wouldn't accept my wood no matter what! If I gave it to them free and met excactly whatever specs they had as far as moisture size and whatever. It didn't matter. I offered to sign a waver freeing them of any responsibility and still they wouldn't accept it!
So this carving machine might be the solution! I can honestly look someone in the eye and tell them that carved it myself! I'm not sure I'll admit that the machine roughed out 95% of it though... Not if she's cute and has a winning smile! <G>
I'm tempted to wait a bit untill a company like Grizzly comes out with this sort of machine.. what I'd really like is one that will work with more depth. You know carve out a lions/horses/dophins head, whatever.. I could use it in the next couple of years..
Just to embellish this timberframe and put it over the top!
Edited 1/24/2007 9:51 am ET by frenchy
Considering what the machine tool peaple can do with automatided machines this should be posable. Have you ever seen the custom wheel that Foose (sp?) puts on the cars that he does in that show he is on? Those are pretty much done with an automaded routing machine. (yes it uses interchangable heads and such). I think the issue is that it is going to be hard to program.
Doug Meyer
DougMeyer,
Sure that's the sort of deal I'm looking Grizzly to come out with. Since you won't need a flood of coolant and you could manually change cutters basically it would be a three axis router that's programmed..
You'd buy a program for a horse for example and then modify it according to the size and various angles.. etc..
Grizzly already sells a three axis vertical mill for metal work for around $20,000, I can see that simplified and the accuracy reduced to wood working scale where it should be sold for 8 to $10,000 or less!
Edited 1/24/2007 8:42 pm ET by frenchy
Well one of these days you are going to feed wood in one end of a box, hit the programe button and a table is going to pop out of the otherside of the box. Not sure if that will still be wood working but someday it will happen. Of course thier will still be those that replay to the question of how do you program the box to get dovetails with the statement that they should only be made by hand :)
I think this devise is the first step on getting a real CNC 3 axis machine for an afordable cost. Of course to me I think this devise while most likely worth the cost is beyound anything I am willing to spend.
Doug Meyer
Dear Steve,
I checked out that machine. Sears website leaves some to be desirable, but the machine looks pretty cool. The immediate strikes that I see is:
1) CRAFTSMAN.......... no explanation needed.
2) It uses Windows XP... No Mac? :-( Oh, that's right I can run Windows XP native on my Mac! Still the dark side of the Force, but at least I can keep my Mac.
3) A CNC at under 90 lbs?
You know what it reminds me of, is when the Ryobi surface planers first came out. They were doing the job that was formerly done by 600 lb machines. Who would of thought that they began a whole new catagory of tool? Like yourself, I will see who else chimes in, perhaps someone else has experiance with it.
Best,
John
Yes you can run Mac
I have to wonder why someone would log onto the FWW website to extol the virtues of computer aided perfection in carving over hand work. Especially when it's the very imperfections in human carving that make it attractive and worthwhile.
Dear Steve,
Here is the manufacture's website:
http://www.carvewright.com/
Check out the video.
Best,
John
Jmartinsky thanks for the link! The machine looks a lot like the Craftsman. When I went looking for a table saw I came to the conclusion that the same companies must be making equipment for all the manufacturers because there was only slight differences in many of the machines. The Craftsman model and this model of the wood carving machine are too much alike.
I just looked over the Carvewright web sight and my suspicions are correct. The Carvewright people are supplying the machine to Sears and the two companies machines are identical. So, since Sears had nothing to do with the development, it might actually work!
just today i saw this machine and thought "wow!" i picked up the brochure and then when i got home here's this thread with the manufactures link and i am even more impressed. the machine goes for $2,000 i believe. my question is has any one seen this thing in a live setting or know of someone who has used it?
The Craftsman Compucarve is the same machine as Carvewright. They make it for Sears. I have downloaded the Manuals & software. I am really excited about it and plan on getting one as soon as Sears has them on Sale.
Just a short time ago they had them on sale as Sears for $100 less than they are now, but they were not in stock. Maybe they will run another sale when they don't have any to sell (ha). Please let me know how it turns out. I've read good things and bad things about the machine.
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