Messages

1

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 24, 2011, 12:01:09 AM »

hi all,
I got "TO DRAW A GEAR.pdf" to to open. Files certainly act oddly when grouped with this forum and Win7.

Thanks,
Jim Gray

2

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 10, 2011, 07:27:40 PM »

Rich,
Thank you.

This will give me something to study and chew on.

I appreciate it,

Jim

3

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 08, 2011, 06:57:40 PM »

Rich, I wasn't critcizing nor placing any burden on you guys, I was trying to get you to sympathize with me and my being nagged on by my  wife!

I don't lay claim to any of your time nor effort, I was just trying to let you guys know I was in a pickle and needed  unusual help if there was someone who wanted to volunteer helping. The problem is definitely mine.

You mentioned that you tried to create the gear using two different programs, thank you. But you say you don't know if they were using an array to duplicate the teeth after the first?

I mentioned testing it because I always seem to leave something out of my first of anything, and find out only when I test.

Please be kind enough to let me know anything you find out, if you so desire.

When I try my best but can't get something done, I have no choice but to give up or ask for help.

Thank you,
Jim Gray

4

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 08, 2011, 04:25:54 PM »

Tweakie, Thanks for the information. I'm ordering Gearotic Motion right now. I guess that should solve my remaining misunderstanding about this project plus allow me to do a whole lot more later.

Thanks,
Jim Gray

5

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 07, 2011, 02:04:13 PM »

OOps! P.S.
The gear needs to be cut using compensation for the cutter diameter which is one eighth inch.

Thanks again

jim agray

6

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 07, 2011, 01:45:21 PM »

Thanks for everyone's help. But now I'm running out of time. If anyone has a gcode file which I could just plug into Mach3 with no modifications, and cut an involute spur gear, I would love to try it. (might even buy it). I think once I have my first valid sample, I can do the rest myself. But the gcode file must, please, have been run before and tested.

Because my time to continue learning is running out, I am willing to pay a nominal amount for someone to create and send me a gcode file tested and ready to run by loading right into Mach3.

I need a flat spur gear with 8 teeth, 0.5 inch tooth spacing, involute (so that two of them can mesh OK), a one quarter inch hole in the middle, 20 degree contact angle, and no spokes.

This seems to work out to a gear that is just about one and a half inches outside diameter, but no exact specifications are required. The distance between shafts is not available since there will be several different gears with which to mesh. Just match two of these gears if your software requires this figure.

You can contact me faster at jgray@fred.net.

Thanks, and HELP!

Jim Gray

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 05, 2011, 05:33:31 PM »

Oh! P.S.
I use GearGenerator to create the gear,( which etches out perfectly when using LazyCam and Mach3, but offsetting for cutting is my problem).

For cutting, I use  GearGenerator, LazyCam and then feed LazyCam's file to Mach3.

Gear Generator is at;
http://woodgears.ca/gear/

Thanks

8

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 05, 2011, 05:21:34 PM »

Thanks to everyone who so generously gave help on this.

I now have lots of things, thanks to you, that I can test out to try to narrow the problem
to its simplest configuration. I will be busy tonight.

I will report what I find,
Thank you again,

Jim Gray

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / G40, G41 and G42 have no effect.

« on: August 05, 2011, 02:11:48 AM »

I hope someone can help. I have tried every combination of G40, G41 and G42 (the 3 G's ) and it seems that the cutter follows the outline of the gear I'm trying to cut with no tool offset.

If I make an etching of the outline of the gear, it comes out perfectly. But I need to cut out the gear.

Remember that even though many of you feel this is an old subject, there are hundreds of newbee's every month or week. We new arrivals still need help which may be old to you.

I run G40 at the end of every program to clear offsetting. Does there need to be anything other than a line number, space, and then "G40" on the line?

How early in the program can G41 or G42 be placed (obviously before any cutter moves) and does there
need to be anything else on the line besides the line #, space and "G41 or G42"?

The gear is cut clockwise, so I would want to keep the tool to the left of the workpiece (correct?)
I have tried both right and left lead in moves, no difference.
I have tried both G41 and G42 in every configuration I could think of, no difference.
I always clear the offset with G40 first when changing.
I have entered one or the other, the diameter or the radius, on the "run" page, no difference.
The tool is definitely not too large for the gear.
The gear is involute, 8 teeth, .5 in. tooth to tooth, 20 degrees pressure, all the normal stuff.
Does the tool length need an entry to make the offset work?
I use a 25.4 multiplier for x,y and z on the "run" screen since that was the only way I found that let me work in inches with the cad software I am using.

By the way, the multipiers are not saved, what a bummer.

I've tried all combinations I can think of so there has to be something I don't know about.

I have tried it with no "G"'s at all, same effect (as expected).

Using any combination of the 3G's and diameter or radius seems to make no difference at all.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated before I pull the remaining hair out of my head,

Thanks in advance,

Jim Gray

10

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Which data files? (Please help from someone!!)

« on: July 26, 2011, 06:02:21 PM »

Thanks RICH. I'm going out to the shop to try it now.

I really appreciate it.

Jim