Topics

1

Share Your GCode / eifel tower.dxf

« on: December 27, 2016, 05:28:26 PM »

Hi  All,
Anyone have a nearly clean .dxf file of the Eifel tower. Cutter 0.125 .or I can scale, no problem. Thank You in Advance. I promise to post the file ,and what tool I used. Looking for something Useful.  Thanks Much...                         Hank S.            . (Did not know where else to post this request)

2

General Mach Discussion / Input Piin Problems No Auto Find

« on: February 21, 2016, 06:45:05 PM »

Hi Everyone,
Having a problem with the inputs to select E-Stop, Probe. It seems as though the E-Stop will work without checking the box or port# or pin# and active click, but flashes and toggles to run Mach or put into E-stop. Work's either way. I am running a Camtronics  Controller and had a problem yesterday about loosing the whole stepper setup and contacted Dan and he walked me through what I could have a problem with. Thanks Dan. Come today it started all over again input pins, and probe not working. I pulled the top of the controller off and did under power NOW to see what might be happening, and found that the gecko's 201's are pulling 0.04 volts on pins 2,3 4,5 6,7 and will jog and run a GCode. Fine. Now while in there I took a reading of the Pins 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 , and they read 4.2 volts. Quite a difference. I tried to get pin 13 to use the probe, and it will not work, however I can click on the Z- button and it will move slow ,but not stop as the wire is touched to activate the plate. CRASH!  In diagnostics screen, inputs are lit green from left to right 7 lit and no more on the top line. Using the auto find it is useless, as it won't work even on trying to set the E-Stop. Replaced the PP Cable and made sure it is Straight through, and it is. At this point I don't know what else to do. Anyone have any ideas as to what I can try next, Machine is grounded to the PC and PC is GRD to the controller and My GFI is GRD to the house wiring and test's OK. Also plugged in a regular outlet and same results. This Really has me Baffled .   
             Hank S.

3

Bargain Basement / X2 Minimill cnc'd

« on: August 10, 2015, 04:29:45 PM »

  For Sale  (Used)
Converted X2 mini mill from LMS that was put together by me, and had made all the parts that fit the machine. Ballscrews were done in my house, are from Roton, and replaced the origional ball's with oversize, to get a fair amount of backlash removed.Thinking back at the origional ball nuts was around + - 0.0017 to + - 0.0036 to + - 0.0018 To this day it will hold + - in X and Y to 0.001 and Z - 0.0005 that is at around 70 to 88 degrees F. here in Florida, garage kept indoors.
The belt drive is of my own design, which looks like so many familure designs, but a little here, and little there, and uses an vacume cleaner V belt, that is readily available at any store around here.  Made the ball nut mounts, before there was any available online, and a few other changes to the gibs and the cast rubbing plates for the gibs. Most screws got change to imperial on most of the machine and castings were cleaned and milled accordingly. The motors are 521oz 34 nema OLD round type, as all I could get at that time, was a fair deal from Camtronics, which I also bought there controller box also, with Gecko 201's inside, and wired for the motors at peak preformance from Dan. Rapids can get to 140 ipm, but 90-95 ipm is just fine.The Controller Box  ( Is Not For Sale.  Also, the stepper Motors Only and handwheels I would like to KEEP ,as they are for another build, and Not included in the deal)  , the couplings, stay with the machine.  You would need to get a controller anyway and rewire your new motors to suit.  It comes with the original spindle motor, extra brushes, and origional controller from LMS and works fine, but could use more torque as many have changed this to a surplus center KB unit or other. Never had an issue with anything except operator error, It happens to the best of us. Many spare parts are included with the mill, if you want, as I have no use for, or if you would like to go back to maunal operation, Note: some parts are broken and or bent from the cnc conversion. It is a fine mill, no trailer queen, and has made many many parts, and replacement parts, for the home, and community around here, every body always wants something to be fixed because they don't make it anymore, or its too expensive, and the favorite is, its got to be HD, Tim Allen  aka. Tool Man Stuff. On one note someone asked about the ballscrew in the back being mounted for the head, and said it would stick or something to that effect, and my reply is, it goes up straight, and comes down straight, been trammed once, and has remained that way for years and counting, even made all the parts for my new mill on it, and client parts also, had no worries, or doubts about it, for what it could, or could'nt do, besides being TOO small for my needs now. I'm happy with the results. Now the LOWDOWN is, Local Pickup Only !!!!!!!, OR... USA ONLY..  If you have Any Questions, I'll be glad to answer, for I am busy making parts for clients, and other parts building, and a life.  Please Be Patient !  I'm not going anywhere, Just Busy.   Asking Price is   $800.00 ??  AS IS........  

4

CVI MachStdMill (MSM) / Screen Not Working, No Moves...

