Really struggling....

Here´s someone milling a banjo: Banjo
🙂

He's chucked the toys out of the pram and our help back in our faces. :angry:

https://www.stepcraft-systems.com/en/forum/feedback-and-suggestions2/4243-for-sale-stepcraft-600#45602

Waste of time guys.

Doug

Just say it as it is - I paid for Rory to come and set up the machine. He had to 'modify' parts beyond the scope of the instructions to get it to work and eventually took away a part to work on it back at Stoney CNC. I was willing to listen and I did make steps to follow advice and try to get it to work. We have had some success with this machine but cannot seem to get it to work consistently. All I am asking is it me or the machine? We have oval holes, the machine drifitng by 25 mm after working for an hour...

Before you get offensive please think - I went away, thought about what everyone said and tried to do something about it. What is petulant about that. We are at the end of our knowledge and cannot invest any more time into this because we are truly out of ideas...

Look at the evidence: This a couple of guys trying everything we have been advised and can research to get some consistency... we have no clue about this being artisan craftsman with degrees in hand-craft not technology. It may all be obvious to you but it is not to us so give some credit to us for listening, trying and trying again!

So sad you have had all this hassle with what should have been an enlightening experience for you, primarily for hobby work my wife and I invested a lot of time and effort into research before we purchased and decide Rory @ StoneyCNC was the way ahead for what we needed.

Being a HGV Technician with 30 years+ in the motor trade my experience has served me well with a couple of hours a night after work over the course of a week to complete my build following the detailed instructions and if I was unsure all my answers up to now have been found here or the Facebook group. We are brand new to CNC and being from the motor trade you have to adapt to new technology quite quickly, my build has been faultless and my only issues being have been my own incompetence with the software but I'm learning new things every day. I have surprised myself being over 50 now the body may take a bit of encouragement but the brain is still sharp.

I sincerely hope you have a bit more patience to work out your issues, I build Engines in a QA department so maybe I'm blessed with more patience than most but I do hope you get sorted, I'm only 2 weeks in from receiving my kit and have it drawing but have yet to test it in cutting anger so I may yet eat your hat !!!

Best wishes. Rob.

Pete,

I feel your pain. I am in the same state.

I bought the machine a YEAR AGO. Assembled it to found that the X axis get stuck and that the milling is wrong.

I contacted Stepcrat a few times and did not get any response.

Contacted them again and got a response saying I "should disassemble and reassemble the machine". Implying its my fault.

I did it. The same problem persisted. Again X axis is stuck.

During this year I almost went crazy. Stepcraft (and some German forum members) said that I'm "not the right guy" and that the problem is me. I almost went mad. I posted my thoughts in this forum just to get more disoriented and mad. The only response from Stepcraft in the forum is "dont post your problems here". I was sure I was the one to blame. so i filled orange paint off and tried to look for where i got it wrong. i wasnt!

I tried contacting Stepcarft again. No answer. I found Rory on Facebook and begged him for help. He contacted Stepcaft and we had a video call. during the video call Stepcraft said that the X axis is too long i.e. - WRONG PART MEASUREMENTS. Thay also said that a new axis is "too expensive" so what i should do is file the part that connects it to the motor.

Today i just saw theres a new HP500 spindle and it made me feel so bad. I have a brand new Stepcraft for a year. I did not make it work bcz its has FAULTY parts.

I dont know about Germany but, in my country I would get a full refund and compensation for my time under consumer laws.

As it seems now, Stepcraft are giving me "service". Much too late. But frankly this "service" is just a joke.

I will update you guys if I make it to the end and maybe have this machine work so i can SELL IT bcz i cant stand the sight of it in my house.

I'm furious and I envy all those users who got lucky to get the right parts and the right machine. I was unlucky like many other users here. Now, I have an outdated & nonworking & damaged paint & old spindle & bad parts machine.

I really dont get the nerve of this company and its managers. its too much!

Orenhag. I'm really sorry that you're still having problems.

I, and others have tried to help and empathise with you by sharing our own frustrations but Anke from Stepcraft has warned us off criticising them too much on their own forum so I won't comment any further.

Apparently there are only a small number of warranty claims and issues out of thousands of Stepcraft machines sold worldwide. Sadly, they only see a fraction of 1% of issues but here on the forum where people naturally turn for help, assistance and to voice their frustration, we see much higher percentages.

Regards.

Doug

Doug,

As you know already and as one of Stepcraft members said off the record.

There are A LOT of ppl that got wrong parts. Like pete and mmoro who had THE SAME EXACTLY problem as i have.

And contrary to your notion i think Stepcraft saw A lot more ppl with problems than you "feel" on the forum. I know it cos I hear it from a frustrated Stepcraft support giver we all know and already is tiered of this too.

So why Stepcraft tells me to dissasmble and reassemble for nothing when they KNOW there are bad parts around? that's insulting!

As for Anke request - I dont think i said one bad word apart from complaining about the product which in my lexicon is FAIR AND SQUARE. Also, asking mme to shut up after i tried getting service for so long is pure insult.

Bottom line - I was supplied with a bad machine and I lost a lot of money like MANY other people.

I am very stubborn. I will not give up until Ill get it fixed or get my money back.

And I'm super happy for you to get to a point you can make stuff. I'm, unfortunately, am VERY far from it.

O.k. buddy, no worries.

For sure, I made one or two errors building my machine but with a chemistry PhD, 17 years working in nuclear power engineering with the last 10 years operating the most complicated nuclear reactors in the world, I too become a bit insulted when Stepcraft dismiss the mechanical issues I experienced with the machine as "users not following the manual, etc"; no comment from them about HF500 spindle control and protection issues... Perhaps this was covered by "etc."? 😉

Thankfully Rory Stoney made up the difference.

Best not to pour oil on already troubled waters though eh?

Doug

You should know that u helped me a lot with your posts back then.

Basically, you tried to help me more than SC did.

Thank you.

Trust me. If i didnt feel helpless like others did i wouldnt post here.

Again - bottom line - I got a bad machine. LIKE MANY OTHERS. Stepcraft acknowledge it themselves. What am i supposed to do? say thank you for wasting my time and money?

I wish there was NO support when buying Stepcraft. Like GOOGLE. no support. I dont want support. I want the right parts sent to me. Is that too much to ask?

Anyhow. Ill update. Here or some other place in cyberworld.