Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool diameter compensation help

« on: April 04, 2013, 10:57:42 AM »

Thanks for the reply; is it common to use the G41/42 code, and is it easy to implement in a CAM program (i use rhinocam)? Would it be worth the effort, or is it just easier to re-post changing the tool dimension in CAM?
Thanks for the help: every time i learn a new thing for the CNC, i find 10 more things i don't know :-(
Best,
Daniele.

2

General Mach Discussion / Tool diameter compensation help

« on: April 03, 2013, 12:10:27 PM »

Hi,
i have a question i can't seem to find an answer for by searching:
i have a code to cut a slot; now, probably for wear on the bit, it comes out .1mm too narrow. Short of modifying the CAD and CAM files to get a 'wider' code, how can i tell Mach3 that the cutter is a little too narrow and to compensate for it?
I understand it should be really easy, but in tool offset or tool information in Mach3 i can't seem to find the right way to accomplish this...
Thanks for the help,
Daniele.

3

General Mach Discussion / Need suggestions for PC

« on: March 25, 2013, 04:47:17 PM »

Hi,
i've been using Mach3 on an old PC for some months; did a clean XP install and all was fine. Now the thing started giving me problems. Had to do a disk check since it was not booting; it booted again for a few days and today it won't boot, even after chkdsk /r. I can start in safe mode, and i have a backup of all the Mach3 settings and the posts.
I want to get the PC for Mach3 to be reliable, so i'd like to get some suggestrions as to what the better and cheaper way to go would be.
I'm thinking at either getting some newer components and a new HD on the case i'm using now, or get a mini PC, like a zotac.
Is a solid state HD a good way to go or would it be less reliable than a regular HD? I keep the room clean but it gets dusty at times.
I will ONLY have XP and Mach3 on it - NOTHING ELSE. I'm using a smoothstepper, so USB works fine - no need for parallel port.
Thanks for all the ideas,
D.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: M03 and M8 Reset?

« on: September 23, 2012, 02:30:40 PM »

Hood,
that seems to be working; just 1.43 and i did not get a single reset yet.
Thanks a lot for the tip.
Best,
D.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: M03 and M8 Reset?

« on: September 22, 2012, 05:44:40 AM »

Hi Hood,
i'm using a smoothstepper, so if i have this correctly, i should change the values in the smoothstepper's config dialog, under 'noise filtering'.
And if that's right, will i have to change the value only for the Estop input?
If so, what kind of values should it try?
Thanks a lot for the help,
D.

6

General Mach Discussion / M03 and M8 Reset?

« on: September 21, 2012, 06:51:41 PM »

Hi,
i'm waiting the maker of the machine i use to help me out with this, but maybe some of you can help out.
This is, as an example, the beginning of one of the programs i'm using:

G00 G49 G40.1 G17 G80 G50 G90
G21
(2 1/2 Axis Pocketing)
M03
M8

I'm using Mach3, of course.
Either at M03 or M8, many times but not always, the program stops, i hear a 'click' in the controller box, the reset button flashes and i get the message "External EStop Requested".
If i rewind the program, reset and try again, eventually i get it to start both the motor (M03) and the vacuum cleaner (M8) and the program always runs smoothly from there on.
I suspect it has something to do with the two AC out in the controller, but have no clue about what to do...

Can this behaviour have something to do with Mach3?
Thanks for all the suggestions,
D.

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Circles on 2 lines

« on: August 28, 2012, 12:28:56 PM »

Well,
this was easier than i thought, thanks to Mach3; i set 'constant velocity' and it did the trick. I suppose for a circle there is no drawback using CV; in operations with corners, is it still a good idea to use CV or not?
The more i use mach3 the more i'm convinced i'll buy it before the trial expires!
Best,
Daniele.

8

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Circles on 2 lines

« on: August 28, 2012, 11:11:07 AM »

Hi everybody,
i'm new both here and on CNC in general, and i hope to get some help getting up to speed with it.
The machine i bought comes with a control software that is fairly simple, so i thought to give the popular Mach3 a try; if i end up liking it (very likely), it is not expensive at all for what it is.
I waded through a lot of stuff in the last few weeks, and so far i was able to create some codes for basic machining i will need.
The PROBLEM i have now:
i use rhino and rhinocam to draw parts and generate code; for every circle, rhinocam outputs 2 lines of code. I tried to tweak the post porcessor in every possible combination in the 'circles' tab, with no avail. Curiously, it even has an option to 'limit' the arcs to some degree - it is unchecked, and i even tried to check it with 360 degrees specified. Nothing.
What this produces, is a slowdown of the feedrate at half the circle, almost a stop, then it speeds up again; i do NOT like this, as i would want the motion and feedrate to be as smooth and costant as possible.
I see in the settings of mach, there is a 'look ahead' option, and i have it on 100 lines of code; yet, it seems it does not recognize from one line to the other that the circle is one and no need to slow down.
Any idea on how to solve this, either on the CAM side or the Mach3 side?
It looks like the more i learn, the more problems i run into; i hope to get to a point where things will get smoother: after all my hope is that the machine will help me SAVE time, not waste it 
I appreciate all the help, best,
Daniele.