Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Techno-ISEL Mac200 setup question

« on: July 11, 2008, 07:47:36 PM »

ok lets try this again with a different question.

I have another stepper motor CNC router, and just for laughs and giggles I hooked the servo motors up to it and tried to run a patern. To my surprise, each motor at least hums when itis supposed to, but they dont move. What is the difference between a servo controller and a stepper motor controller and is there anything I can do to make this servo system work with this stepper motor controller?

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Techno-ISEL Mac200 setup question

« on: July 10, 2008, 06:35:14 PM »

Thanks for the reply, but that didnt help. The controller he is suing is not the same controller I have. Mine already comes with the PC card, connecting to the printer port of the computer via printer cable.

I found another post on here about the techno controllers, and tried the *.xml files listed, but it didnt help either. when I tried to run that one, my z drive was humming and the "Limit switch tripped" error on Mach3 would not go away no matter how many times I clicked the button to acknowlege it.

Here is the controller I am trying to use:

3

General Mach Discussion / Techno-ISEL Mac200 setup question

« on: July 10, 2008, 05:54:40 PM »

I have just graduated from a very small home built CNC router to a Techno-ISEL Mac200 controller/ Router system.

My problems come with the pin setups for the controller and other settings to make Mach 2 or Mach3 work with it. By any chance is there someone on here that has one of these beasts that can help me get it up and running?

The documentation that I have from Techno-ISEL does not contain the right information I am looking for as far as the pin configuration betweent he computer and the controller. I'm sure this is a setup issue with Mach, but I have no clue where to get started.

Thanks,
Ken

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Long Sad Story

« on: October 05, 2007, 06:56:38 AM »

the file extension doesnt matter... one that is compatible with Mach3. As far as the radius make it 1/16" because I will be using that size bit to route the wood.

Thanks!
Ken

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General Mach Discussion / Re: A Long Sad Story

« on: October 05, 2007, 01:27:01 AM »

I really want the lightning bolt to end up about 2" long. I have tried storing it in inch form and then transfer that to MM form, but that doesnt work either.

I'll have to try out rhino. seems like I might have already downloaded that program already, so it should be easy enough to figure out.
Thanks!

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General Mach Discussion / Re: A Long Sad Story

« on: October 01, 2007, 10:54:29 PM »

Once again I want to thank all of you for the good advice and help in getting the mill working for my needs. I have downloaded several programs and I am trying each one out to see which is the easiest to understand and the best to do what I need to do.

It is going to take several days to explore all that I have to go on.

Thanks again!
Ken

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General Mach Discussion / Re: A Long Sad Story

« on: September 29, 2007, 11:00:35 PM »

I downloaded vextraqctor today and also the easycam programs. I did manage to get the vextractor to do an outline of this attached *.jpg file, but when I did a simulationrun it didnt turn out anythng like what the picture file does. This is a simple lightning bolt, which is part of my logo. I have attached the tap file as well if any of you want to try it out.  What am I doing wrong?

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Long Sad Story

« on: September 29, 2007, 11:14:56 AM »

I dont know if I should be discouraged or not. I am wanting to do the same things, but with the added need to produce some 1 to 2 mm round "dots"  out of mother of pearl. My whole purpose for buying this machine is to do inlay work for pearl and abalone.

I tried using the feature to import a *.jpg file into mach3, and got a gcode file, but there was a slight problem. I started it on a realy fast laptop using the simulator feature, and after 8 hours of running the program was only 1/2 way complete. There has to be a better solution.

Please let me know if you figure out how to do what we want to do.
Ken

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 setup for newbie

« on: September 27, 2007, 11:32:03 PM »

From another newbie here:

I have found that some gcode assumes that the x,y home (0,0) is in the upper left, and some gcode files assume that it is in the lower left. If you find that one or all of your axis are in the wrong direction, you can easily change the direction of the motors to accomodate this by clicking on "config" at the top of the page and then "motor reversals"

choose which axxis you want to change the direction of, and start again.

works for me

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: z after running file

« on: September 27, 2007, 11:18:45 PM »

Kent, I am new to this, but believe it or not I can answer some of this.
You have to add a line to your gcode to tell the machine to return to zero. You can do this by clicking on the "edit" button located right above the loaded gcode code on the main screen. Just type in what ever coordinates you want the machine to return to and it will do it every time you run this gcode. On reading your question again, it is only the Z that youa re wanting to re-zero.... That tells me that it is quite possible that your bit is slipping down in the collet. This could be due to heat, not tight enough in the first place, or that you are trying to push into the work too far, which can cause the stepper moter to "slip" and not be on a true reading after slipping. It would be my advice to tighten your bit in your tool (make sure the collet AND the bit are clean and dont have any residues on them). Also check to see how deep you are trying to plunge the bit into the work. You may be going too deep (which is why you are hearing the chatter and jerks).

I found how to edit the safe z, but I coudlnt tell you where I found this...sorry. Maybe someone else will chime in and tell you an easy way to find it.

a feed rate that is too high for the tool you have loaded will cause the machine to jerk and chatter. Either you are too deep, or have the wrong tool, or you are going too fast.. decide which it is and change it.

Hope this helps!
Ken