CNC Shark Forum

I would like hear from Shark users that previously used a Compucarve or CarveWright.
How do they compare?

You are Kidding, Right? There is no comparison. I have used the carvewright and the shark pro. The shark pro has good tech support and is rugged and dependable every time. The shark's biggest problem is documentation being all in the same place and it's not being listed or importable as a machine type in either photo vcarve or cut 3D. The extra steps to get these into vcarve to convert them to a ptap is the only complaint I have with the shark pro. The carvewright is a hunk of junk that breaks down and stays down for weeks to months at a time.

I'm thinking about getting a shark or pro. I had a point to point machine in the past but I want something smaller for my house. I do mostly woodworking, cabinetry, hobby stuff. Started working with thin plastics ( 1/8 to 1/2") for jigging etc. I would rather spend more and get quality than save money and regret it.

I want something I can get to work with right away and don't have to screw with support. I have a 20 x 24 shop in my basement. would mostly use 3/4 ply or beech

What machine is the right one for me?

Brent

I have both and now only use the CNC Shark Pro. The CarveWright has a couple of features that I like. E.g. measures the wood, self zeros, works with long pieces (>24") easily, small footprint, etc. But it also has limitations. You have to use their software & bits, width is limited to 14.5", if the routing mechanism breaks you have to send the whole thing back to the manufacturer, and the working piece moves to create your Y axis (means you have to jig anything that's not a board big enough to reach between the feed rollers).

The Shark has a few quirks but I've found it to be much more flexible and easier to use.

Since its out now I'd get a Shark Pro Plus.

My $.02,
Paul Fison
Tacoma, Washington

ya i have both will keep carvewright for doing stuff i cant do on the shark. but hope to use the shark the most. have diff images for both. been running 1 day so far

I have had a carvewright machine for about 5 years and I can say without reservation it is awful. It is nothing but trouble - poorly made breaking down constantly. It suited my limited purposes at the time and for that reason I've kept it but now that there are other much higher quality alternatives it's history. I would not recommend this carver to anyone.

Comparing the Cravewright to the Shark is like comparing point and shoot camera to a SLR. The Carvewright is good for quick small projects and for people that really don't want to learn how to use a CNC, tell the software the size of your board, load a pattern, load it onto the memory card, plug it into the machine and follow the prompts and bing you have a nice looking sign. The Shark is a little more complicated, but it far more veristle. While the Carvewright is easy to use, I can do projects on the Shark that are impossible for the Carvewight. So for under $1000 you get point and click carving. When you're ready to do some real work the Shark is waiting..

well said