Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Just introducing myself

« on: August 15, 2006, 10:05:39 PM »

Hey, thanks for the fast responses! You guys are great! I have a feeling without this forum my machining days are going to be short to say the least

Depending on you level of noobieness

If ya looked up noobiness at dictionary.com the results would turn back as Dmartin95 ... My title is PC tech so all the electroncis for me is rather easy to grasp... But I am not a programmer and I have zero CAD background, and Zero GCODE background... Not too mention I have never before used a CNC/Mill/Lathe before I built mine...In otherwords, ZERO machining experience...

So here is a little explanation of what he has written.

Ok, that explains what the feedrate is but where do I put it in? DO I have to manually edit the actual GCODE and will I have to do it for every file I create? I understand I can load a GCODE file and go in and manully edit it, but isn't there a way I can setup a permanate feedrate so that everytime Mach creates a GCODE for me it will automatically input the feedrate for me?

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Just introducing myself

« on: August 15, 2006, 03:14:09 PM »

Hi Brian, thanks for the response!

I think you needed to add an F30.0 to your program.. that wouls tell it to move at 30 units/min

Now see, ya already got me... Where would I add that?

Could you please set up Mach3 

I will.... The machine I have out in my shop is 1.2Ghz Celeron and although it may pulse the drives, I doubt it would do well for the task such as importing/loading/exporting... So, My ideal situation is to network from the shop into my home where I have some good computers and do all the graphic and img to GCODE from the house, save the GCODE file then transfer it out to the shop and just run the GCODE/machine the part out there....

In other words, I wan't the 1.2ghz celeron to act as a machine controller and really nothing else.... Although I see you're an admin and I'm sure you could let me know if this is dumb set up plan.... 

3

General Mach Discussion / Just introducing myself

« on: August 14, 2006, 11:42:13 PM »

Hello all,
          I just recently signed up and i'm rather unfamiliar with CNC machine work but I've been learning. Currently i'm using Mach 1 and so far I have been able to figure everything out for the most part. I have my Computer-Controller-Machine all hooked up and Mach 1 configured and I have succesfully tuned the motrs the motors to a smooth hum. (The steppers sound so cool! Like something out of star wars)...

But anyways.... I have had it all hooked up for about a week now and I am pretty confortable with everything, up till this point that is.

I think I need a few pointers on the "Conceptual ideas" behind configuring the parameters of the machine... And this is why:

As mentioned I'm all wired and ready to go for about a week now, so, I thought I was ready to move beyond just playing with the CNC VIA the keyboard hotkeys... So, I create a simple .bmp and a simple .jpeg, both in 2-colors (black&white).....

So, I open Mach and go to import the file, everything seems ok.... Then it ask me for the cutting parameters... At that point I'm just like this guy --->     Now, keep in mind I don't even have any router bits yet and all I was doing was planning on doing a "dry run" in the air,... At that ppoint I really realised how little I knew of what I was doing.... So, I tried the different cutting options (dot diffusion, spiral etc etc) and I finally got one to work...  The thing imported and saved the GCODE... ...

So, I loaded the GCODE and everything seemed to be looking fine.... Until I hit run... At that point I get a "no specified feedrate" ....

Now i'm wondering if anyone reading this can kind of feel out where i'm at based on my jibberish and lend some advice... ?

Thanks!

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Oh yeah, I have downoaded Mach 2 and 3 and i'm sure that would work fine when I'm ready to start milling out parts, but I'm no where near that point yet and still need to learn GCODE better and all the fixtures and tools etc etc...  And how to setup the feedrate!