Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Problem with soft limits settings.

« on: January 29, 2021, 08:45:41 AM »

I am having trouble getting soft limits to work on my little Sherline conversion.

The machine homes to what I think are the correct locations ie: X trips the switch & backs off a bit with the table at the far left of its travel.  That is then X-zero with table movements toward the right going negative; max safe mechanical travel is -7.5".  Y trips & backs off at its farthest (away from the column) point.  Table movements toward the column are negative, max safe travel is -6.15".  Z zero is all the way up; traveling downwards is in the minus direction.

First, is this setup "normal' for a regular 3-axis column mill and second, would someone suggest a configuration for the Home & Limits page?  I think the "Home Off." setting is what is  giving me problems.

Thanks for any input.

2

General Mach Discussion / Home/limits on same switch setup help.

« on: January 25, 2021, 07:29:02 AM »

Been away from things for a while and can't get this to work.  I have 3 single switches at the positive extents of XYZ travel and want to use them as both home & limits along with soft limits.

I should be able to start Mach3, press Reset, press "Ref all home" and each axis moves until it bounces off its switch, right?  I've missed something silly in the setup somewhere.  Can one of you Gurus take a look at my .xml please?

edit: Oh yeah, all switches are NC and wired in series.

3

General Mach Discussion / Basic question about DM542T hookup to PP BOB

« on: December 23, 2020, 09:40:50 PM »

It’s been a while & I’m rusty so be nice.

I’m installing the driver pictured below on my mill’s Z-axis and I’m confusing myself.  I have +5V from my PSU connected to the PUL+ & DIR+ terminals and Pin 6 & 7 from my BOB connected to the PUL- & DIR-. 

Question: Should I connect the 5V PSU’s common to the GND terminal next to the +V terminal or should it go the ground terminals on the BOB?  It’s just a simple PP BOB with no fanciness.

4

General Mach Discussion / Can't get MDI to work in the standard mill screen.

« on: June 25, 2017, 01:41:50 PM »

I'm one of those rare birds that uses Turn most of the time & am comfortable with it.  (XP w/parallel port.)

The few times I use Mill (standard screenset) something almost always goes wrong; usually self-inflicted.  This time it's the MDI line.  I press alt+2 & the line pops up as normal but when I type in a command, I get a beep as soon as I press enter & no movement from the motor.  Even something simple like "G00 Y2."  Jog works OK; just no MDI.

This is a new build & I only have the Y-axis hooked up & enabled for testing/alignment.  Any guesses to what I'm forgetting?

5

General Mach Discussion / Z probe using a 3D printer bed levelling sensor?

« on: May 04, 2017, 10:41:14 AM »

I haven't jumped into 3D printing yet but keep running into inexpensive cool items like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Geeetech-3D-Touch-Auto-Bed-Leveling-Sensor-for-Prusa-3D-Printer-/322501978412?hash=item4b169da92c:g:0nMAAOSwGtRXw~nk

Wouldn't one of those things be useful for setting tools on a mill or router with existing Mach3 software? 

6

General Mach Discussion / Anyone heard from Hood lately?

« on: February 10, 2017, 05:52:24 AM »

Hopefully he's just hammerin' out a huge pile of parts with his nifty machines or on an extended holiday.  It has been almost 2 months now since he's posted.  Anybody here know for sure?

7

General Mach Discussion / XHC pendant macros confusion

« on: December 31, 2016, 12:21:16 PM »

Trying to get the "Macro-2" and "Macro-3" buttons on my LHB04 pendant to "Set Home X" & "Set Home Z"individually in the stock Mach3 Turn screen.  Thanks to Rich, I was able to get the Spindle CCW command to work using the Config plug-in screen in Mach...entered the button code 173 in the Macro number1 box on the bottom & selected Spindle CCW toggle from the drop-down in the upper Macro-1 box.  Cool, press the Macro-1 button on the pendant & away it goes spinning backward.  That alone was worth the money...almost.

I tried the available options for homing the X & Z individually using the plug-n drop down menu options but nothing works except homing both at the same time.  Not good for my setup.  Remembering what Hood had told me earlier about "DoOemButton(1024, I tried to get that to work to home Z using the various custom options that are in the confusing Chinglish manual but so far no luck.  Anybody have any suggestions?  Manual .pdf attached

8

General Mach Discussion / Question about rear-mounted lathe QCTP

« on: December 19, 2016, 02:11:38 PM »

I’m finally getting around to mounting a 2nd QCTP on the rear of my ORAC.  Merry Christmas to me!

Has anyone here used a rear mounted tool post successfully along with a front mounted one?  I’ve heard Hood mention that rear mounted tools befuddle Mach3 or was it Dolphin; I forget which.  Anyway does anyone have a method or tip on how to keep tools mounted on the back side moving the correct direction?  (Other than just plain reminding oneself which way is which and hope you get it right?)

9

General Mach Discussion / Can this be true, free Mach Turn CADD CAM/PP that works?

« on: December 17, 2016, 09:00:22 AM »

Stumbled onto this today, post #38.  Isn't that the Holy Grail to lathe users?  http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/computer-aided-machining-cam/fusion-turn-fanuc-post-fpr-g95/td-p/5761817/page/2

I don't use Fusion 360 yet but it sure is tempting!

10

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Luddite needs some really basic macro-training (XHC HB04 Pendant)

« on: December 02, 2016, 02:56:14 PM »

I have one the above mentioned (wired, USB) pendants and I got it working fine.  I'd like to use a few of its available "Macro" buttons to perform simple mouse-click functions in the "stock" Mach Turn screens.

This is a trivial task for most of you experienced computer wizards out there but I'm still in a fog after reading various posts on the subject, the Mach manual and the pendant's instruction manual.  Can someone please post a really simple explanation on how to do this from step one & don't assume that I know anything.   I used to maneuver my way around DOS in the old days & I get by OK in Windows most times but there's some simple concept that keeps zinging right past me.  They say If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.  Just assume I'm a six year old.