Spare parts

[ktjwilliams]

I have a lot of time sensitive work coming up... SO I can't afford to have much down time waiting for parts etc... What spare parts would U guyz recommend I keep on hand.. My machine is all original except for traction belts... I guess I got bout 200 hrs of carving on it ... Oh it's an A machine .... Hopefully someday I'll have the D version when it comes out ... In the mean time I have this... Runs really good, never had any issues with the machine... I have one of Dan's ER11 spindles in it... But Murphy's Law !!!

[unitedcases]

Extra FFC Cables, Cut Motor Brushes, Y and Z motor bearings (the 5x11x5 shielded), Eccentric and Non Eccentric bearings, rpm sensors and extra bits cause you never know. Those are the cheap parts that will tick you off if they go out. I.E. you are out for a FFC Cable that only costs 2.97. I just had that happen. Plus LHR charges 12 bucks no matter what for shipping so its always better to get as much as you can to bolster your savings on shipping.

[Digitalwoodshop]

A Board Sensor would be good and the Board Sensor Cable. They can short out being pinched if pulled too hard when changing the sensor.

Screws for the Eccentric Bearings.

AL

[ktjwilliams]

Thx Guyzzz,, any other suggestions R welcome.... Make sure I get my moneys worth out of that shipping charge...

[unitedcases]

Remember, your shipping is 12 bucks as long as it stays under 3 pounds. I don't know what it goes up to after that.

[DickB]

I'm not defending the shipping charge, and I know of other firms that do a better job, but some others are just as bad or worse. I regularly deal with a distributor that has an extra service charge on orders less than $25 - this is not uncommon. I do what is being advised here - make a list and buy larger quantities when possible. But when you need a vital $5 part, you need it, and it's sometimes worth $17 to get it.

Look at this another way - here is an opportunity to step up and make a business. Amazon is selling a few select CarveWright items such as bits cheaper than LHR does and with free shipping with conditions. So let's presume that parts could be purchased from LHR in bulk at lower cost. Or if not, what's stopping anyone from making non-authorized but basically identical replacement parts of their own? (Yes, this is possible and can and is being done, in other industries. I can provide an example from personal experience.) If you think you can do it better and cheaper than LHR, why not go do it? If they're really gouging a lot of people, the demand will be there. (In less polite terms, and I'm sure that you've heard the phrase before, put up or shut up.)

On the other hand, maybe when you put a real business case together, or actually do it for a while and find you have to raise prices to stay afloat, you might conclude that a $12 minimum shipping charge is not so bad after all. I wonder. I have been doing small hobby business for years, and use shipping to both obtain parts and deliver products. As a consumer, I don't particularly like a $12 minimum shipping charge, but as a supplier, I certainly understand it.

[unitedcases]

I prefer, "dont sing it, bring it".

[Digitalwoodshop]

Just remembered the X Plastic Gear.... 2 or 3.... Plus sand paper belts IF you use them....

Cutting the PVC Board tonight had a few X overload stalls that thankfully I could recover from it just by pressing enter.... I was tugging on a 6 foot 1 x 12 so that might have been part of it.... Got through 3 of the 6 carvings so far... Tomorrow.... Enough for the day.

AL

[ktjwilliams]

Good Luck with that Al !!! So DickB,, what is UR part suggestion and what's UR point here ?? If we would have wanted a lecture on shipping I would have put up a rant about shipping cost ... With this machine we're kind-a a captive audience and we know that going in...

[DickB]

In hindsight I probably should have posted that on the other thread. I have seen complaints about shipping cost in many threads and thought that I would comment. My points were two: something could be done about it if someone were really motivated, but it might not be as easy as you think. As I said, more pertinent in the other thread. Sorry.

As far as spare parts I don't have much to offer. I haven't checked, but I'm guessing I have about 300 hours on my machine. I replaced the x-drive gears several weeks ago as one gear had a broken tooth. The z truck casting broke early on and was replaced under warranty, and the QC self-destructed at about 200 hours and I replaced it with the CarveTight. I've had no issues with belts, cables, bearings, or sensors other than dust in the sensors but that didn't require replacement.