This is my first post. We are extremely happy New Owner of a Bridgeport Series II CNC conversion with New Allen-Bradley Hardware controled by Mach III. I dout I got that right. But thats why I'm here. OK now for the good stuff I'm using this machine for gunsmithing and other fun, fancy projects. And I do have alot to learn. I'm wondering how to program, come up with G-code for checkering, fish scales, stippling and jeweling. I found a tutorial on engraving on a countour. Actually I haven't tried it yet. Anybody know how I can do these patterns? Or point me in the right direction? I'm seeing some nice engravinngs and patterns on the new grips. So anyway I'm getting old, And all this CNC is new to to me, other than the fact I worked for Hercules Aero Space for 12 years, before I went out on a disability after a car accident where I was stuck from behind while stopped at a red light. Oh yeah, and I had just gotten out of the hospital a few weeks earlier after some neck surgery. If it weren't fer bad luck I wouldn't have any. And that was a long time ago. I been selling some guns and savin my pennies to get a couple machines to play with. My son is interested and has been attending the local Tech College. He's been working in a machine shop and picking up a few odds and end jobs with these machines. He likes to ride bikes, build them and modify them along with his Ford Hiboy, his VW and RC projects. So this last year we've picked up a 13x40 Central Machinery Lathe and this CNC Bridgeport. We're trying to get the garage/shop lined around and figuring out how this thing works and get the tooling we need. I need to get the machine calibrated, the program and the machine in unison, or how would you put it? I need a tachometer to get the RPM set and to figure out how to get the distance in the program in sinc with the machine. Where do I start? So we've found the wires and connections that fell off or came loose during the trip from Riverton, Wyo. To Clearfield, UT./Hill AFB. I live next to Hill AFB. It was an adventure. We got the machine running now, picked up a vise and a few other items. I also picked up some G10, G11, polycarbonite and nylon to get started with. So back to work. Oh yeah, My name is Troy, My son is Thor. I thought it funny when I read a post from "ynneb" benny spelled backwards. It reminded me I'd be Yort Nerg. Hows that? I can do pig latin.