Member postings for Ian Skeldon 2

Other than being a very satisfied Creality Ender customer I have no connection with the company but thought this genuine price reduction may be of interest.

**LINK**

Les Jones 1, is that a Chester 9 x 20 Lathe? No real reason for asking, I am just curios.

Hi Glyn,

Not sure of what you mean by cheap but I bought a creality ender, just over £200 I think. It's been fantastic, I downloaded cura after asking for advice in here and have produced a number of usable items and have even checked them for dimensional accuracy. I am genuinely blown away by the quality of the prints, however, there is a but, and the but is that I haven't printed with ABS, only PLA.

The printer does have a heated bed and settings built in for ABS but I can't say how good (or not) it would print in abs.

I agree with Mike Lightfoot, in so much as it's great that MEW are providing not only a cad package to trial for six months, but also running tutorials, well done MEW.

I currently use Fusion, why? Well I have the free version and only use it now and again, I have enjoyed learning with it and gaining help in using it from members on this forum from time time. I will look at Alibre when my paper copy drops through the door but I am unlikely to buy it because of the cost compared to MOI or Fusion, but it's great to have the chance to look at it.

I think my position is that I am only likely to ever be a very basic user, I could not produce the flywheel that Jason has done regardless of the draughting package used, I simply don't have the skill. I love using my 3D printer and am amazed at the quality of things I have made in using it, the learning curve has been a bit steep at time but well worth it.

Neil,

What's the point of starting a thread called '' For discussing the merits of alternative 3D CAD programs.'' if people are then discouraged from doing just that?

Ahh a work stop, wow that's very neat, not at all like the big clumsy things we had when I was in a machine shop. Thanks for the explanation John.

Ian

Please forgive my ignorance, but what exactly do these vice stops do? I thought it was the aligning block that we used to use to quickly get a vice close up to square. The photos show this is not the case so if your don't mind Jason, can you explain where or when and how these would be used?

Thanks,

Ian

As I can't make it this year it's great to see so many great things still being made and exhibitted, Thanks Jason.

I remember only too well receiving a sharp smack to the back of the head for doing exactly the same thing, the solution is to oil the slide ways. My Myford has oil cups on each side of the verticle slide for doing this but if yours doesn't just use a finger on the slide itself (each side of course). I hope this cures the problem.

Ian

As it is the price range referred to by the OP I assumed that is the one he meant?

Fantastic, I can't begin to even imagine how the work flow was mapped out for something like that. Big respect.

Hi Gary,

It's one of the dilemas when trying to decide between new Chinese or used British, as you have discovered the cost of parts can be very expensive. I don't think parts for Chinese lathes are a lot cheaper or much easier to get hold of, but anyone buying a new lathe should avoid the need to buy anything other than tooling.

Hopefully you won't need any more parts and can start making swarf at a fair old rate.

A long time ago before I had better machinery, I cut some very thin plate, I think it was called 'litho' I used broad double sided tape and stuck it to a sheet of ply wood, did the job quiet well.

Well that was easily sorted out once pointed in the right direction, fusion prefs now set to 'z' up, thanks again guys.

Guy's I am extremely grateful, I will sort out my fusion orintation when next open but for now I can crack on and print this item, crazy really as it's the smallest and most simple thing I have done with 3d printing.

Once again, many thanks,

Ian

I can't confirm the origin of your particular lathe but I can confirm that Rolls-Royce Motors in Crewe did use Herbet lathes, along with Churchill, Ward and A few others that I can't recall right now.

After enjoying early easy success with both Fusion and my creality ender printer I have now hit a problem which I am sure is easy to resolve, but I just can't work out., all help much appreciated.

I am trying to print out a disc, like a thick washer with no hole in it.

Fusion has drawn it perfectly (well it wasn't much of a challenge).

When I select it and send it to Cura, cura tries to print it on it's side.

I have tried all sorts of things in fusion but to no avail.

Please go easy with me, I am sure it's me being stupid, but now the fog is so thick I just can't sort it out....

Hi Guy,

I will offer some advice based on my experience's and assumption.

I assume that like most of us, you would like the biggest and most well regarded lathe you can afford.

I will also assume that looking at various web sites and the pictures of the machines the various vendors aer offering all look very similar.

I have made these assumptions because that's how it went for me, so I ended up going to an engineering exibition almost two years ago, I went to the Warco stand and despite being interested in teh lathes was left standing and touching various lathes without any offer of advice or assistance. So I went over to the Chester stand, I was quickly pounced on and asked various questions as to what I was looking for and what budget I had in mind. By the end of the day I came away with a very skinny wallet and a delivery date.

My chosen machine wouldn't be classed as a mini lathe (DB10) but in this case my lessons can be passed on regardless. The machine would (I was told), cut metric and imperial threads, if using the milling slide and vice which I also bought I would be able to perform most milling operations.

The machine arrived on the agreed delivery date and the guy delivering it was very helpful. Anyway some months later I decided I needed to perform a simple light milling operation, total dissaster, the slide and vice were so badly machined you could not cut anything with any degree of accuracy at all. I ended up buying a proper milling machine. Some months after that I wanted to cut some standard imperial threads, no chance. My machine had been supplied only capable of cutting metric threads, in order to cut imperial I would need a different set of change gears to the ones supplied. I thought no problem I will call Chester and ask what they reccomend, they promised to call me back with a solution, I'm still waiting. In the mean time a member of staff from an alternative supplier read my problems from this forum and offered to sell me the change gear that I needed, and at a competitive price.

So based on my experience, if I were to re-invest in machinery I would buy from Arc Eurotrade, they provide advice for free, and offer a good level of support (I have read) to their cutomers, their equipment may be a little dearer (not much if at all) but it is in my opinion, that it is so much better to deal with people who will be there when you need something.

I have no connections with any of the companies mentioned other than as a customer (potential customer).

Some useful feedback on what vices other people are using, where they bought them from and how they have found them to operate, very helpful for myself and hopefully anyone else thinking of buying a vice within the constraints I mentioned.

Thank you everyone,

Ian