Order & Shipping
What countries/areas are supported for Carvera pre-order?
We will accept pre-orders from the US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.
We continually add new countries/areas to our shipping list as soon as we have found suitable logistic partners.
Can I pre-order add-ons or accessories without ordering a Carvera machine?
No, at the pre-order stage, we do not accept that for pre-ordering, we will package all add-ons and accessories into the machine's main crate, and only charge the shipping cost once. If you are already our Kickstarter backer and want to add something to your original order, you can contact us to indicate that.
What's the estimated shipment timeline after I pre-order the Carvera?
The current estimated shipping time after pre-order is 3 months, but it will vary depending on the pre-order amount and our mass production speed which we are continually improving.
We obey the first come first serve rule, so better pre-order soon to get the machine earlier.
How is the shipping cost calculated, What is the shipping method, and how do I track it?
Because the Carvera is a quite heavy machine, 50KG net weight, and 70KG gross weight. We will use ocean freight for most destinations. The shipping cost you see when checking out is what we have chosen after discussing with many ocean freight logistics. We will provide a dedicated link later for tracking the shipment information.
Do I have to pay any extra fee?
No, the customs/taxes are already included in the shipping cost for most countries/areas, so you don't need to pay extra, just wait for your Carvera to deliver.
For specific countries/areas that need you to handle the customs/taxes, we will notify you through email about it.
Can I change the order after purchase?
You cannot change the order you have already purchased, but you can cancel the original order before shipment and place a new one. We can refund the original amount.
If you want to only add some add-ons or accessories to the original order, you can simply place a new order, we will package the new ones into the machine's main crate.
For other questions, you can contact us at support@makera.com.
Can I change the shipping address?
If your order has not been shipped, we can change the address for you, please contact us at support@makera.com as soon as possible. If your order has been shipped, we cannot guarantee that the address can be changed successfully, but we will try our best to help.
Using Carvera
I am new to CNC, how can I quickly get familiar with Carvera and make my own projects?
CNC is a quite big topic, especially the CAD and CAM aspects. There are a lot of materials you can look at on the internet.
For the Carvera machine, we will provide a detailed instruction manual and example guide for new users to get familiar with.
We are making step-by-step video tutorials on our YouTube channel.
By joining our discussion group on Facebook or Discord, you can meet thousands of Carvera owners and fans and get help and inspiration from each other.
Furthermore, we are building a dedicated forum and wiki knowledge base for more technical topics and detailed information.
I have CNC experience, what should I know before using the Carvera?
Just go through the instruction manual and follow the step-by-step example guide to finishing the initial projects, you could learn how to use the Carvera quite easily.
What CAM software to use with Carvera?
Carvera supports mainstream CAM Software, and we are continuously adding new CAM software profiles based on our customers' needs.
We recommend 2 CAM solutions at this stage: Fusion 360 & VCarve Desktop.
Fusion 360 is suitable for mechanical/electronic/robot/drone parts and VCarve is suitable for woodworking, jewelry making, art making, etc. Using its 2D toolpath, you can also make PCBs.
Besides, we are developing our own CAM software and hopefully can introduce it soon.
What CAM software to use for making PCBs?
We have developed an intuitive PCB(Gerber format) file to CAD(DXF format) file converter for you to work with VCarve Desktop or other CAM software you are already familiar with. Then use simple 2D tool paths to mill your PCB.
Can Carvera handle Steel?
If you machine steel occasionally and don't care too much about the time, then the answer is Yes! With a relatively low speed, you can get carbon steel and stainless steel milled with a clean finish.
Here is a test video on YouTube, check it out: https://youtu.be/VTWt6elB6eg
What kind of milling bits can Carvera accept?
The Carvera comes with a 1/8-inch collet and a bunch of free 1/8-inch milling bits. In our experience, 1/8-inch milling bits are the most common bits used for small desktop CNCs, and can handle almost all jobs.
But in case you are rough milling soft materials such as wood, foam, epoxy, etc, you can absolutely use bigger shaft diameter ones. We offer optional ¼in, 6mm, and 4mm spindle collets for your to purchase.
Note that to adapt our auto tool changer mechanism, you can not use bits with a head diameter bigger than ¼in.
Do I need to prepare my own milling bits in advance?
If you are a seasoned CNC user and know exactly what kind of milling bits you need for your projects, then you can prepare your own. But if you are new to CNC, we suggest using the milling bits we provide for the example projects and other initial projects. Then get new ones based on your later needs.