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Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

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Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 18 Jul 2018, 15:17

Just taken delivery of the lower-end Axminster morticer. Need to move the clamp out to its furthestmost position to accommodate my timber.

Only you can't.

IMG_20180718_145622.jpg
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Roughly where the yellow lines join, you can see that the moulding touches the set screw head pushing it out of alignment which means you can''t screw it in. Neither can you move the clamp a bit because there is a register pin underneath locating into a reference hole in the bed.

OK..Axminster are sending a replacement but I need to use it....as in now. Grrrrrr. I have nothing to fettle it with.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby will1983 » 18 Jul 2018, 15:55

Could you not replace the Allen bolt with a standard hex head???
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 18 Jul 2018, 16:02

will1983 wrote:Could you not replace the Allen bolt with a standard hex head???


If I had one !

Since posting, I've discovered way too many bad things about this that it's going back.

The gib that is used to fasten the front sideways control knob is too wide slightly for the slot. You could hammer it in but woe betide you if you wanted to take the wheel off again. The gib has to be put in otherwise the knob just slips.

The pulldown lever fouls the workpiece clamping knob which limits the range of sideways travel.

But the worst is that the fore and aft movement is asymmetrical. If you put in the widest allowable piece of timber (100mm) you cannot position the table so that you can cut a mortice in the front 60mm or so. So no centrally positioned mortices. They all have to go right at one side. Not good.

The gearing on the small knurled knob controlling forward/backward movement is way too fine. You are forever turning, and turning and turning it...and that's just moved it 1mm ! Then you find your knuckles get scraped as you are doing this because you catch them on the workpiece clamping knob.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby Coley » 18 Jul 2018, 17:11

I really think there's a gap in the market for somewhere like how Axminster use to be 10 years ago. They have a reputation now...even a nickname that suggests they post out any old crap. The only plus side to this is they've got great experience at issuing replacements....the majority of the time.

What are you gonna get instead ?

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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 18 Jul 2018, 17:41

Coley wrote:.....
What are you gonna get instead ?

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Well there are some nice 3 phase secondhand ones on eBay but too far. Plus cost of van etc. So I've gone for the next size up in Axminster's range. It's pretty good. I used to have one but then for about a couple of years I never used it. It just sat gathering dust and so, as I was strapped for cash, sold it. Hey ho.. :eusa-doh:
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby StevieB » 18 Jul 2018, 18:01

On mine (admittedly a few years old) there are 3 bolt holes under the clamp so you can widen the piece of timber you can accommodate by moving the clamp back in its entirety - have you taken the clamp off to check there is not more than one hole?
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 18 Jul 2018, 18:32

StevieB wrote:On mine (admittedly a few years old) there are 3 bolt holes under the clamp so you can widen the piece of timber you can accommodate by moving the clamp back in its entirety - have you taken the clamp off to check there is not more than one hole?


It has a lot of holes but there is only one position to accept 100mm wide stock.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby StevieB » 18 Jul 2018, 21:47

Extra piece of timber as a spacer on the wider setting? I have done that before to get the mortice position I needed.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 18 Jul 2018, 21:54

StevieB wrote:Extra piece of timber as a spacer on the wider setting? I have done that before to get the mortice position I needed.


It only accepts a total width of 100mm. My wood is 100mm !
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 19 Jul 2018, 17:25

Now THIS is what I call a morticer

Image

Although the bad luck genie is still in attendance :cry:

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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 19 Jul 2018, 18:55

And so I decided to put the base on wheels as I wasn't sure where to place it permanently. I remembered that I had some salvaged from the move but I was concerned about stability.

Image

I was right to be. It felt very wobbly and unstable. Luckily only the morticer base was on it ..a mere 40 kg..and as I manoeuvred it, disaster struck. Just managed to catch it from going A over apex.

Image

So it's going on the floor at the end of the assembly bench.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby DaveL » 19 Jul 2018, 20:09

So Roger, did you just bolt the wheels on to the thin sheet metal the cabinet is made from?
I think you should have able to put the wheels on but you need a sub base of ply or OSB to make the wheel mounts wrong enough.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 20 Jul 2018, 04:37

DaveL wrote:So Roger, did you just bolt the wheels on to the thin sheet metal the cabinet is made from?
I think you should have able to put the wheels on but you need a sub base of ply or OSB to make the wheel mounts wrong enough.


A fair point but the holes are in a reinforced web and it's supplied with adjustable feet that go in them. So I don't think that it's where the problem lies...I'm pretty sure it's the castor. Even if I do put it on a sub-base - my original plan, it will still wobble.
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Re: Grrrr...cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 20 Jul 2018, 12:44

DaveL wrote:So Roger, did you just bolt the wheels on to the thin sheet metal the cabinet is made from?
I think you should have able to put the wheels on but you need a sub base of ply or OSB to make the wheel mounts wrong enough.



