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Topics - dq828

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1
Mach4 General Discussion / Limit Switch Settings
« on: October 16, 2019, 01:36:56 AM »
I just wanted to check that I have my Limit/Home switches configured correctly. The way I have installed the switches I have to have the setting in Mach 4 as shown in the attached images.

Is this correct or have I got the switches setup incorrectly?

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Mach4 General Discussion / Rebuild Problem
« on: February 10, 2018, 10:45:54 PM »
HI

The computer running my DIY CNC died yesterday but I have managed to access the data on the C drive, and once that was done I thought it would be simple to get things going on a new (old really :) ) computer, but I was wrong!

I downloaded Mach4 and installed it on the new computer, I then downloaded the PMDX 424 plugin and installed it. I them retrieved my modified Profiles and installed them into the Profiles folder. I updated the PMDX firmware as well.

When I opened my "DQ Working" profile the screen that loaded was not my old screen, all of the changes I had made were gone. The machine configuration settings look ok. I could get the spindle to turn on but I could not get any of the axis's to move, the motors are not enabling when the Enable button is toggled, and it looks like the Limit switches are not working as well!!

I eventually retrieved the old wx4.set file and replaced the new wx4.set file with the old one, the correct screen layout loaded but when it loads I get the warnings shown in the attached. Just like with the new wx4.set file nothing but the Spindle works.

Does this mean I have to rebuild my old profiles (4 off) from scratch while using the latest wx4.set file?

Any thoughts as to why the loaded configuration doesn't work?
 

3
Mach4 General Discussion / Just a Little bit bigger :)
« on: December 01, 2017, 02:59:40 AM »
I am still getting use to how this all works but I often seem to be faced with a situation where I make a cut, like a rebate or a hole in a bit of wood, and after the cut is made Id like the rebate /hole to be just a little bit bigger like 0.001"or similar. What I do now is go back upstairs, change the drawing in Fusion, repost it, then back downstairs etc only to find it should have been a just a little bit bigger :)

The tools and tool ofsets are handled by Fusion as far as I can tell. What I was wondering is, is there a way in Mach4 to apply an extra bit of offset and then rerun the cut without wearing myself out going up and down stairs?

David

4
Mach4 General Discussion / Acceleration Settings
« on: November 28, 2017, 05:43:26 AM »
I wanted to do some engraving in timber similar to that shown in the attached image. I needed a bit that could create the vertical faces (sides) in the engraving, therefore it had to be a straight bit, and fit through gaps about 0.025" so I purchased a 0.020"end mill that was make to cut metal! which personally I cannot believe :)

I set it to cut at the recommended speeds and feeds for Thermoplastic as there was nothing for timber in the data sheet, I set it to cut 0.020"with each pass, as you have probably already worked out it ended badly, I wasn't surprised when the bit broke after a short time. I have pondered the causes of this and settled on the accelleration rate that I used and possibly the CV settings.

I was hoping someone had done a similar thing successfully and may be able to share their settings with me before I make another sacrifice to the bit gods.

I have relinquished to some degree, in that I have enlarged the engraving and bought the smallest straight wood bit I could find being a Amana 46229 DOWN CUT 0.031".

Can anyone help?

5
Mach4 General Discussion / Erratic Feedrate When Cutting Spline Lines
« on: September 23, 2017, 07:34:32 AM »
Ivé had this issue both times I have cut something when the original Fusion Sketch was drawn with Spline Lines. The issue being, the Feedrate changes a lot during the cut. When the cutter is cutting the peaks of the knobs in the attached image it runs at the correct feedrate, when the cutter gets half way into the valleys, the feedrate slows to about 1/5 of the set feedrate and jerks forward until it is half way out of the valley and then it speeds up again, repeating this over and over as it goes around. Very annoying

Does anyone know what might cause this erratic behaviour, if anything I thought it might slow down on the tighter peaks?

At this stage I dont know much about code and rely on Fusion Cam to do it for me. I have just had a look at the code and there are sections throughout that look odd to me, see below, maybe you can tell me whats going on.

6
Mach4 General Discussion / Wonky Cutting
« on: July 18, 2017, 03:38:23 AM »
I'm never sure where to ask question like this.

I am just getting to terms (or not) with the CNC I have built and was doing some test cuts when I encountered this wonky cutting issue, see attached.

I drew a simple recess cut in Fusion 360 as per the attached photo & used the Pocket Cutting selection in their Cam which produced the attached code.

When I tried to cut the recess using a 1/4"cutter at a feedrate of approx 1500mm-min (60"Min) I ended up with the real wonky cut as per the attached image, as I lowered the Feedrate the cut improved.

Needless to say I was expecting the outside cut to have 1/4"diameter radiuses in all corners and a nice square block in the middle, even when I lowered the FR to 600 (24"Min) I still didnt get the 1/4"radius corners.

Does anyone know the most likely culprit causing this issue?

7
Mach4 General Discussion / Tool Setup
« on: June 02, 2017, 01:42:16 AM »
I must be missng somethig obvious!

I want to setup my tool (say 10mm Endmill) so that I set the edge of the tool on the edge of the timber I am going to cut (X & Y) but when I do this the program thinks I have set the center of the tool on the edge of the timber so my cuts are 1/2 the diameter out of place. I have played around (and around) with the offset setting in Fusion 360 and Mach 4 but nothing changes.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I'm doing wrong?

8
Hi

I am having issues with the comms to the PMDX board which looses connection during a run. When I try and restart the cutting mid program, while following the instruction manual (I think :)),  the spindle doesn't start but rest seems to work. It's like it's not cycling thru ánd picking up the fact it needs to start the spindle before proceeding with the cut.

Does anyone know what mistake I'm making. I have tried several times with the same result.

9
General Mach Discussion / Should I Make These Changes
« on: April 25, 2017, 02:07:27 AM »
I'm new to the operation of CNC machines and am just setting up a machine that I have built. I wanted to have the AXIS and +/- directions setup so they made sense to me but I'm worried I am accidentally creating a rod for my own back somewhere down the track. I have changed the Jogging Screen Layout as per the image below.

The Z axis is my vertical axis that carries the spindle & the ++ is at the bottom of the axis. The axis is Homed to the top away from the ++.

The Y axis is the gantry (across the table) with the ++ on the right side (looking at the spindle) and it is Homed to the Right + side. I will probably Home to the other side once the cable drag chain is installed.

The X axis is along the table (who would have guessed :) )  with the ++ at the back of the table, I'll probably Home to the front (--) of the table so changing cutters will be easier.

All thought welcome, for what its worth negative numbers just confuse me.

10
Mach4 General Discussion / Home & Limit Switches Wont Work Together
« on: April 24, 2017, 11:42:51 PM »
Hi

I'm just getting started setting the machine up that I have built, I watched a video that showed how the LIMIT switches could be paired as HOME switches as well.

Before I setup the HOME switching I just had the LIMIT switching activated, & I noticed whenever a LIMIT switch was activated, and after I had move the axis off the switch, I would get an error after the first jog instruction, in other words, I could JOG once, and then the system would stop working & I would have to reboot.

I have now setup the Z (vertical) & Y (across table) axis and the only way I can get the switches to work reliably is, NOT to have them paired as HOME & LIMIT switches, when I do pair them, I get errors that start as soon as one of the HOME/LIMIT switches is activated. Is there anyway around this issue?


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