• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.
  • Several Regions have held meetups already, but others are being planned or are evaluating the interest. The Ontario GTA West area meetup is planned for Saturday April 26th at Greasemonkeys shop in Aylmer Ontario. If you are interested and haven’t signed up yet, click here! Arbutus has also explored interest in a Fraser Valley meetup but it seems members either missed his thread or had other plans. Let him know if you are interested in a meetup later in the year by posting here! Slowpoke is trying to pull together an Ottawa area meetup later this summer. No date has been selected yet, so let him know if you are interested here! We are not aware of any other meetups being planned this year. If you are interested in doing something in your area, let everyone know and make it happen! Meetups are a great way to make new machining friends and get hands on help in your area. Don’t be shy, sign up and come, or plan your own meetup!

Recent content by VicHobbyGuy

  1. V

    $20 PLA filament : Industrial Plastics

    I think I noticed your mention of that in another thread? That was PLA+? I don't recall the brand, but last week I was in IPP and they were out of white PLA in the Ottertek. The staff person grabbed a different brand box, and said it was PLA+, then said that he didn't recommend printing it in a...
  2. V

    $20 PLA filament : Industrial Plastics

    This may have been mentioned already in another post? Industrial Plastics and Paint is clearing out their Ottertek PLA. $20 for a 1kg roll. So if you have an IPP store local to you, it might be worth a visit. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and it's printed perfectly in my Bambu A1...
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    What size lathe do you have?

    Really? I think I do understand all that. Perhaps I am being too subtle? One more try: When I say that this is 'a big lathe' forum, please don't get upset. I'm not saying that people here are not helpful or good, nice people. I am saying that this is not the place I'd send people if they had a...
  4. V

    What size lathe do you have?

    That's certainly my opinion, and people shouldn't agonize about it, either. "Know thyself, etc...." :) I don't know the membership numbers here, but it seems to me that there are probably at most 75-100 or so regular participants; folks who drop in frequently, participate in discussions, and...
  5. V

    Metal lathe options

    I'm not communicating well today, it seems! :) It worked, but it was just 'meh' for me. Not really any better performance than alternatives I was using, and it is sort of bulky and awkward. But I didn't give it a fair trial, really. It is still lying beside the lathe, in its toolholder, so will...
  6. V

    What size lathe do you have?

    Good point, that makes a lot of sense. I should say 'Chinese 7x', but '7x' or '7x mini lathe' seem to be the common identifiers. Because they are relatively cheap, I think the Sieg and RealBull Chinese 7x lathes are the 'entry point' (like the packet of free heroin from your local dealer :) ) to...
  7. V

    Metal lathe options

    Well, exactly. If Schaublin made a similar lathe it would cost $5-10k, I suppose. Even the much, much smaller Proxxon 250 is $2350. And it's a nasty surprise for those who expect a tool - like the cordless drill or chop saw - to 'work right out of the box'. If a person doesn't enjoy 'fettle...
  8. V

    What size lathe do you have?

    Wait a minute. I never said that. I have said -again and again- how helpful people try to be when I ask questions. I said that: Perhaps I've missed a lot of discussions with '7x' or 'mini-lathe' as the main topic. @Chris Cramer's discussion titled 'Metal Lathe Options' is one of the few from a...
  9. V

    What size lathe do you have?

    @Tecnico - Yes, your comments all make sense. Yes, people here are very helpful, and I appreciate that. Unless people have been following the 'Metal Lathe Options' discussion, they might not be aware of @Susquatch's motivation for posting this survey. I suggested a couple of times - once too...
  10. V

    Metal lathe options

    Yes, I agree. But it does take the right attitude. Most folks expect (rightly) that a tool will work properly 'right out of the box'. 7x lathes are more like a 'lathe kit', which takes many new owners by surprise if they haven't done enough pre-purchase research. :) I built a wood-frame...
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    Metal lathe options

    No. A couple of 'extreme users' :) have posted online about installing much larger motors and re-arranged drive setup, but that eliminates the change gears. On @Chris Cramer's 7x lathe, the belt connects the motor pulley with a pulley on the spindle. Cogged pulleys and non-standard cogged...
  12. V

    Metal lathe options

    They sell different sizes, so yes.
  13. V

    Metal lathe options

    The pulley is pretty small already. :) About 25mm diameter cogged pulley on a 9 mm shaft. Definitely those would all be good things to address. 7x lathes suffer from looseness in the gib/dovetail on the compound and cross slide, and also poor attachment of the carriage to the ways. Some of...
  14. V

    Metal lathe options

    Thanks for that suggestion. I bought one of those tangential tools, but I am 'underwhelmed' by it. https://www.eccentricengineering.com.au/products/diamond-tool-holder/the-diamond-tool-holder
  15. V

    Metal lathe options

    Understood; thanks. (I really wish we had a 'thumbs up smiley in this forum....)
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