Messages

1

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Scrap a YOOCNC board for A?

« on: March 30, 2013, 09:39:14 PM »

If you've noticed on the boards, I've been having all sorts of grief with my Chinese made CNC (3040T-DQ) - such issues as engraving a design and having the lines all over the shop. I was told by an Aspire user (Aspire is what I use to create the stuff I want to make) that the YooCNC boards are rubbish, toss it and replace it with something else.

Now my question is, what board? This was supposed to a relaxing(?) hobby that wasn't going to be cheap but it also wasn't going to give me massive lumps on the back of my head from her indoors waving a rolling pin around every time I ask for money to try and fix something

On eBay are a number of different boards, would it be easier to just shell out for a complete board/Nema 23 motor(s) etc replacement kit e.g. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-Axis-TB6560-Driver-NEMA23-Stepper-Motor-1-9Nm-CNC-Kit-/160768236988?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item256e889dbc and toss pretty much everything I've got and use something like this lot on my table or just get a board e.g. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-Axis-TB6560-CNC-Stepper-Motor-Driver-Board-Controller-Available-in-UK-/140943728780?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item20d0e6a08c and make use of my 36v PSU?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated as this is doin' my 'ead in!! and I thought tweakin' a Moog was complicated sheesh

Cheers
Carl

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Anyone have this happen to a design?

« on: March 26, 2013, 12:25:33 AM »

Looking at the Gcode I do NOT see the offset lines in the code.  NOW I will add this and please do not take it personal BUT the the conversion from the ART to vector is FAIR but you did NOT clean up the vector file  before continuing. There are a LOT of what I call fleas, short segments of lines attached to the contours. This is from the Conversion from raster to vector and needed cleaning up before you finish processing into a cut file. It is NOT an easy task to master and is a steep learning curve for most.

I do a LOT of this type conversion in plasma cutting and know the problems of raster to vector. There is NO one step conversion that I am aware of. LOTS of salesmen will tell you theirs is  BUT they are pulling your leg (stating it politely).

Every once in a blue moon I get a one step conversion that works BUT it is a RARE thing. Most require from SOME to A LOT of cleanup of the Vector drawing depending on the art.

If you post a copy of the art I can give it a try on this end just as a comparison.

Just a thought, (;-)TP

Nothing taken personal - s'all good.

I do know about the mess it actually is, it was essentially a test piece for me to learn or at least get a better grip on Mach 3 and homing etc as I'm a total noob with all this but as for graphics I'm fine with them, give me a pencil and a piece of paper and off I go - computers will never replace the human eye, hand and imagination for off the planet imagery

I was very surpised that Illustrator failed dismally at a simple trace such as the heffalump image though - glad I don't use that program as much anymore. . .

Cheers
Carl

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Anyone have this happen to a design?

« on: March 25, 2013, 11:12:52 PM »

Interesting - just a carry on from my previous post - I created a vector of the heffalump in Illustrator imported it in to Aspire and it had 31 duplicate vectors which Aspire can remove by clicking on show all duplicate vectors and hitting the delete key. Aspire's trace gave me no duplicates so why it would write duplicate lines in the tap file is way to over my head  

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Anyone have this happen to a design?

« on: March 25, 2013, 10:42:55 PM »

I've not seen this type of double image (but I don't have Aspire). I did look at the tap file and was able to see where the lines that have been duplicated may have come from duplicated vectors from within Aspire. In other words, there are lines laying on top of each other and when the code was generated it doesn't seem to know that particular line in space already exists.

Having one cut deeper than the other though is a mystery because I'm not seeing changes in z-depth at those duplicated cuts.

Odd.

Hi V,

It didn't actually cut any deeper, it just re-cut approx 3mm up from the original - it (Aspire) made no mention of duplicate vectors so I'm well confused. Unfortunately I forgot to save the crv file (native aspire file) so I can't duplicate that error as I can't remember where I had the XY origin set, it was either centre, top right or bottom left - I made three so I could get the hang of homing etc. All I can remember is I centred the image before using Aspire's trace on it, can't remember the size of the image either so what I'm going to try now is creating an ai and importing that in to Aspire and see what happens.

Thanks for sussin' the tap file out though, if it's an issue with Aspire I'll be yellin' at Vectric.

Cheers
Carl

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Anyone have this happen to a design?

« on: March 25, 2013, 05:29:39 PM »

Cheers Tweakie much appreciated - hopefully the attachment works - because of the forums file size limits I made it a zip as the tap itself is 240k 

6

General Mach Discussion / Anyone have this happen to a design?

« on: March 25, 2013, 03:37:51 AM »

Hi All,

Apologies for all the questions, but being a total noob I'm a tad stuck. Firstly thanks to Hood for pointing out the reverse issue, that sorted something,  I've managed after a few days to get it to do something .

I created with Aspire 3 a quick piece, loaded it in to Mach 3 - set everything and away it went except it came out like the attached image, sorta cut in twice in the timber one a little higher than the other. Anyone have any ideas where I've gone wrong as after three attempts I'm still getting the same result.

I can attach the tap file Aspire creates for inspection if it's required.

Cheers
Carl

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reverse Cutting and Job Nowhere Near Home

« on: March 24, 2013, 06:40:21 PM »

If home switches are physical pieces of kit I'd have to say no as I can't see any (geez can't you tell I'm a total noob). . .

Anyway, just created a simple lettering design in Aspire took it out to the machine, followed the tutorial video to set machine co-ord's etc loaded the g-code double checked the machine co-ords and it worked "sorta". What happened was as it progressed along the lettering (right to left) it started to go offline/off centre (see image) - so now I've got something else to drive me nutso, is it a Mach 3 setting I've balls up or is it the machine itself just being cheap junk?

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: March 23, 2013, 11:00:29 PM »

'scuse it's a 3040T-DQ not Z as I said - too much trying to get it working right

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General Mach Discussion / Reverse Cutting and Job Nowhere Near Home

« on: March 23, 2013, 10:55:55 PM »

Hi All,

I've run a search but I dare say I'm using the wrong terminology as I get no find on the following two questions, so any help will be much appreciated.

Firstly when ever I've looked at a desktop type CNC router/engravers etc the XYZ is in the top right hand corner. Is this just a convenient place to park it in a photo as on the screen in Mach3 the XYZ is in the bottom left so when I load a tap file of a design (made in Aspire 3) it loads at the top right even though I've set it to bottom left?

Secondly, why does it engrave everything backwards e.g. foot gets engraved toof with the letters facing the opposite way (obviously)?

Just so you know, I've set the table dimensions correctly, ref'd home and can jog the design to somewhere I can engrave it but it's not very convenient if you get my drift.

Thanks in advance, now off to email the seller of the machine to find out why when I touch the tool with the tip on the Z it spins it instead of retracting like it's supposed to  

Carl



Not my machine, just an indication of what I mean by XYZ parking 

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: March 23, 2013, 10:30:58 PM »

Hey All,

Certainly glad this forum is as active as it is, boy have I got some questions but first things first, the obligatory intro.

Just retired, and as with most retirements you end up looking for something to do so I bought a Chinese CNC Router (3040Z-DQ) off eBay and am playing with that and obviously Mach3 as I'd like to make/engrave timber ends and other bits for my many and varied vintage synthesizers and amp cabinets.

Sorta pretty much it really, the mention of Synthesizers should give away my other passion, now to find the board that can hopefully answer my two main questions.

Cheers
Carl