PeteG
Established Member
Two weeks after ordering, Axminster deliver this piece of fecal matter. The driver, Allan, arrived about 5.30pm on Monday, so first things first I brewed up and we had tea and cake and a little natter.
Allan then unloads the huge crate off the wagon and straight in to the shed for unpacking, you can imagine how excited I am at this point. After removing the crate I put the moveable base in place
so we can lift/maneuver the machine on to it's final resting place. Sadly, the base I'd made was to small. I'd called Axminster last week for the base dimensions and made it accordingly. No
problem I thought, I'll make another one. I didn't want to start playing around with it on Monday night and I knew I was going to be busy all day Tuesday, so I planned to spend the whole of Wednesday
sorting the base out and bonding with the little beauty.
Wednesday morning I'm in the shed with a supply of tea and biscuits ["Oaties" from Aldi, love 'em I do
], and set about sorting the new base out. After this is in place I then gently maneuver the machine on to the base.
After removing the pallet I set about cleaning and setting the machine up, and fitting the digital display, which probably took as long do as everything else.
At this point I wasn't very happy with some of the cosmetics. There are two plastic strips that the hinges rest against after pulling the tables up. Neither of them are very secure and didn't look as though
they would remain in place for too long. Whether this is down to them being stuck on before the paint has dried, or the adhesive, I couldn't say. But after checking the one on the left I then notice
the state of the casting slightly above and to the right of it. This is when the hinge supporting the out feed table rests. The wall of the casting is very thin and as you'll see in the image it's very jagged,
and if it wasn't for the coat of paint, it would feel a bit sharper than it already does.
Moving on. I set the fence and check the tables, the in feed table is all out of sorts but nothing that can't be adjusted. I check everything again making sure what should be bolted down is, and nothing is loose
or in the way. I get a piece of 3" x 2" pine all ready to try the planer out, and then I plug the machine in. Now you can image just how excited I'm getting and I hit the green button, and, nothing, it's knackered.
Eight hundred quids worth of c&*p! I call Axminster and a lad in technical reckons it's the capacitor and pops a replacement in the post. Now cutting all the emails short, I'm offered a credit of £30.00 should I wish to keep the machine,
which I don't, for £800.00 I want something that not only works when it's delivered but has been made with a bit of care and attention. I now have to wait until the 29th before they
will collect/replace. Even if I want a refund I'd have to wait until it's been collected, which I can appreciate, but if I had the funds I would have ordered one of the Record models from D&M this afternoon.
Everything I've bought from Axminster that hasn't been their own brand has been spot on [other than the Ice Bear sharpening kit I bought last month which went back. I've got butter in the fridge
harder than the 800 grit stone that came supplied, another story!] but this is the third item with their branding that has been pants. Anyway, rant over I'm going for a brew Hopefully all will be well come the 29th!
Allan then unloads the huge crate off the wagon and straight in to the shed for unpacking, you can imagine how excited I am at this point. After removing the crate I put the moveable base in place
so we can lift/maneuver the machine on to it's final resting place. Sadly, the base I'd made was to small. I'd called Axminster last week for the base dimensions and made it accordingly. No
problem I thought, I'll make another one. I didn't want to start playing around with it on Monday night and I knew I was going to be busy all day Tuesday, so I planned to spend the whole of Wednesday
sorting the base out and bonding with the little beauty.
Wednesday morning I'm in the shed with a supply of tea and biscuits ["Oaties" from Aldi, love 'em I do
], and set about sorting the new base out. After this is in place I then gently maneuver the machine on to the base. After removing the pallet I set about cleaning and setting the machine up, and fitting the digital display, which probably took as long do as everything else.
At this point I wasn't very happy with some of the cosmetics. There are two plastic strips that the hinges rest against after pulling the tables up. Neither of them are very secure and didn't look as though
they would remain in place for too long. Whether this is down to them being stuck on before the paint has dried, or the adhesive, I couldn't say. But after checking the one on the left I then notice
the state of the casting slightly above and to the right of it. This is when the hinge supporting the out feed table rests. The wall of the casting is very thin and as you'll see in the image it's very jagged,
and if it wasn't for the coat of paint, it would feel a bit sharper than it already does.
Moving on. I set the fence and check the tables, the in feed table is all out of sorts but nothing that can't be adjusted. I check everything again making sure what should be bolted down is, and nothing is loose
or in the way. I get a piece of 3" x 2" pine all ready to try the planer out, and then I plug the machine in. Now you can image just how excited I'm getting and I hit the green button, and, nothing, it's knackered.
Eight hundred quids worth of c&*p! I call Axminster and a lad in technical reckons it's the capacitor and pops a replacement in the post. Now cutting all the emails short, I'm offered a credit of £30.00 should I wish to keep the machine,
which I don't, for £800.00 I want something that not only works when it's delivered but has been made with a bit of care and attention. I now have to wait until the 29th before they
will collect/replace. Even if I want a refund I'd have to wait until it's been collected, which I can appreciate, but if I had the funds I would have ordered one of the Record models from D&M this afternoon.
Everything I've bought from Axminster that hasn't been their own brand has been spot on [other than the Ice Bear sharpening kit I bought last month which went back. I've got butter in the fridge
harder than the 800 grit stone that came supplied, another story!] but this is the third item with their branding that has been pants. Anyway, rant over I'm going for a brew
Hopefully all will be well come the 29th!
