ATOM A101 clueless newbie questions

[Jacu1]

I have read where there are no dumb questions but I feel pretty dumb and if I cant get answers here I will just keep on looking
Although I have all the documentation to the ATOM I just purchased - it is ALL in Japanese.

Here are my questions:
1) I did not get a heating wire with it.
A) what kind of wire should I use with this?
B) I noticed one of the cutting stylus I received had a drop of some glue to where I believe the heating wire was once attached - do I need to remove that and re-apply some epoxy? Or I can just wrap the wire on the stylus

2) How do I get the cutting arm to lift so I can insert the stylus properly?
3) do I need a microscope to align the stylus?

4) can anyone point me to some good doc or video so I can avoid irritating the community?

Thanks all ahead of time. I will pay my dues as everyone does as newbie of anything but if you can help me I would sure appreciate it. I am totally totally new at this and this machine. Thanks Jer

[rsimms3]

1. Heating wires are attached to the stylus stones, the cutter itself doesn't come with a heating wire. Now, whether or not the machine is wired to provide heating to a stylus is a different question. In picture below, I only see a single wire from the stylus to the screw on the front of the cutting arm, not sure where the other wire would be or the exact set up for heat.


A. Small, very small. You'd ideally want to buy styli that already have heater wire installed by the manufacturer. Cribbed from another thread, from the Westrex manual "0.005" diameter NiChrome wire". You can buy wire, wrap, and glue it yourself. Dental cement, super glue, white glue...I've heard folks use lots of different things. You just want to make sure that your heater wire doesn't come in contact with the metal of your stylus shank. Also, with heated stylus you are supposed to also use vacuum of the swarf and to partially cool the stone on the cutting stylus. So, it may be better to heat the material you are cutting instead of the stylus itself.

B. You won't be able to remove it, trying will probably ruin the stone if it isn't already chipped or worn out.

2. I don't know, check the manual, raise/move levers, etc. I believe for your model the platter itself moves, not the cutting arm, correct?

3. No, you will buy a stylus that has a flat edge. You'll put the flat edge out facing the thumbscrew seen in the above picture so it holds the stylus in place and properly aligned when placed in the cutting head.

4. Google Vanrock cutting lathe, watch some videos and check out the pictures available.

[rsimms3]

Do NOT do this. If you allow the swarf to simply bunch up like this while heating the stylus you'll burn plastic onto the stylus and ruin it, you have to brush it away as you cut or suction it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rLRc17PG1Y

[Jacu1]

Thank all so much! You probably have had to answer these questions before and I apologize for that. You really helped me here!