Joe B

iTrader: (1)

An NO..... making 7 or 8 cuts on a V2 and the comm is gone is not always true......when you cut a comm you take only what you need to clean and true the surface.....you seem to be stuck with this talk about increments(Increments mean nothing)mabe your thinking that the adjustment wheel on the lathe CLICKS into place on these increments and then your stuck cutting that amount (god I hope they dont even make one that bad) you take what you need......I have motors that have been cut over 20 times and are still not down to their recomended smallest diameter

071crazy

iTrader: (8)

Xray: The cobra is a decent lathe. But, you'll have to find someone with an accurate micrometer to check that the lathe is not cutting at a slight angle. One way you'll be able to see the effect is by doing a skim on a brand new comm that you know is cut straight. You might see the bit clearing material on one side but not the other.

rcnewb2004

JoeB:

If I knew anything... I wouldn't be a newb. I I don't understand something, I will ask and ask and ask until someone either punches me in the face, or gives me an answer that my simple brain can comprehend.

Indeed increments on a dial mean nothing. I just like a few more marks on the dial so I can better calculate how much I am removing from my comm.
(And check how much slop is on the dial when I actually measure my comm).

And more newbie questions now.
What's arching?
Do I have to adjust my timing when I break in the v2? (Its finally shipping, stupid tower hobbies misfiled my stuff and it took them a week to fix it).

And since my english is not good, might as well help me out on this one:
1. "two tenths of a thousand" =0.0002??
2. "two thousandths" = 0.002??

That could be why my calculations are all confusing and wrong.

Thanks alot.

EddieO

iTrader: (6)

Arching happens between the brushes and comm, typically when you have bad brush alignment and/or not enough spring tension.

When you are breaking in a mod, you should do it at 1-3 degrees of timing, preferably whichever has the least amount of arching......and every motor is different. Once the brushes are broken in, set your race timing....and run it for about 10 seconds to seat them finally.

While I never like refering people to other sites......you should check out www.rccars.com which hosts Big Jim's Motor Forum...just make sure to READ and SEARCH before asking questions....most stuff has been asked and answered before.

Later EddieO

rcnewb2004

Yea, I should search, sometimes the threads are just a little too long to follow through.... they are like 18-20 pages long threads...

thanks eddieo

xray racer

iTrader: (22)

071crazy,
is that something to be concerned about??? that the lathe will be offset or whatever?]]

cuz thats what i DONT wanna get, a lathe that wont do the job properly... and hence the reason for my asking... would i be garunteed that the lathe will be perfect if i buy hudy or another more expensive brand??? or is the problem possible in any lathe???

i just wanna make sure i dont buy a cheap piece of crap basically... so i need to be sure


thanx
robbie

domo

iTrader: (16)

I'm also in the market for a comm lathe, and some interesting points have been bought up in this thread...

Originally I was leaning towards the Integy Auto lathe, but being in Australia I am a little concerned about the reliability of the automated mechanism... how sturdy is it? and has anyone here experienced any problems with it? the cost of shipping the unit back to the states for repairs is a pretty big negative.... (considering the price I have been quoted to ship it here airmail+insured is 60USD!?!)

as it stands I'm now leaning towards either the 3racing lathe or the hudy tech lathe (double the price of the 3racing), as I can purchase either of these lathes directly from HK and save a considerable amount on shipping...

I only run stock at club level, and as such I shouldl only really need to cut my comms every 8 runs (2 race meets), is the extra expense of either the integy or hudy lathe worth it at this level?

rcnewb2004

I was wondering about that offset thing as well that 071 has mentioned.

I haven't heard of any bad things about the integy auto lathe.

The 3racing lathe i bought is shipping, so I will leave some comments about it here later.

fatdoggy

rcnewb2004 - You should buy "Big jim's rc motor black book". You can get it from barnes and nobles online. Read it cover to cover and although some of the info is a little dated it is still very informative.

071crazy

iTrader: (8)

My hudy lathe was pretty well-aligned out of the box. But, if you move around the blocks or install those optional axial supports you will need to check the alignment again. The "keyed" nature of the blocks will get it close, but you might still be off by about 0.02 to 0.03 inches, which is probably too much.

I'm not sure why, but the cobra lathe just seemed noticeably out of alignment out of the box. It was too coincidental that the same side of each comm seemed to cut deeper on the initial pass. The only thing you'll want to do regardless of which lathe to purchase is to check for coning after your first cut.

xray racer

iTrader: (22)

hey,

ive heard the majority of ppl talking about making sure the lathe is aligned when i get it.... so as long as it is aligned... is there any reason to spend $300Aud for a hudy lathe without a diamond bit... as opposed to a cobra or trinity or 3-racing lathe for somewhere around the $150-$200Aud????


also.... where can i take the lathe to get it aligned??? i dont have any fancy tools so are there any places i can it and have it PROPERLY and professionally aligned???

thanx in advance

robbie

JayBee

iTrader: (31)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rcnewb2004
[B]JoeB:

If I knew anything... I wouldn't be a newb. I I don't understand something, I will ask and ask and ask until someone either punches me in the face, or gives me an answer that my simple brain can comprehend.

I'm the same way when it comes to understanding this stuff; I have to ask & ask & ask.... . But in the whole scheme of things, I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, 'cause how the hell else am I going to be able to explain it to the next layman brain newbie

- jAyBeE

rcnewb2004

Lol thx for your support JayBee,

In the mean time while i am learing, ofcourse I end up upsetting a whole lot of people... but everyone's gotta learn some how, some ppl ask questions, while others read a book, both have their advantages, and their disadvantages.

My learning method isn't the greatest but that's how I have been getting around. It doesn't change over night, but I will do what other ppl suggested and that's go read some books before asking questions, which I am doing right now. But sometimes, its just a lot quicker to ask someone who knows their stuff to explain it because people like me are just sloW.



Anyway, the worse part about internet orders, is the wait that seems to take forever, hopefully my lathe and v2 motor will arrive this week.

*Very Excited Wait*

071crazy

iTrader: (8)

XRay: The best way is to cut a comm first and see if the blocks are aligned by checking the comm diameter. I'm sure you could find a place to have it "professionally aligned", but I bet they would do the same thing, and fiddle around with the blocks if the cut is off. Good luck with your lathe shopping

JayBee

iTrader: (31)

alright guys...

my turn...it seems that buying anything in this hobby is a HUGE pain, especially when it comes to necessary items. I've read through this thread twice and still haven't come to a solid decision. Even though I've only been in this hobby for 7 months, I want to start purchasing LONG-TERM items the 'first-time'.
Any help with this is appreciated
Here's the list I'm choosing from....

FAN62625- Fantom comm lathe
diamond bit & slave motor includ. $364.95

101404- Hudy multipack lathe. HSG
slave motor includ. (no bit!) $234.95

101401- Hudy tech comm lathe. MODIFIED. HSG
slave motor includ. (no bit!) $199.95

C22340- Integy auto super lathe
carbide bit & drive motor includ. $169.95

101001- Hudy advanced comm lathe. MODIFIED. HSG
slave motor includ. (no bit!) $159.99

COB2000WD- Team Cobra pro-comm lathe
diamond bit includ. (needs slave motor) $156.95

X-MODLATHE2- Integy Xipp X-mod lathe
carbide bit included $139.99

hku-1002- 3racing ???? (not so sure about this one)

Well there it is; all I'm trying to do is get the most value for MY MONEY. Sorry the list is sooo long but, well, you know......

- jaybee