Flick, in post #1 you say "the rearmost T-slot has an upwards slope (in depth)"
In post #4 you say "the profile of the T-slot is constant. As the depth decreases, the material left between t-nut and table surface thins."
In post #10 you say "Thinking about filling with some kind of epoxy or composite and remachining. Maybe take a skim off the bottom of all 3, because after another look I've found that the finish in the bottom of the center slot (right near the middle, where it will be used) is a little bit stepped as well."
So is the depth of the slot you are not happy with or is the variable thickness of the Tee slot web over it's length. If you are going to make such strong accusations you need to be very clear as to the problem you perceive.
Phil
PS: You seem to mistakenly think that the finish on the bottom of the slot is in some way important for it's use.
Originally Posted by flick  Well Ken, you've got a point, but the other side of the coin is that once you start making those kinds of compromises in quality, it can become a "slippery slope" type of situation. Sure I can live with it, and it will probably never affect the performance of the machine or quality of my work. I just don't think I should really have to. The best companies on earth (like the one that made my car) have a philosophy of uncompromising quality and continuous improvement, which would not accept this sort of defect.
In any case, I've had a little time to simmer down, and as long as everything else is satisfactory I probably won't even directly contact Tormach about this. It's the kind of problem that's big enough to chap my ass, but too small to actually invest my time in right now. Which is why it's such a disappointment.
In 6 months if I really haven't been able to "let it go", and I have a slow weekend, I may repair it myself, if only to fulfill my own (slightly neurotic) need for consistency. Thinking about filling with some kind of epoxy or composite and remachining. Maybe take a skim off the bottom of all 3, because after another look I've found that the finish in the bottom of the center slot (right near the middle, where it will be used) is a little bit stepped as well.
At the end of the day, shaking my fist in the air and expressing myself in this forum is probably the best I can do. Hopefully, comments from concerned potential customers, as seen above, will reach the company and drive improvements in QC. If not, the competition will have a field day, because this is a competitive market that's picky about quality. |