Quote Originally Posted by Robert Victor View Post
Al,

Your insight has been greatly appreciated! Have you used your CW on acrylics? What were your results? If I don't purchase a CW now, I'll be attending a woodworkers expo here in Tampa this coming March. Carvewright has it on the schedule to attend. That way I can see a demo of the machine.

Robert
Robert,

I have not cut any Acrylic but like Connie from LHR posted, many have done Acylic. The Trick in my opinion is to understand that the machine has a feed rate set for wood. We don't have any way to slow it down so we must take that in consideration when setting up a project. When cutting my plastic tags as a Vector Cut using double sided tape to hold the loose tags to a carrier board, I lie to the machine. I setup up the path vector then assign the 1/4 inch bull nose bit. This locks the machine feed rate into what I call 1st gear. Normally if I assigned the 1/8th end mill cutting bit, the machine would use 1st gear on corners and speed up to 2nd gear after that. I use a 1/16th End Mill to do the actual cut. When I didn't lie to the machine it would use 1st and 2nd gear to cut the tags. In MY case, it would push faster than the 1/16th inch cutter could cut and sometimes pop the tag off the tape. But the work around of lying to the machine locking it in 1st gear works FANTASTIC.... I have cut Hundreds of tags. It is the machine for MY job....

So back to the Acrylic, some have done some light vector and text cuts to make back lit LED Acrylic Signs. Like Connie said it must be the CAST Acrylic. As the cheaper Extruded Acrylic will melt and sometimes stick to the bit and bad things happen.

I have had GREAT luck cutting and carving PVC Board.

The Hobby Machine does have limitations, but when your projects can work within the limits this is a Fantastic Machine.

Getting to the show and even posting the question or searching the question on the CarveWright Forum will give you a better idea what to expect with Acrylic. Many have done it and done it well.... A sharp bit is important as is the condition of the Y Gearbox Bearings over time. But the Gearbox lasts over 500 cut hours but I have found that replacing the 2 little bearings at 250 cut hours gives you the feel of a new machine.

In my above post I mentioned that a Y Gear replacement part was no longer being sold, that has been changed with the latest shippment of parts. So it IS avaliable Thank You.... Only needed if you wait too long to replace the Y Gearbox bearings.

I still stand by the machine as a GREAT Hobby Machine.

AL