« on: October 08, 2010, 10:32:11 AM »

Dave,
I have tried MSM again,and have it loaded on a new PC for the machine only. I ran the latest setup on the House PC and get th esame thing also. Load a file, and proceed to run, press cycle start, and goes to thee first line, and just quits, searches, and then runs a few lines, without doing anything ,and stops again. OK while it is in stoped mode,I am lookng for what might be happening on the screen, to see whats going on, first at the top, it says pulley too fast for.. clicking on path, to enlasrge the screen, it takes off again, and then stops.. Tried this on the Machine PC, and the same thing happens, only it is supposed to cut a small hole, but is in some kind of arc mode, and the tool path is way bigger than the whole part is. Says there is an error, I J command, but on the other PC it just stop's. Uninstalled both MSM and Mach 3.43.22 and went back to 3.42.32 and everything is fine..Except when the screen loads, Mach flash is first, then a White screen, for about 9 seconds, then the screen set loads. I'm going back to the screen s that I have, and will just wait, for somemore fixes. Just not willing to make a postive disicion as of yet. I think i had posted this before, when MSM first came out. Maybe It's Just My Stuff Too!    Thanks,   Hank S.

5

LazyCam (Beta) / Moving Tabs in L.C.

« on: September 08, 2010, 01:58:25 PM »

Hi,
Tried to post here some time ago and seems as the server had been down. Anyway, Is there a way to move the tabs in LC to be on a straight line, instead of anywhere LC puts them. Reason; I ruiened a piece of African Rosewood, none the less, it took out a corner where the tab had been placed,and have tried to do many tabs, and even moved the chain,and still LC puts them right in the corner and in the pocket. I'll salvage the piece somehow, SIGH..... but this would be a nice feature if it already does'nt do it. Any Information is ,and would be Greatly Appreciated.    Thanks,    Hank S.

6

CVI MachStdMill (MSM) / Initial Setup. Items Found

« on: July 19, 2010, 09:50:22 AM »

Hi All,
Like the new screen,a bit more involved in clicking around, to see whats going on. First, this is what I found,Of course, this is Beta...
Loading the screen from a desktop shortcut, see's 20 seconds to load, using the Mach loader see's 16 seconds to load. Waiting for the screen to apear, it is white, blank screen, for said amount of time,but then loads. Clicking on buttoms, Load, WC, tools, etc. have to click,and then click again. ? Seems as though it uses much more resorces to run the New Mach screen then any other?  Go to zero,as someone else mentioned,took a few times to get this right to work. Set up in safe z pull down box inhibit z in work config,and at e stop in the system. I think it should be this way as you want to exit Z +,first then goto X-Y,just my way of diong things as tools are expensive,and scrap you, you figure it. I havent got it loaded to my machine as of yet,figure I get my feet wet when I have some spare time, to do something to recover some scrap pieces,and maybe make some smaller parts. Just aint there yet. Although it is a very active screen,and Will, take some time to get acquainted with.        'Are We There Yet'      Thanks,   Hank S.

7

LazyCam (Beta) / LC Maintain Aspect Ratio

« on: March 17, 2010, 07:32:39 PM »

Hi,
I just wanted to do a resize ratio with LC Mill, and found that the Maintain Aspect Ratio check box has the box blocked out. I don't remember this being a problem before,but What happened,is this something I did,or some sort of Bug that just appeared suddenly?I changed the top figure in retro to the part I wanted to get to size, and it worked,but doing the bottom,is a whole different matter.Someone have an Idea as to what Might have happened....    Thanks,   Hank S.

8

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / problems loading 283, have 279, won't update

« on: January 13, 2010, 05:17:00 PM »

Hi Ron,
Long time since having trouble,but.. I been trying to update some things, in mach,and doing alittle house cleaning,and found NFW
283 on the page,and did so upgrading, however I saved the zip file in mach, extracted all in mach folder,and renamed the NFW file from NFW 283 to NFW. went back to mach and clicked wiz. and then NFW,and still show's ver.279. Is there something I forgot,or didI not do the right thing by not coping the file correctly... It's in the Mach folder, and unziped, made it's own folder,just not showing up on the NFW first page where the VER.2.79 is showing. Thanks,   Hank S.

9

LazyCam (Beta) / LC won't do Spirial Pocket

« on: August 28, 2009, 07:08:26 PM »

Hi,
I've been tring to get LC to do a 23 stepper motor pocket,it will do the motor mount holes, but not the motor offset, for the motor itself. I never had problems in the past,and have always relied on LC for the Quick and Dirty One Off's I do. This no has got me Frustrated,and Just have to ask here. I don't usually Post,Cause Everything is always Good. Can you take a look at the Dxf,and see if it is Me, or LC, as I did do a D/L again from the web. and installed just LC over the one that I had already had. Got Me Stumped...... Thanks,  Hank S.

10

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / NFW is not keeping the settings changes

« on: November 10, 2008, 05:35:11 PM »

Hello Ron, I Presume.
I've been having problems with NFW and the Mach Wizards,as they won't except the changes when tool or distance or # of holes are pressed. I had this problem yesterday,and tinkered around,and after a while found that I had to rename the Machine in the properties dialog box to get this to stick. See, I have Mach configured to 3 machines,and have had no problem running them all,One At A Time,and got the same problem today as well. Running Mach Ver.031 and loaded the newest Ver13~16 now ,and still the same problem. Renaming the General machine folder that Mach assigns itself ,works for a while,then resorts to changing,thus no saving of the settings in the Wizards when changed. I hope I have made this as readable as possible,and just don't know what to do to keep this from happening again. AS said; I never had this problem before,and cannot think of anything I did to provoke this kind of action. Maybe You Can Help.  Thanks,  Hank S.