Speedo

Yeah, I think that's probably normal. I should have been more specific, the slop isn't really the problem. The problem is that it gets harder to turn the knob the further away the bit is from the comm...and there are tight spots in the rotation. I spent some time on it last night polishing things up...hopefully I can get it to improve some.

Josh

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

Never liked my fantom lathe, there's no excuse for a $400 lathe to have soft aluminum (when compared with carbide or hardened steel) V-blocks..... Even Properly oiled, in time, mine started cutting "slightly" tapered because of guide wear, and because the uprights are a one piece design, It couldn't even be fixed or replaced......$400 paper weight......I talked to several others with the same complaints......best I could figure is that the ones we got had inadequately hardened guides.......Still...This is something you never have to worry about with carbide,or replacable hardened steel guides on a unit..............

Quiet

I've owned a cobra for over five years now and still performs like it did on day one, the key is to set it up right.

I'd stay away from diamond bits they always give a nice and shiny cut but it could be out of round and the motor won't put out much power it is a must that the comm be perfectly rounded after each cut and it's more important than the shiny look.

you should be able to see very fine lines like the surface of a CD if you put it directly under natural light and look at the comm you'll see a full spectrum of light, that's what I achieve with a $3.00 bit.

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

There's much more to a good lathe than just set-up.........certain important things that help a highend lathe cut well (some giving you a finished arm thats true within "tenths" of thousanths,Not in the thousanths like a well working cobra) are more in the design......some of which are....High wind low vibration slave motor(s)......orientation of belt......Gib play......bit quality......feed speed........Upright V-block uniformity/ and quality material's so it stays that way............most of the time......you get what you pay for

JayBee

iTrader: (31)

I've been using this lathe for awhile and like the idea of it cutting in both directions; my comms are round, have less arcing due to it and I get a clean cut. Especially with the Indi's Auto Lathe, set-up is key
Sorry you don't like it...

- JB

koabich

I hate to say it but no matter how badly a bit is chipped, there is no way that the com will be cut out of round since the bit is stationary in movement from front to back in relation to the com. The worse case would be a poor quality cut but not out of round com. If the com is being cut out of round, the lathe is set up wrong or just need to be retired.

AdrianM

iTrader: (4)

My Cobra lathe with the Cobra Diamond bit cuts better than any expensive lathe I have seen. I have buddies with Hudy's, Fantom's, etc. They cut fine but my Cobra is just as good or better for quite a few $$ less.

I second what Cypress said about Twister lathes. They are old, no longer made but they still cut the best. Whenever I see one I offer to buy it off the owner and they always say no.

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

MDL

Just wondering what people think of the 3racing Lathes? My LHS (well 200K's away) have one and it's around $250 aussie dollars. I was just wondering weather they are any good? Or is there some one out there that can get me a new one and send it over?

http://www.3racing.com.hk/

Thanks for the help in advance.

Feel Free to PM if you can help with advise.

MDL

Neil

I have a team orion lathe with a diamond bit it works great. BTW what is the correct way to cut a com. I start the cut on the left side of the com closer to the windings and cut accross until run off the end on the right side. If I need to make another pass I back out the bit and return to the left side and repeat the process. Is this the best way?

ChadCapece

Actually, it is like comparing a BMW 325i to a Honda Accord. The Bimmer cost more because the name, but both cars are equally epuipted. And you can get 300K out of a honda. The guy at my LHS claims to have cut over a thousand comms on his Cobra lathe with the original diamond bit. So if you get 5 cuts of a 5 dollar carbide bit. Then you have spent and extra $920 USD because a guy on this forum says the carbide bit is the best.

I get the prism effect with my comms on the Cobra lathe. And they are shiny and smooth.

Jack Smash

iTrader: (35)

The bit for that lathe is designed to cut from right to left in that lathe. You should cut from the top of the comm down toward the windings and stop when you get there. You're doing good by not cutting in both directions. It would wear out your bit qucikly (possibly chip it if its diamond) and when you change directions the slop in the carriage alters the bit alignment and depth of cut and could produce inferior results.

I cut about 5 cuts with my carbide before it needs 2 swipes with my diamond file to be sharp again. I have never replaced a bit, just resharpened.

asw7576

I'm about to buy Hudy Comm Lathe and I'm confused with these terminology :

Hudy Advance Modified HSG - ultra hardened V guide
Hudy Advance Modified BBG - BB guide

Hudy Tech Modified HSG - ultra hardened V guide
Hudy Tech Modified BBG - BB guide

I also heard that ultra-hardened steel "V" guides + plastic clips for armature is better than ball bearing version ??
So HSG lathe is better than BBG ?

What is the difference between Hudy Advance and Hudy Tech ? Which one is more expensive ? My motors are modified 7T, 8T

Thanks people.

Jack Smash

iTrader: (35)

Go here to ceck out the difference between the Hudy lathes.

Hudy Lathes

I have the Tech lathe and love it. Go with the hardened v-guides. Bearings have a tiny amount of slop even when new and will continue to get worse. Plus getting bathed in those little tiny copper shavings isn't very good for them.

dakrat

thats a good point.