Hats off to you, Sir :eusa-clap: You were spot on the money. After removing the feet I found that the cigarette paper ...oops, sorry...metal in the bottom of the case had bent because it is so thin.

So why MORE Chinese c**p ? Well, the holes drilled in the table to take the clamp have been drilled inaccurately. No adjustment unless I take it to a machine shop and enlarge the holes. :( Just * Quality non-control.

Image

Image

Missing special pointed set screw to swcure the threaded mechanism for moving the table fore/aft.

Image

You can wind it one way but when you try to reverse it, all that happens is that the threaded mechanism unscrews itself

Image

The machined dovetail (is that the right word?) that the motor/chisel sub-assembly slides up and down on is rough as old boots. It's not a smooth surface but a milled surface. You have the (very) heavy weight of the motor trying to pull away from the rear support as one would expect but this then puts a lot of pressure on the sliding dovetail mechanism. The end result is that you have to fight the mechanism for moving the sub-assembly up and down. If you slacken off the gib screws to provide a freer movement then you find that the chisel is no longer vertical.

As I mentioned before, I used to have one of these and the difference between the old one and this CoS is like chalk and cheese.
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby TrimTheKing » 20 Jul 2018, 13:11

Sounds, sadly, like Axminster are going the same way as others and building to a price, meaning quality goes down...
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby Coley » 20 Jul 2018, 13:49

Crapminster strikes again !

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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby DaveL » 20 Jul 2018, 16:47

That's a real shame, it looks to have the potential to be a good useable machine but it's badly let down by the poor quality control.
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 20 Jul 2018, 16:53

Another issue just come to light. At the back of the table is a reference marker against which adjustable stops limit the sideways movement. Only it's malformed and the stops whizz past it! Off the machine, into the vice, pair of pliers, bend to suit, replace.

Tried cutting a mortice with the supplied mortice chisel and noticed that it had a tendency to flex. Or something is..need to investigate that further. I suspect the c**p chisel supplied with the machine.

To be fair to Axminster they have offered either to take it back, check out the replacement and send it to me. Or send me replacement parts but TBH I've wasted enough time on both of these morticers. I can live with the faults or work round them. Life's too short.
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby TrimTheKing » 20 Jul 2018, 17:03

Appreciate you have stuff to do Roger, but I would still be tempted to send it back and tell them to bring a temp replacement for you to use. They need to see if their manufacturing is crap and whether they need to/want to do something about it...

Think of the people to follow you, who don't have the technical nous you do to notice and self repair deficiencies...
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby Coley » 20 Jul 2018, 17:06

Keep looking for nearby multicos on ebay. In all honesty that thing looks like a toy in comparison.

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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 20 Jul 2018, 17:07

TrimTheKing wrote:Appreciate you have stuff to do Roger, but I would still be tempted to send it back and tell them to bring a temp replacement for you to use. They need to see if their manufacturing is crap and whether they need to/want to do something about it...

Think of the people to follow you, who don't have the technical nous you do to notice and self repair deficiencies...


Yes, a fair point but this item is being discontinued so no risk on that score. I am tempted to send it back as I've just been looking at eBay and there are some lovely 3 phase morticers - around the same price or lower. Have to factor in pallet delivery though.

Ahh....Coley has raised the same point. :text-bravo:
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby Doug » 20 Jul 2018, 17:26

Buy an XL domino Rog I use mine for cutting all mortises, ok I have to square the corners for tradition joints but I find it easier taking the tool to the timber, the extraction is excellent & it’s quicker to set up, I sold my mortiser not long after buying the domino as I wasn’t using it.

As for Axminster I’ve been saying what you’ve found recently for a couple of years, customer service begins with supplying quality products fit for purpose not using the customer as quality control, of course they will bend over backwards to rectify faults with their gear because they know full well these faults exist, the sad part is they are happy to sell these tool knowing this.
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Re: Grrrr...Yet MORE cheap Chinese c**p

Postby RogerS » 20 Jul 2018, 18:03

Doug wrote:Buy an XL domino Rog I use mine for cutting all mortises, ok I have to square the corners for tradition joints but I find it easier taking the tool to the timber, the extraction is excellent & it’s quicker to set up, I sold my mortiser not long after buying the domino as I wasn’t using it.

As for Axminster I’ve been saying what you’ve found recently for a couple of years, customer service begins with supplying quality products fit for purpose not using the customer as quality control, of course they will bend over backwards to rectify faults with their gear because they know full well these faults exist, the sad part is they are happy to sell these tool knowing this.


If I may refer the Right Honourable Gentleman to the Orangerie thread ........ :eusa-whistle:
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