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General Mach Discussion / New to CNC, mach3, and all the other stuff. Am I on the right path?
« on: April 27, 2016, 12:32:27 PM »
Hello,
My name is Tim. As you can see by my screen name I know virtually nothing about G code, mach3, or CNC. I have been a conventional machinist for close to 30 years, I try to do a bit of everything for the sake of learning, but I've always been a bit too scared of CNC. I still used a drafting machine until 2000
I'm about to put on big boy pants and try something CNC. I want to build a fairly simple machine in the sense that it will perform very basic moves. In short, I will load a open face mold in a fixture near front center of the table (for now the mold will be filled by hand) I would like to start the program, the carriage would move z,x then y would drop down z,x screed the top of the mold, and return home. I'll bet you are saying that's beyond simple, that's OK I deserve it for hiding under a rock. I know nothing about G code or mach3, but my gut told me there must be something in the program that allows me to move the x,y,z by eye or a numerical estimation that would possibly generate the code? a manual data input? is that a real thing? if it is, I will get mach3 and start the learning process.
Eventually the machine will have 5 axis, a stepper driven depositor to fill the mold as well as another axis to rotate the screed or the mold so it can wipe from multiple directions.
Am I on the right path?
Thanks for your time
Tim
My name is Tim. As you can see by my screen name I know virtually nothing about G code, mach3, or CNC. I have been a conventional machinist for close to 30 years, I try to do a bit of everything for the sake of learning, but I've always been a bit too scared of CNC. I still used a drafting machine until 2000
I'm about to put on big boy pants and try something CNC. I want to build a fairly simple machine in the sense that it will perform very basic moves. In short, I will load a open face mold in a fixture near front center of the table (for now the mold will be filled by hand) I would like to start the program, the carriage would move z,x then y would drop down z,x screed the top of the mold, and return home. I'll bet you are saying that's beyond simple, that's OK I deserve it for hiding under a rock. I know nothing about G code or mach3, but my gut told me there must be something in the program that allows me to move the x,y,z by eye or a numerical estimation that would possibly generate the code? a manual data input? is that a real thing? if it is, I will get mach3 and start the learning process.
Eventually the machine will have 5 axis, a stepper driven depositor to fill the mold as well as another axis to rotate the screed or the mold so it can wipe from multiple directions.
Am I on the right path?
Thanks for your time
Tim