After having received the DXF files in the arcade mod kit, I took the faceplate to the largest machine shop in my major city www.denvermachineshop.com they’ve been around for a hundred years so I had some faith. Boy oh boy was that faith misplaced.
Their CAD guy says the holes would be in different places depending on which DXF file he used that they aren’t exact. In addition to that he says my faceplate isn’t the same size as the file says it should be and rambled on about how its meteric and a pain in his ass.. wtf is going on here..
Is he incompitent? Are their slight variations in the size of the faceplate? Does it matter? I told him to cut it using the small hole above the jog wheel reference point and not to modify the design at all. And now im sweating bullets that its gonna end up incorrectly cut and a paperweight, I can’t afford to replace my 100. This is terrible.
Those DXF files in the kit are 1000000000% correct right?
Anyone have any issues at all with milling and or the provided files in the kit???
I filed my own holes using the arcade edition overlay as a template. It was easy once I got a proper file. I went for a completely round file made for metal work with a diameter as close as possible to fit the square holes. It took about an hour to do all eight holes. Keep in mind that if you use the arcade overlay as a template that the holes required for your buttons are probably smaller than the arcade overlay holes. Check out this thread, where you can see how I did it: http://djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6323
I spoke to my local machine shop and they said that there are two ways they would recommend doing the holes, water cut or manually using a file.
So I got my faceplate back from www.denvermachineshop.com and let me say SCREW THOSE HOES. Their CAD guy obliterated my faceplate. They got paid by the hour ($90 per hour) they milked it out. They wouldn’t just load the file and cut the plate. He had to first argue with me about the DFX file, and “measure everything by hand just to make sure its 100% correct”. (because its their mission NOT to screw up my part! cool huh?) The purpose of which was obviously to run up the labor times. Not only did denver machine take my faceplate hostage for $135 after a $60 quote! THEY SCREWED IT UP.
The machinist ran the machine way way to fast for the soft alumnium so when the bit made a little metal burr off one of the factory holes it caught and ripped the plate out of the jig. So… I have 7 holes and a oval, a huge deep scratch in the EQ section where the bit ran over it AND a popped out stamped support pegs on the far upper right of the case.
Being pissed off unpleasant and demanding satisfaction only got me: “we will call the cops,full invoiced price or it gets scrapped.”
Ouch! I don’t know what to say… I feel for you. Your post made me cringe… It’s an outrage that they would charge you anything at all. My recommendation is to try to reach an agreement with the machine shop. I would try to reason with them and offer them the $60 based on their initial estimate and ask if they can repair the post and the scratch and if possible fix the oval. Maybe a new overlay would cover the scratch?
My machinist recommended water cutting (which they don’t do) or manually filing the holes. They said drilling would probably damage or distort the plate. I went for doing it myself - am I happy I have a friendly machinist.
I think we need a separate forum section for the DIY Arcade Edition.
I 2nd the motion to create section dedicated to the arcade mod. Sorry to hear about your machine shop problems but thats the one part of the mod thats really hard to predictably reproduce.
There are really only 2 reliable ways to cut the plate that we know of:
waterjet or CNC
laser wont work and using a bit is not going to produce consistent results.
I have heard that Water Jet is the best way to go here.
I have found a company that does Waterjet cutting and a mate can get it at cost.
They use this guy weekly!
I am still freaking out about it!..and RIGHTFULLY SO!
I rate…if i can’t get over it and send it in…i will file it myself.
I ordered the Overlay and a few doodaa’s which should be here this week.
What I will do is use the overlay to mark where the holes should be with a sharpi.
Then get the machinist to concur that his machine is set to cut on my holes.
When I first contacted them and sent them the DXF file, they said it worked out to be 9m long!
WTF?
So I sent them the dimensions of the VCI in order for them to get the picture.
Im working on the plate today. I have a compound called “all metal” its basicly an bondo type substance that is metal not apoxy. I will be filling in the oval and filing it back out by hand. Im also gonna fill in the in the gash and post hole and grind them flush before the overlay. Im gonna post pics of the repair start to finish when its done for others.
If your machinist says the DXF files aren’t correct or gives you any shit at all.
They are wrong and screwing around with you. TAKE NO PRISONERS.
i would contact a lawyer to see how your chances are to sue their asses. They damaged your property. I dont now how to say it better ( german ) they did not fullfill the contract between you two. As said, ask a lawyer, you might have a good chance.
I know in Germany they would have to pay you for fucking up your property.
I would fully have them call the police, if they made all the fuss about making sure they didnt screw it up because they were worried about the dxf being wrong, and did not have you sign something which removes the blame from them, and then finally they screw it up from pure technical incompetence they should be asking for any money from you at all.
You where paying for their skills which they obviously dont have.
In regards to you repairs I had a similar issue when I modded mine last year, I opened the clamp before the tool had stopped spinning which flicked the chassis onto the bit and ended up with my vci being thrown across the room and warped with a large chunk of metal ripped out, I pressed it out, and put an overlay on, now it looks fine, actually better than before coz the overlays are leet.
Dude… not only did they charge you for a service they didn’t perform but they also destroyed your unit. I don’t know how it works where you live but here, there’s no way in hell you’d have to pay for that - they would have to pay you for a new piece and calling the cops would be ridiculous.
) they did not fullfill the contract between you two. As said, ask a lawyer, you might have a good chance.