Messages

1

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 30, 2013, 10:17:11 PM »

Hi Gerry ,

Your Screen looks great , and has the manual tool change function that I was asking about , for the price you are asking I will be purchasing a copy and you seem to support your software with good tutorials for novices like me .. will be in contact soon .

2

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 30, 2013, 06:26:28 PM »

Thanks Gerry ,

I will look at the SafeZ settings today , and you would be right about the bad Gcode as that is a reflection of my skill level and putting the cuts in order to suit or deleting the M6 . As for reconfiguring Macros , I am not that savy with all the code lingo so I will be happy with just what can be easily set .

I have beeen wanting to get into CNC for some time and 6 weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and build a Mill/ Router to learn on , and when I get to a better level of better competence with Mach3 and Cad then I will look at converting my bigger Mill .. Optium BF30 .  So to this point has been a pretty steep learning curve but I do have " phone a friend"  one being a CNC and  computer programmer but I try to work and find out as much as I can first 

I attached a pic of the Router , compared to what others have here its more of a toy .

3

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 30, 2013, 04:10:30 AM »

Gerry ,

Put the settings in as you advised and ran a Cut program to see how it all works , the tools are all listed and it pulls up out of the job and waits for cycle start , displays the tool selected in the program. The only thing was it did not move to the specified tool change Coords entered into the Tool Change Position , I take it this is because the spindle is not being controlled by Mach3  .

Thanks for your help , I was hoping for the simple solution rather than having to read and study a F-18 manual to get the basics on how a plane flys .

4

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 29, 2013, 10:40:35 PM »

Hi Gerry,

Thanks , I am a total novice in this field and trying to learn so please excuse me if I am asking dumb questions .

What if the tool change is asking for the same tool , how does it ignore that and keep cutting until a different tool is required .

As the " Tool Change Macro " Download does not appear to have any code I have had to print screen from the tutorial into paint and print the code which I am now manually typing into Note , and then try to modify to suit .

What I am trying to do is :

M6 Tool Change request ... Ignore if same tool ... Go to change position if tool New Tool is needed at safe height .... Then Do Manual Change and Re - Zero tool " .... enter new tool number  is stored either manually or changed to the tool requested number when cycle start is hit ...( If tool 0 is entered to ignore tool change) not really sure on that one .

5

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 29, 2013, 08:24:41 PM »

I didn't realize there was a tutorial on tool change , but it still is leans heavily towards Auto tool changers but can see by changing some of the code it could be made to suit what I want , I downloaded the M6 Macros but there is nothing written to copy and paste except for this ,

This toolchanger macro is the example used in
the toolchanger video. It is not meant to be a fully working example
for your system, but rather one to be modified by the user.

Art

More than likely it is something I am doing ?

Thanks Brett , you posted while I was typing this , I will check your links out and try and get my head around it all

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 29, 2013, 05:54:25 PM »

Hi Brett,

I have done and am learning  CamBam drawings but do find it easier to draw in profiler  anyway Ive put in different tools so I see in the gcode where each operation gives the M6 command .

 I am not up with is, where to and how to write in the M6 tool change , do a Z reset and then resume ...

You put in M6 tool change into the search and it is just full of a hole lot about Auto tool changers .

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Simple M6 Manual Tool Change

« on: April 28, 2013, 11:19:41 PM »

Hi ,

As i am pretty Green with all the CNC and the learning process is in progress I have been doing some simple drawings and GCode in cambam but I am a bit stuck on how to program in a tool change . At present I just want the machine to go to a XYZ cord which I will have to stop the spindle manually as I have not put in the auto control board as yet .

Then do a zero on the new tool and go back and continue the job , after re- zero on the tool.

I take it by changing the tool in CamBam this will automatically set the command for a M6 tool change in Mach3?

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis and Machine Coord Always Red

« on: April 27, 2013, 04:41:08 AM »

Hood, Thanks for your help ... Appreciated

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General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis and Machine Coord Always Red

« on: April 27, 2013, 04:18:58 AM »

Thanks Hood , I just noticed in the Artsoft Vid it is green, so I thought I might have not configured something right and the red was showing a fault condition.

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis and Machine Coord Always Red

« on: April 27, 2013, 03:46:47 AM »

Thanks Hood , just went down and did the changes to A axis , the Ref All LEDs are now all green except  the Machine Coords still stays Red for some reason .