Messages

1

Forum suggestions and report forum problems. / Re: Error reading posts with images

« on: October 16, 2007, 09:55:58 AM »

Just to add a me too - same error, however I discovered that if you click on the latest reply to the post that will open OK then you can backtrack the thread.
Also last night I opened the forum page at artofcnc.ca but couldn't view the forum as there was a maintenance message displayed telling of the server migration. Behind this message I could see the normal forum heading and it showed I had a reply to an earlier IM ( 1 new message ). Logged on to the new forum at machsupport and it said no new message just the same number of old messages I saw when on artofcnc.ca. Has this new message been lost? It is not in my IM list, just the old messages from days before.
Thanks
Alistair

2

General Mach Discussion / VideoOCX error with new camera

« on: September 03, 2007, 02:41:35 PM »

Hi, I searched to see if there was a topic to post this in but none seem relevant so here goes.
I have an old USB webcam which I thought I'd try to use on my small mill ( EMCO F1 retrofitted with Xylotex drivers )
It worked well and gave good results but was too big. Then I saw that someone used one of the small square type cameras which I would have room for. I bought one and installed it but now get "VideoOCX(VIDEO) Disconnect Failed" when I try to stop the video stream.
If I click OK on the error, click stop video again and then close the window the video will restart when I click on the View tab on the menu bar. If I close the window after the first error then I can only get video again if MACH3 is closed. I have also tried not starting the video stream when using the camera but this made no difference.

There isn't much installed on the shop PC that drives the mill so I wiped the hard drive, formatted and re-installed XP and MACH3 but the error is the same. Is there a driver for my camera ( Sumvision ) that will stop this error or has anyone else encountered this problem?
I searched for drivers but they all appear to be different revisions ( earlier ) of the driver supplied.
These other drivers didn't change the error.
Thanks
Alistair

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help with Motor tuning

« on: August 20, 2007, 09:32:52 AM »

Hi again,
 Chaoticone replied with a much better reply while I was off typing my answer 
Alistair

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help with Motor tuning

« on: August 20, 2007, 09:30:04 AM »

Hi,
First thing I would check is to see how much backlash there is in the feed screws, unless of course you are using ball screws.

Alistair

5

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Offset not working right, V2.02

« on: July 29, 2007, 04:16:21 PM »

Chip, An update for you, BTW I don't get much workshop time .
First checked mill with MACH3, X axis move 2 inches - mill moved 1.998, Y axis 2 inch move - mill moved 2.001 so mill is OK
Drew a 1.5 x 1.0 inch rectangle in TurboCad and exported as DXF to LazyCam.
Told LazyCam to use Tool 1, 0.197"D ( actually a 5mm ) endmill, then generated G Code & loaded to MACH3
LazyCam inserted G41 codes throughout the code list BUT MACH3 said tool in use was Tool 0 and diameter was 0".
Ran the code and it milled a rectangle 1.303" x 0.801" which is what you would expect if tool diameter compensation wasn't being used.
SO, is LazyCam failing to export the tool data to MACH3 or I am I making a basic, stupid mistake?
Thanks again for your time
Alistair

6

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Offset not working right, V2.02

« on: July 27, 2007, 02:10:22 PM »

Chip,
Just a follow-up. I loaded the DXF into TurboCad and it showed the A/F size of the Clarkson "S" end to be 36.27 inches !!!!.
I know DXF's are notorious for the different results the generate so could you tell me exactly what is the correct size of this spanner on the original drawing. It maybe that this is a corrupt drawing, but I thought I was doing the right thing in downloading a DXF from the site to test LazyCam.
Thanks again
Alistair

7

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Offset not working right, V2.02

« on: July 27, 2007, 12:12:58 PM »

Hi Chip,
It's the collet spanner that Art uses as a demo. It's on the install with LazyCam but I've attached the copy I downloaded in case of corruption.

Thanks for the help for a newbie
Alistair

8

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Offset not working right, V2.02

« on: July 26, 2007, 04:53:26 PM »

First I'm no expert as I've only been using LazyCam for a few days and am also having offset problems so I thought there might be an answer here. There isn't one (yet) BUT if you delete all the holes and then generate the GCODE it applies an offset (G41). I think that you need to create a new layer with the outline and then code that, then mark all the holes as drilled holes but I don't have time to try that tonight.
My problem is coding the collet spanner that Art uses as an example. I can get it to clean up nicely after setting the line tolerance but when I run the code it machines both the hole AND the outline as inside chains. The code uses G41 for both the hole and the outline, I think it should be G42 for the outline but as I said at the start I'm no expert.
If any of the experts are reading this can they also tell me how to turn off the blue background to the screen to make it black? Viewing the videos that Art posted I find the interface with the black background and buttons down the left MUCH easier to use, perhaps due to the fact that I'm slightly Blue/Green colour blind as are bout 5% of the male population I believe. The Black background eliminates the Blue /Green problem as I'm not trying to see Green on Blue which to my eyes is very indistinct. Thanks

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Model Engineering Show (Photos and Video)

« on: May 21, 2007, 06:22:28 PM »

Hi, The Goblin 35 was a "work in progress" engine. Talking to the builder ( J Heeley ) he explained that it does indeed run but not yet to his satisfaction. The efficiency is too low and the combustion is not yet correct. He has the engine full of sensors and thermocouples when is running it on the test bed he and a few other model engineeers have built. The problem is something to do with flame effects but then he went into thermodynamic theory and I was totally lost! The Model is 1/4 scale and the reason he built this one is that he has easy access to a full size Goglin 35 in a local museum. He also exhibited a beautiful 9 cylinder Bentley BR2 radial aircraft engine to 1/4 scale also. No photos I'm afraid but I know a man who might have some .......