Keith Fenner Receives an X-Carve from Inventables.com - Part 1, 2 Video

In part 1 Keith shows us the assembling of the X-carve and the preparation he did to get the machine ready for use in his workshop.

https://youtu.be/4hmvdTsMA3Y

If you don't know of Keith Fenner, he's a great machinist who shares his working life though YouTube, Keith has loads of video's on his channel and very much can be learnt from watching Keith in his shop, I highly recommend that if your into watching YouTube and have an interest in machining you go check him out.

This video is about the start of his journey with an X-Carve machine and I very much doubt this is his first introduction to CNC, however his other video's are of a different flavour, as he's predominantly a manual machinist, though he dose run a Plasma Cam.

.Me

I watched this video last night. Im a saddo

Was amazed at how flimsy the thing is, when you think how many of our american friends seem to have them...(randy richards etc)

and, somehow (i havent looked into it). It uses a arduino with some kind of h gate as a stepper controller?

seems to work well enough for what he wants though? fair play

I love these machinist channels, Im subscribed and religiously watch too many of them... I wish there was more uk based ones.. even better some channels dedicated to DIY cnc projects... there seem to be a fair amount of pro cnc ones, and lots of one off (first run) diy videos... but nobody making a regular feed of them...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kingcreaky

I wish there was more uk based ones.. even better some channels dedicated to DIY cnc projects...

---

It's crossed my mind to do some videos but I sound a complete Dick so not doing that. . Lol

I've watched keith for many years and to be honest I'm really surprised, Nah dissapointed he's entertained this machine it's so patheticly weak and poorly engineered.!!! . . . Think he's sold is sole to the Freebie Devil. . Lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

It's crossed my mind to do some videos but I sound a complete Dick so not doing that. . Lol

I've watched keith for many years and to be honest I'm really surprised, Nah dissapointed he's entertained this machine it's so patheticly weak and poorly engineered.!!! . . . Think he's sold is sole to the Freebie Devil. . Lol

---

Most people don't like the sound of their own voice, and for various reasons including security / privacy don't like to appear on camera - all fair enough. But I for one would love to see some short videos from you Dean on anything cnc related. Just use captions to describe what you want to say, which should make editting easier because you don't have to get it right in front of the camera. Washouts recent videos are great, and the secret lies in the editting and keeping things tight. For the best examples on the net of how to do it see John at NYCCNC on youtube.

A picture paints and thousand words, and a movie paints a thousand pictures. If you are a newbie it is so hard to convey how good a machine needs to be to machine certain materials, and the design requirements to do so. Only when you have built in, run it, broken or bent it and heard the cutter just not being happy doing what you are asking it to do do you realise what you need and that comments posted on here from experienced builders start to make sense. A video showing things would really help to win people over earlier. Washouts inclusion of aluminium tool weld problem was really good to see for exactly that reason.

I downloaded the free Window Movie Maker programme to make my recent one and it works fine, so there's no excuse really ! I can feel myself subscribing to Dean's channel already . . . . .:eagerness:

There is definitely a gap to be filled in the semi-pro-CNC youtube department. Who cares what kind of dick you sound like, we are all interested in seeing the chips fly and some facts along the ride :D

The time is now Jazz! ;D



The image of Keith beside the XCarve made me laugh. It is so out of place, it had to be a joke!

I subbed to Keith's channel - thanks for the heads up Lee.

I've also been waiting for some follow up i-machining videos from Dean and I too don't like listening to my own voice, although doing narrations after shooting video helps a lot (at least to my ears) once you get over the "leaving a voice message" awkwardness.

Inventables are on a big marketing push in the US at the moment, as I see promo/loaner X-Carves on pretty much every CNC or related Tech channel I sub to on the other side of the pond. Now if the UK CNC providers could have the same idea..... ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kingcreaky

I love these machinist channels, Im subscribed and religiously watch too many of them... I wish there was more uk based ones.. even better some channels dedicated to DIY cnc projects... there seem to be a fair amount of pro cnc ones, and lots of one off (first run) diy videos... but nobody making a regular feed of them...

