Messages

1

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: What did I miss

« on: July 12, 2013, 05:15:51 PM »

Hi,

if you could send me your screenset I would have a look at it.


Klaus

You have e-mail.

2

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: What did I miss

« on: July 11, 2013, 08:36:33 PM »

I did include a reset button, but no red LED.  If I hit it once, nothing works.  If I hit it twice, nothing works.  That should cover any states it would be in.

3

Machscreen Screen Designer / What did I miss

« on: July 11, 2013, 06:35:56 PM »

I've designed a screen layout with the designer here:
http://www.kd-dietz.com/klausphp/pages/eng/machscreen/description/ms_description.html

When I load the screen set in Mach3, none of the buttons work.  I've tried copying buttons from other screen sets to ensure they are created properly, but no dice.  There most be a compile step or some initial step that I'm missing.  Please help.  I even tried taking the 1024 set and deleting the buttons I don't need.  When I load it nothing wroks anymore.

4

*****VIDEOS***** / Re: Simple Vacuum Hold Down

« on: July 10, 2013, 05:25:45 PM »

You didn't like my link? 

You only have a few minutes to edit a post unless you can get a moderator or admin to edit it for you.

I liked watching your video, and fun to watch the kids keeping busy while you and mom glued at high speed.
Thanks

There is always a trick to fix 
Used your video name and replaced it with any youtube video, it pulled yours up, then I copied the http link from the webpage & pasted it here as a reply.

Edited: Just to show you it can be done, but quickly after posted!

I liked your link.  Thank you.  My concern is people will click mine, find it doesn't work and move on, so I posted it two more times in hopes they scroll down and see it.  The problem with my link is the formatting on the html tags.  Looks like there are quotes in the link it pulls up.  They just need to be removed.

5

*****VIDEOS***** / Re: Simple Vacuum Hold Down

« on: July 10, 2013, 10:36:07 AM »

That's really too bad.  The link looks right, bit it goes nowhere.  Am I blind, or is there no way to edit a post?

http://youtu.be/fOrkvPF0pro
http://youtu.be/fOrkvPF0pro

6

*****VIDEOS***** / Simple Vacuum Hold Down

« on: July 09, 2013, 10:43:56 PM »

I've been asked many times how our vacuum hold down works, so I made a video to illustrate the construction.

I'm frequently getting asked about the use of our drag knife with Mach3, so I purchased the CNC Mogul machine to help learn more about Mach3.  This video shows the construction of the table for that machine.





EDIT: fixed picture link  
Dave

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: goto zero z-position

« on: July 09, 2013, 12:03:46 PM »

Yes.  I am the owner of Donek Tools.  I worked with Vectric to create that gadget.  Sheetcam also has similar capabilities.

The next step would be to make it unnecessary to add those actions to the toolpath and actually have the control software do it.  Then the tool could be treated like any engraving tool when generating tool paths.  The calculations are not that complex and should be well within the processing power of the control software.  The question is, is it possible, as a user, to add this type of functionality or customization to Mach3?

It could be done at the load g-code step, such that as the code is imported, it is processed, or it could be done at the run g-code side, such that the file is altered as it is sent to the machine.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: goto zero z-position

« on: July 09, 2013, 09:10:36 AM »

is there a tutorial on that somewhere?  I'm not talking about a typical tangential knife controlled by a motor.  This is a drag knife that works like a castor.  If chucks into a router collet and is completely passive.  Orientations are controled by the X & Y axis.  See this:
http://youtu.be/63u9idcyVhA?t=7m55s

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: goto zero z-position

« on: July 09, 2013, 08:28:24 AM »

I appreciate the input guys.  By about midnight, this was sort of my conclusion.  I've started with modifying an existing screen.

Perhaps you can answer one other question which I should probably put elsewhere, but I'll give it a try here.  Would it be possible to embed our drag knife swivel code in the mach3 operation, such that the swivel actions are added on the fly as the g-code is executing.  Basically this swivel code finds a corner in a g-code program and makes modifications such that the knife is lifted, turned, and then lowered back to the cutting depth.

Take a look here: http://donektools.com/free-cnc-router-software/links-2/

10

General Mach Discussion / goto zero z-position

« on: July 08, 2013, 07:30:00 PM »

I know the goto zero function does exactly that, but I zero my z-axis to the table when cutting with a drag knife.  The last place I want the tool is sitting on the table.  Is it possible to alter the goto zero function such that it moves the x and y axis to zero and leaves the z axis at the safe z-height?