my 6040 experience (yeah, and problems) so far

[JAZZCNC]

Don't get me wrong here Jim but this is what I'm meaning with these machines you'll be constantly chasing this sort of thing and with every hour of cut time it will just get worse due to wear and with more to chase until eventually you'll get sick of it.

I see this time and time again, at the minute your fresh to it and enjoying what your getting off the machine but this will change as your imagination runs riot and Cam/Cad abilty's increase.! This is when the machine will drive you up the frigging wall as it will hold you back and frustrate the hell out of you.
IMO . . . IF you have the option to bail out now and get most of your money back then I'd grab it and put it down to learning and be thankful it didn't cost anything but lost time.!! . . . . . . If not it will cost you and will frustrate you sooner rather than later.

[jimbo_cnc]

Oh god, don't say that. I'm just trying to get it working properly and now you're saying it will wear out :) I believe you. The problem is I don't want to be without a machine for any length of time. I could handle a week maybe but no more.

[jimbo_cnc]

More info that might be useful to other 6040 owners.

Investigating the play in the crosswise bearings I thought I spotted the support rails out of parallel, quick check with builders level confirmed it. I loosened off the holding screws, got some mulgrips on there and twisted the top one, couldn't feel any movement at either end. About to give up but tried the lower rail, twist... what was that? was that dirt or did the rail move, yup it looks like an eccentric end connection. Check with the level, now looks true. Do it up tight and yank on the spindle holder ...play in the crosswise bearings has gone.

Very pleased with myself as I didn't know they had eccentric ends.

So now all I can feel is flexibilty, and I can't complain about that because I knew the construction I was buying. And some bearing run-out which might get fixed by a new spindle.

I repeated a run that I did earlier. It was quieter, and got a better result. But still some problem, on tangent lead in and the tabs the tool goes inside the profile

[Jester]

Ive got a 3020 chinese machine, and touch wood ive had no problems with it so far. Well saying that the fuse keeps blowing on the spindle power supply when i turn on the controller. Ive done a lot of 2.5d work on it in mdf oak mahogany pine and the results all come out good.

Im going to start upgrading the bearing on the axis soon as there onyl 50p each from the local supplier. so that will be a massive £6 for higher spec bearings than what are in now:) happy days.

Dont be too disheartened with the problems on the machine. They are cheap and the parts are cheap but as a starter machine they are great to learn on.

[jimbo_cnc]

I settled the dispute with the seller today, he took me up on my proposal of £50 refund for the electronics not being as advertised/misleading advert. And £100 for a new spindle.

All the 0.8kW spindles on eBay have the same advert promising german bearings so I just picked the seller with 100% feedback.

I can also get some new bearings to see if they fix the duff spindle.