Shopmaster Tri-Power Newbie

[Fast01]

Hi all! I'm brand new to the forum and to machining in general. I just pulled the trigger on a Shopmaster Tri-Power (the model just beforw thw Patriot) with DRO and Mach3 CNC. Does anyone have any experience with this model or suggestions for when I receive it? This is going to be a learning experience for me, so I'm sure I'll have all kinds of questions once I'm up and running. Basically, I just wanted to post at this point to say hi and see if I can get some idea of what to expect when I get my machine. Thanks in advance!

[norvil1]

"This is going to be a learning experience for me"

you have know idea how true that is going to be.

[sharpshooter90]

Fast,
Our unit had the Bridgemill ( generation before Tri power) with servo CNC and we had good results. Its biggest advantage for us was its fast portability and being both lathe and mill in one, it didn't take up a lot of space. After I cycled home, I bought a used machine and then ordered up a Patriot.
If you are a complete newbie, take some time to learn manual machining before you jump into the CNC stuff. If you read the posts on other machines in this forum, you will see that software and electronic glitches are pretty common, as well as the need to massage the mechanicals on any Chinese made machine.

[Fast01]

Thanks for the response! I've been lurking around here and a few of the boards for a little while and fully understand the glitches, limitations and "slop" inherent to these machines. I have no intention to jump right into CNC, but it was included in the package for what I feel was a good deal. I have some limited experience with some very basic machining procedures via Bridgeport as well as some experience "babysitting" a Haas lathe and Toolroom mill at my buddy's shop. I am however, far from a machinist. My uncle was a master machinist at Brookhaven National Laboratory for 30 years, so I'm gonna tap his brain some as well as you folks on this board! I look forward to a long fruitful tenure on this board.