Topics

51

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / The Traveler Pen

« on: December 29, 2006, 06:55:06 PM »

I made this pen as a prototype for a series I hope to make.  The next version I am going to make a collection of 25 or 50 pens in sterling silver, ebonite, and one type of wood per pen. 

This pen is make from Leopardwood and Blackwood and the ends are coral. The trim and 112 dots are made from Brass. The clip is low brass and is enameled.  The last photo shows the brass compass inset into the finial.

Here it is:

52

General Mach Discussion / Wii Controllers

« on: December 21, 2006, 07:56:27 AM »

Alright someone that got their kid a Wii system has to try and hook up the joystick to a CNC.  Here is a video of someone using it on a RC car.

For those that don't know the Wii controller is a hand held remote joystick.  I think it is not practical but you just gotta try it kind of technology.

http://www.wiihaveaproblem.com/show_article.php?id=113

53

General Mach Discussion / Interesting problems.

« on: December 17, 2006, 08:58:45 PM »

I machined this clip today and I had all kinds of trouble.  I had issues with radius' not being aligned although I could find anything wrong.  I had an error that the comp was too complex, that was a new one I had to shut down Mach3 and restart.  I had the program stop mid way and display an error about not allowing jogging or incrementing??? I have no idea what that meant.  I had to shut down at least 5 times before I could get this done.  At one point I wanted to zero the x-y before shutting down and every time I typed in g0 x0 both x and y axis would move!  I could not get the x and y axis to zero using the MDI command line I had to jog to as close as I could get and zero the axis.

What a day.  Anyhow here is a photo of it completed and the gcode.  I used a .093" square endmill and v1.90.081

54

General Mach Discussion / Rotary Axis Problems

« on: December 12, 2006, 02:45:47 PM »

Well here I go again.  Not sure if I am doing something wrong but I thought i would throw this out there for ppl to look at.

The design says "Carla & Dan" along the top and "10 Years" along the bottom.

I have a file that cuts a design on a .770 diameter tube using the A and X axis.  I set up the A rotary Diameter and configured the toolpath with x as the rotary axis.  So far so good.  I import the gcode and it looks reasonable.  The only minor problem that has existed for many revisions is that the image the toolpath displays is wrapped around the axis backwards.  But when it cuts it comes out correctly.  So ignore that problem.

When I cut the part it came out totally wrong.  The "&" was all the way to the left of the text and "CarlaDan" was crowded together as in the quotes. 

The "10 Years" was way off center to the top text and jammed together overwriting the "0" and "Y" and the rest of the letters just crowded together. 

My first thought was that I was loosing steps.  But the letters look very consistent although crowded.  If I was loosing steps I thought it would be more exaggerated.

Anyhow here is the gcode if you care to look.

Thanks.

Dan.

55

General Mach Discussion / Shuttlepro dials not working

« on: December 11, 2006, 07:25:38 PM »

I upgraded to a newer computer.  Did a fresh install of XP and the newest version of mach3 2.0.025 I was running 1.84. I moved over the XML file and downloaded the shuttlepro driver from the mach3 folder on the ftp.

Everything works except the dials on the shuttle.  Buttons work fine.

Did a search on the archive to see if there was any reports of problems. 

I re-downloaded the shuttlepro.dll and re configured still the dials do not work.

I never downloaded a driver for the shuttle so I do not htink there is any conflict of drivers.

I guess I can go down in versions to see if that will help but I thought I would ask first.

Thanks.

dan.

56

General Mach Discussion / One minor bug

« on: December 11, 2006, 06:48:30 PM »

When I press "tab" to open the MPG window (leaving the mpg window open) and I try and open the config window for the shuttle the window does not open. 

Even after I exit the mpg window I still cannot open the config window.  I need to shut down Mach3 and restart. 

If I go into the mpg window then close it before I open the config window - the config window opens.  But once I have opened the mpg window and tried to open the config window it does not matter if I close the mpg window or not I still cannot open the config window.

Ok, thats enough words. Minor problem.

Dan.

57

General Mach Discussion / Shuttle question

« on: December 10, 2006, 02:46:25 PM »

Is there a way to change the jog increment from .1 to .01 to .001?

Couldn't find the key.

Thanks.

Dan.

58

General Mach Discussion / Question about saving (and a new forum suggestion)

« on: November 24, 2006, 10:09:43 AM »

I have been programming in gcode and I have set up all my offsets and tools in Mach3.  Is there a way to save all the setting from the various screens in the gcode file other then hand writing them?

Also I have a suggestion to create a forum for people to post projects that they have cut with Mach3.  You have a forum for machines but not what they produce.

Thanks.

Dan

59

General Mach Discussion / Looking for a new laptop?

« on: November 05, 2006, 11:37:24 AM »

Seems like a very good deal...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5238476

60

General Mach Discussion / Question about A axis feed rates

« on: September 17, 2006, 11:33:58 AM »

Wrote a program that cuts a design on a cylinder.  I use a feed rate of 2 only specifying it once at the beginning of the program.  When a line of code executes with a X and A move the feed rate looks to be 2 ipm on the X and the A moves quickly.  But when a line has only an A move the feed rate is very slow, it looks like 2 degrees per minute.

How can I make it so the A axis is has a constant feed rate (like the when it feeds with the X axis)?  Am I doing something wrong when I set up the feed rate? 

Thanks.

Dan.