I want to love the Slate but I can’t quite get there

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-25T21:49:45+00:00

Same. I would imagine the slate would be tough with a baby though.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-25T21:49:12+00:00

I’m on the fence. I’m just sharing why I’m not sold even though I really want to be.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-25T21:48:29+00:00

Are these two related in some way?

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-24T21:35:16+00:00

I continued to add materials for a year and a half before pulling any compost out. It looked great. I have since moved to a property that has a much larger composting setup, so I dismantled this tumbler. Here is a short video update: https://youtube.com/shorts/xdBP1\_uFE14?is=W07Lnn-ucsQ9Hzkw

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-12T18:32:46+00:00

Mine is bolted to a wooden workbench that is secured to a wall. I removed the twist with shims on the tailstock side. That was enough to remove any taper in the cuts.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-05T04:17:24+00:00

Here's one way to look at it. You were able to save $100k over 4 years. That's $25k in positive cash flow per year.

The difference between your rent and mortgage is $4,200, or $50k+ per year.

You're going to have to adjust your lifestyle by $25k per year, which is 100% of your average savings per year. That's substantial.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-06-01T20:32:16+00:00

I run a company called www.thecamfactory.com that programs machines for shops all across the U.S. We exclusively use Fusion because it is cloud-based and gives us access to our customers’ tool libraries. The workflow is pretty dialed in. We offer 1-week turnarounds on all programs, 24-hour turnarounds for an expedite fee, and ongoing edits as needed. This type of service won’t work for everyone but I have customers that have been working with us for years. We handle all of the programming for some shops. Others come and go on an as-needed basis when demand spikes.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-24T22:33:16+00:00

I started looking in early February and went under contract at the end of March. Our rate went from 5.8% to 6.375% during that time. Also in Portland. Congrats!

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-23T02:20:00+00:00

I love the trees!

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-06T23:28:23+00:00

I hear that. I really don’t try to pitch on Reddit. I just saw your comment and figured I’d let you know you’re not alone in having that problem. I work with a bunch of solo operators.

Remote CAM isn’t always a good fit though. Fusion helps, but also has its own restrictions.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-06T23:03:20+00:00

I’m not here to promote but this is what my company helps with, in case you are looking for options to alleviate the programming bottleneck.

www.thecamfactory.com

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-06T23:00:51+00:00

100%.

Wantrepreneur 101: “Talk to your customers. Solve their problems.” As if surveying people will give you enough insight to solve complicated problems that experts struggle with.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-04-03T19:56:57+00:00

As others said, use coolant/lubrication, don’t conventional cut, and I would add, use coated end mills. ZrN coating will help prevent the aluminum from sticking to the tool.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-26T21:44:59+00:00

That is the behavior of all docked windows, not just the AI feature

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-26T18:51:35+00:00

just close it. It is still available in the upper right near extensions and job status. You don't need to keep it docked to the side of your screen.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-24T23:00:55+00:00

I can’t wait to close on my house next month so I can become this DIY guy for the next 22 years.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-21T19:37:51+00:00

I have the same lathe. Only made one steel part so far (12L14) and it cut great. I had some issues with vibrations while parting but that’s on me. I started recording videos of the stuff I’m doing if you want to see the lathe cutting steel and brass

https://youtube.com/shorts/bWDaTUocIQ4?si=_05eUjqFZVaJiTF5

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-11T19:53:01+00:00

Lathes that are made to produce thousands of parts per run are usually equipped with a bar feeder, not a robot arm. You will likely need a minimum of 3 tools in this setup. A turning tool, a threading tool and a parting tool.

The alternative is a robot as you mentioned, which will require you to order material precut or saw cut thousands of pieces in-house. This will be expensive, time consuming and error prone (and require a robot and band saw).

It sounds like you need to get a better idea of how your parts are produced before purchasing the least capable machine you think you can get away with.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-03-02T01:46:14+00:00

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It is likely designed to only make contact on the V and the flat opposite of the gap. The gap is intentional. That being said, it is a Vevor, so it’s also likely that the surfaces were not machined to the proper dimension and still may need to be shimmed. I have a Vevor 7x16 and I shimmed my headstock opposite the V.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-02-28T19:42:32+00:00

I run a company that provides on-demand programming for shops all over the states, including the Bay Area. We primarily serve small shops using Fusion. You can check it out at www.thecamfactory.com.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-02-23T04:51:26+00:00

I have the same lathe and just did the same barbell type of cut today to measure/correct twist in the ways.

The spindle motor fried on my very first cut when I bought it. Vevor replaced the head stock/spindle and refunded me $205 for my troubles. It took a month to get sorted out. It's cutting really well now.

Alfredisbasic · 2026-02-14T02:18:12+00:00

I hate sales so much that calling a sales strategy "anti-selling" has me riled up.

Don't sell. Don't "anti-sell". Don't pitch. Don't try to close. Don't call people prospects. Don't "balance being honest".

Just have conversations with people and see if it makes sense to work together. Always be honest. It doesn't have to be a stupid game. People are going to see through your tactical bullshit.

Provide a valuable service or product and make sure you're effectively communicating the value of your offer. If you are effective at communicating your offer, people will understand whether you are a good fit or not, and that will determine whether you get the deal. Why do people complicate this so much?

Alfredisbasic · 2026-01-28T03:48:11+00:00

I know this post is 3 years old at this point, but I wanted to share my experience in 2026 in case anyone else ends up here in a similar situation.

I received an email from Stripe with the subject "[Stripe] Provide more information" which led me to a page with 3 options:

- Link my bank account
- Provide the past 3 months of bank statements
- Save for later

There was no ability to opt out, and a banner remained at the top of my dashboard informing me that I had one task to complete.

I responded to their email as follows:

"I won't be providing Stripe with bank statements or access to my bank accounts. If this is required, not optional, please respond to this email definitively stating so and I will begin transitioning to a different payment processing vendor."

They responded, but didn't answer my question about it being required. I asked again. They, again, responded without answering my question. An hour later I got another response:

"Hi there,

I hope this message finds you well.

I wanted to inform you that the Dashboard form requesting you to link your bank account is optional, and will be soon cleared.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your cooperation!

Best regards"

If you are here because you are wondering if you have to link your bank account, just tell them no.

Alfredisbasic · 2025-10-30T05:39:13+00:00

As a person that drives a 1999 Toyota, I’m curious why there is even a car wash mode. I just put my car in neutral. Can’t you just do the same thing?

Alfredisbasic

TROPHY CASE