---

Me too, though for me they served a bigger purpose than the normal kind of thing we get from watching them, more on this later...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

I've watched Keith for many years and to be honest I'm really surprised, Nah dissapointed he's entertained this machine it's so patheticly weak and poorly engineered.!!! . . . Think he's sold is sole to the Freebie Devil. . Lol

---

I think it's more to do with who he is as a person than it is for the personal need of a CNC machine, he's a very giving person, quite a few of them now are working hard to continue building something of a community from their viewership, as Matt pointed out 2-3 of them have been sent an x-carve in recent times, I think Keith is playing his part in all that and supporting/joining in with that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by routercnc

Washouts inclusion of aluminium tool weld problem was really good to see for exactly that reason.

---

Yea, I think your comments on this are quite right, it's a big thing now days to use the power of video to get information out to people. As you said the videos don't even need to be as polished or produced and I think that kind of stuff would become a naturally progression for the person making the videos anyway as they get more confident.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sinnsvak

There is definitely a gap to be filled in the semi-pro-CNC youtube department. we are all interested in seeing the chips fly and some facts along the ride :D

---

Hi Sinnsvak it's nice to see you getting stuck in on the forums, I don't think our paths have crossed yet, welcome to the community.

I think there is potential there for sure, I'm not sure how well videos on CNC would work?, I would imagine for most of us when we first discover the world of cnc, one of the first things we do is go and consume as many video's as we can related to cnc, as noted above, there is only so many "first runs" one can sanely consume before it basically becomes boring and the same old thing, Really the only limitation, is our own imagination's.

I've got a feeling my "go to" software is going to end up being Fusion360, so naturally I quite enjoy the videos from NYCNC where he takes us from idea to part, from the responses I see to these videos it's true there is other people that would appreciate the same kind of video's, covering their flavour of CAD/CAM software's.

.Me

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by routercnc

But I for one would love to see some short videos from you Dean on anything cnc related.
so there's no excuse really ! I can feel myself subscribing to Dean's channel already . . . . .:eagerness:

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Washout

I've also been waiting for some follow up i-machining videos from Dean

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sinnsvak

The time is now Jazz! ;D

---

Well sorry Lads there's not enough hours in day already so don't be expecting any block busters from me any time soon.!! . . For example I'm sat here now typing this while setting up Servos trying to decipher Chinglish manuals and at same time baby sitting my machine which is working away with still 1.5hrs cutting left.!! Then I've got the lovely task of cleanup and de-bur.!! . . . . would you really like to see that boring stuff because I wouldn't.?
I wouldn't have the time to edit and do them justice. I'm also not kitted up for videos and I'd make Mr Bean look like spielberg with my camera work.!

Washout to be fair my most of my i-machining is plane boring wide deep Pockets for things like Z axis ballscrew clearence and completely mind numbing to watch.! . . . .Next time I get something worth watching I will try to take a Video. But it won't be anything like your excellent Vids.!

If did do videos it wouldn't be cutting vids in any because because while inspiring and motivating to some I find them boring personaly.!
They would be Info related and relative to building a CNC machine start to finish. Modular detailed step by step Start to finish vids.

I'd also probably do Vids testing/reviewing different Hardware etc with No Bull warts all bought and paid for by me unbiased by obligation real honest user feed back.!! . . . Which probably wouldn't go down well with Some Manufactures.! (I've cupboard full of stuff that would make some companys cringe if I did this.!!)

I can make all this happen but only if I win the Lottery or H.G Wells lands in my yard with his Time machine.!!

Speaking of which only 1hour left now with my time machine, time eating machine.!! . . . . . Don't wait up for my Vids..:eagerness:

Of course, our Jazz is already a video star! Very useful little clip showing repeatability of cheap proximity switches. Thanks for that one :beer:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee Roberts

Hi Sinnsvak it's nice to see you getting stuck in on the forums, I don't think our paths have crossed yet, welcome to the community.

---

Thanks! :surprise:
(I will tell more when Im starting my build)


Video making is a lot of work for sure. But you wouldn't have to pour out videos every day either. Less is more.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sinnsvak

Thanks! :surprise:
(I will tell more when Im starting my build)


Video making is a lot of work for sure. But you wouldn't have to pour out videos every day either. Less is more.

---

Cool will keep an out for that :)

I recently came across a younger lad in the UK who go's by the name of Mr Crispin on YouTube, he's not quite as frequent as some of the others producing videos but his work is very good, at the moment he's building a model steam locomotive from the ground up and showing us the machining stages along the way: https://youtu.be/JRdTPNApfuk

Think he's definitely worth a watch, works for Rolls Royce believe.

.Me

Part 2:

https://youtu.be/0B10zVmWbAc

.Me