Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / am i dong it right

« on: August 21, 2007, 07:53:35 PM »

hello folks im back and i am getting close to cutting, its only been a month since i built ths machine and i still have yet to cut.
so here goes.

1. i have a simple wooden hobycnc machine, and after setting up limit and homing switches, my area cutting space is 24" by 9 1/2".
i even drew a line supporting the area that i have to cut in.

so now i can see where i must stay in.

2. so let me see if i got this right, now that i know the space, and i want to use the roadrunner g-code.

3. i load the code and i see it in the window on the right.

4. i know about scaling but how do i know that i have it in my 24" by ( 1/2 area.  and how do i prevent it from hitting a soft limit.
so the question is how do i know that im in my area,  can i see just the area that i have and see the roadrunner in my area.

5.  now this is another problem , im wondering why when i do hit a limit i cannot get out of it other than turning the machine off then hand turning it off the limit.
i use to go to settings and hit the auto override or the other button to release the limit, now it does not work, what ami doing wrong

 no pain no gain.....Robert

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: g-code set up

« on: August 20, 2007, 07:22:01 PM »

as i said before where do you get this file from because i dont see it , there is no file with that name as far as i can see.

and i would not know if the file the road runner is big or small.

this is my first time ever building a cnc and using this type of software.
i will say this about mach3 itis not user freindly and it reads as if you do this for a living.

i have set my soft limits which seem to change everytime i turn on the macihine.

i did go to views /load screens/ flash and i dont see this file you say is there.

i  also have not registerd this program , so that might be the problem, and im not for sure i want this program . so far i have learned more from you folks than i will ever get from the manual.

and i have a fast updated computer and i still cant open all of the video files.





and as for setting the scale , im not for sure what that did for me.

no pain no gain.......................frustrated  Robert

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: g-code set up

« on: August 20, 2007, 12:14:40 PM »

where do i get this file from ,i downloaded the file and it appears to open in media player,is that correct.

and i want to make sure im asking the right question.

it appears when i run the roadrunner it will go outside the softlimits that i set, or it will go outside the limit and stop.

what i think i did correctly when setting up soft limits i was also setting up and  area that i can cut in.  boundries so to speak.

so now that i think i have and area to work with, i know want to test te area, so i loaded the roadrunner.
and the machine will take off running and it will appear it running the code , and i can follow the path , but when the runner gos to one of the limits it stops.

so does this scale solve that problem of staying in the parameters of the limits.


no pain no gain........Robert

4

General Mach Discussion / g-code set up

« on: August 20, 2007, 02:10:55 AM »

well folks i have finally tweaked my cnc machine , and have all my switches in order , and have figure out how to set my soft limits for all 3 axis.
i think i have finally gotten my area to cut in.
however i wanted to test it by using the road runner g-code.

1. how do i keep the roadrunner within the limits and soft limits.
im not for sure im asking the right question.   it will run until it hits a limit, than i have to reset.

which brings e to 2.   i cant get the limit switch override button to work in the settings.

no pain no gain...................Robert

5

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / where to start

« on: August 12, 2007, 08:13:20 AM »

well folks im just sitting here looking at my newly built cnc machine from hobby cnc  and let me tell you it has been a journey.
it is all wired up ready to go, tuned the motors and changed all limit and homing swithches to sheilded cable.

all directions are correct and all is ready, and i have been waiting for this point.

i have downloaded mach3 for test use and to see if it is for me.
it looks good and seems to be user friendly.
i have read it from front to back and i am ready to go.
now im looking at it and saying what is next.

how do i begin to cut parts,what is the correct wy to go about this,

1. mach3 seems to be good , what about turbocad , i knowthat it runs in the dos mode , that im not worried about, im sure it ia a matter of choice.

2. knowing what these programs do what is the next step in the proceedure or software , that i will need to move closer to testing 

thanks.......Robert

6

General Mach Discussion / where to start

« on: August 12, 2007, 07:19:33 AM »

well folks im just sitting here looking at my newly built cnc machine from hobby cnc  and let me tell you it has been a journey.
it is all wired up ready to go, tuned the motors and changed all limit and homing swithches to sheilded cable.

all directions are correct and all is ready, and i have been waiting for this point.

i have downloaded mach3 for test use and to see if it is for me.
it looks good and seems to be user friendly.
i have read it from front to back and i am ready to go.
now im looking at it and saying what is next.

how do i begin to cut parts,what is the correct wy to go about this,

1. mach3 seems to be good , what about turbocad , i knowthat it runs in the dos mode , that im not worried about, im sure it ia a matter of choice.

2. knowing what these programs do what is the next step in the proceedure or software , that i will need to move closer to testing 

thanks.......Robert

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: estop and limit switches

« on: August 05, 2007, 12:54:56 AM »

no sir im not

8

General Mach Discussion / estop and limit switches

« on: August 04, 2007, 07:55:47 PM »

well folks i just took out my z drive,limints and homing did not work, z  just kept going. been working on this problem way to long.

1. im getting frustrated with the lack of info on that area.

2. even after i pulled the plug it was to late.

3.im getting homing switch erroes that i cannot find the problem too.

one time i will hit the home switch it will work then next time it wont work.

all wires are sheilded.

now all of a sudden the limits yellow lites are on in diagnostics.


all switches are set up in normally close state.

so i need some help in the set up of limit and estop switches.

i was also told that i do not need all that safety crap like the estop or the charge pump, running a simple gantry machine like mine,
im sure someone will tell me i have it configured wrong, okay so tell me how to configure correctly.

pulling the plug did not stop my machine from going on a little futher and cracking up z and causing damage.

the limits did nothing at all

i have read the manual a dozen times and it hits on the limits just enough to confuse you, i aslo tried to disengage the estop but it still comes back checked.

also it seems to me that mach 3 is a little finicy at times or does that mean i need to register it:)

but no joking aside i would like to move on, can somone tell me or direct me to a limit homing switch guru.

becsuse im #$%^()&^%$# tired of the manual.

i understand that mach 3 is a good program, i have been tring  to get started with anything but i cant because im stuck in this estop limit switch crap.
thanks........Robert

9

General Mach Discussion / limit switches and cable sheilding

« on: July 30, 2007, 06:38:49 PM »

hello folks im having a weird problem and im also new to building a cnc.
i have all of my six limit switches in series anditseems when im running it will go into estop or a limit switch is tripped when all is well.
im wondering if it is a good idea to have them all in series .

also im running wires pretty close to the servo motor wires and do they need to be sheilded.

im running mach 3.

i also when i uncheck the estop in the pins config page it will go and check it self again.

im just tring to get mach 3 configured with the limits anf homing swiches and it is getting tough.

thanks............Robert

10

General Mach Discussion / e stop schematic

« on: July 25, 2007, 06:36:21 PM »

does art soft have a e stop schematic that i can use to build.

thanks...........Camtevh