Hi ScootS
" My ? is Do the board have to be flat on the edges? "
They should be true and square and flat...but maybe it could be ruff like a log,,the machine has two rollers that hold the stock down and it has a slide bar to on one side to keep it running true to the side of of the machine, like a guide..
When you put the stock in the machine it will measure the board in total L-W-H and will set up the cutting pattern from all the measurements and tell the onboard computer how to cut the pattern, if it can't control the cut it will put out error note telling you to check the board or reset the board..
When the machine checks the board it almost come all the way out of the machine, it's on a belt drive,,,then it will pull it back in under the router head and start the cut.
It's like a dollar bill change machine ,the dollar bill goes in and if it's ok you will get change if not you need to play with the bill to get the change out...sometimes many times to get to take it..
and sometimes a takes a new dollar bill..
But do keep in mind that it's made for the home shop and not for comm.duty..
You may want to check out the forum, you will see some that use it to make money with it.....I'm not a pro.but many on the forum are...
http://www.carvewright.com/forum/
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