Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Gantry movement (or lack of . . .)

« on: February 28, 2017, 11:30:29 AM »

Good morning, all.
Not sure if this is the right place to post, or if someone can point me in the right direction.

When my CNC machine is turned off, I can normally push the gantry around by one hand quite easily if I need to move it.
Yesterday when I tried to push the gantry (no power on) it was very difficult and required two hands and a bit of force.

I started up the CNC this morning and can jog short spurts in the Y direction, but if I hold the jog button it will travel about 4-5 inches and stop, needing a reset.

The machine has been working fine for over 5 years. I have not adjusted anything recently.

There seems to be way more resistance to movement in the Y direction than there should be.
X and Z movement is fine.
There are two motors on the gantry, one at each side.

Advice?

Thanks

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 09, 2011, 02:49:41 AM »

BR, I respectfully think you may be misunderstanding the entire point of my posts. I completely understand the skillset and effort required to master a CNC machine.
My initial frustration is directed at the manual and documentation for Mach3, which is essentially useless to a relative newcomer.
I need to learn a WHOLE lot more about running my CNC machine before most of the manual will make any sense to me. And I can't run my machine to the best of it's capabilities until I can understand the manual . . . round and round.
I'm not asking for the machine to be "easy" to master. I'm asking for clear, concise documentation. I will certainly continue to use Mach3, but the first time I stumble upon a powerful, but more user-friendly option, I'm gone.
There are over 77,000 posts just in the General Mach Discussion Forum alone. I've seen an awful lot of the same questions and problems raised over and over again.
Take a look in the Mach 3 manual. Something as simple and basic as restarting a job midstream is not explained.

My analogy with the truck still stands, even moreso. I have been able to master and enjoy the skill of driving because I can devote my undivided attention to it. If I choose to look under the hood (which I don't), well all the better. But it's certainly not necessary.
My iPad and my truck. Both infinitely more complex than Mach3, but way easier to use. Thanks for the discussion. I've enjoyed it. Cheers.

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 09, 2011, 02:02:54 AM »

Maybe we could write one . . .
Most of the major woodworking magazines now have regular sections on CNC carving and fabrication.
I know one of the local tool/hardware stores here has a small machine on display and they've asked me if I could come and do some demonstrations, as they've had a ton of interest, but no one in the store that can properly run it.
I turned them down as I didn't want to unleash a whole bunch of competition to my new career!

Machines are getting to within reach (price-wise) of weekend warrior woodworkers.

Once that takes off "CNC For Dummies" here we come!

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 08, 2011, 11:58:10 PM »

I've been a professional graphic designer for about 25 years and am looking for new ways to ply my trade. So far I have done some pretty amazing carvings combining Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, ZBrush and Aspire with my CNC machine.
The results so far are beyond what I expected, and I have essentially walked away from my graphic design business and am starting to get more CNC work than I can handle. (Good thing!) My plate is full with the technical knowledge required just to do the artwork.

At one time, when the CNC world was the domain of highly skilled technicians, then yes, I agree that an elevated level of understanding of the "guts" must be assumed. I wish I had the time and technical aptitude to be able to learn about all the technical aspects of running my machine, but unfortunately I don't.
My CNC is a way for me to design products, explore ideas, create artwork and cut materials for clients. THAT is what is important to me. An analogy would be my truck. I don't know how the engine works, I just need it to get me where I need to go.
I spent over six hours today on my machine and on the internet trying to find an answer to a problem that stopped me in my tracks. I am thankful to Hood (above) for solving a seemingly simple problem that the manual did not clearly address.

There is a huge new market opening up for woodworkers and artisans as the price of decent CNC machines continues to drop. You can see advertisements in all the Woodworking and craft magazines.
It may not be ArtSoft, but some company WILL recognize a need for controller software that fosters success without the frustration (and time requirement) of having to learn an additional skillset. A controller software that allows users to focus on their skills, rather than fight with unfamiliar technology.

Mach3, I've found, can do amazing things and is very powerful. Yes, they would incur the cost of professional writing and designing a more user-friendly interface, but they could really dominate an up and coming market.
I've been lurking around this forum for about a year, and I would bet that most of the frustration and help requests could be eliminated.
Thanks for your thoughts. Appreciate the response.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 08, 2011, 07:02:36 PM »

You sir, are genius.
It was the watchdog thing. I don't know what it is. Or why it is. And at this point I don't even care.

Who needs manuals when you have The Power of The Hood?

A thousand thank-you's.

Cheers. Craig.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 08, 2011, 06:13:38 PM »

Perhaps ArtSoft could be as big as Apple if they had proper manuals and documentation . . . (This is where I'd put in a smiley face . . . if I knew how to.)

In a nutshell, I have a demo version of Mach3 on my home computer (not hooked up to CNC) and when I try the RFH commands everything appears to look OK.
On the computer hooked up to the CNC, I need the RFH to go to line 346682. I highlight the proper line in the menu and press RFH. It hesitates at line 20, and then goes to approx. line 156000. At this point the Reset button flashes, which is kind of odd . . .

If I press Reset and continue with the prompting, it will indeed go only to line 156000 and carry on. I just can't get it to go to 346882 as I require.

Perhaps I will resave the Gcode and try again. Maybe something in the code could have become corrupt.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply to me. Cheers.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 08, 2011, 05:36:15 PM »

Thanks for the reply, Hood.

I believe it is a licensed version. It came with the CNC machine and computer when I bought them.
"Run From Here" has worked for me in the past, although with smaller files. Also, it took me a whole lot of trial and error to figure out how to use Run From Here. (as well as destroying expensive hardwoods . . .)

I guess my biggest complaint is that the Instruction Manual is not very user friendly. ArtSoft needs to take a page from Apple computers and not assume that everyone who starts up Mach3 is a technician.
As CNC machines become more available for hobbyists and small woodworking shops, I fear that ArtSoft may be blowing an opportunity to capture this new market by not backing up a step and producing proper, usable documentation.

Just look at the amount of confusion in these forums with people not understanding each other, and using different and inconsistent terminology.

Small example: At one point I am prompted to "Press Cycle Again to restart."
When I click "Cycle Start" it takes me back the the prompt in circles. So I took the command more literally and looked for a "Cycle Again" button. No such luck. The manual was obviously written by technicians.

By the sheer volume of people looking for help in these forums, it serves as an indication of how lacking the documentation is.
Is anyone from ArtSoft paying attention?

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: How can I continue g-code tomorrow ?

« on: August 08, 2011, 05:03:14 PM »

As a new CNC enthusiast, I am finding Mach3 incredibly frustrating. I have been able to get it to (for the most part) do what I need, but with no help whatsoever from the manual.
I am having the same problem as being discussed here, needing to restart a 16 hour cut after taking a break in the middle.
Nowhere in the manual is there an explanation (in laymans terms, anyway) on how to do this!
Everybody here seems to have a different opinion on how to do this from "IJ modes" to "home switches" to "modal values" to "optional (M01) stops" to "it's not rocket science" to "open a text editor and delete parts of your code."

I've had some success in the past by:
1: Before shutting down a job in the middle, note what code line I am at.
2. Upon restart, find the spot in the code where I've previously left off.
3. Back up a step or two
4. Confirm zero points
4. Run From Here and follow the prompts

It SHOULD be that simple, however sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I hope I haven't offended anyone here, but I'm extremely frustrated at the thought of having to carve 8 hours of air just to get back to where I left off yesterday.

Thanks for any clear assistance that anyone can provide. Cheers.