Messages

441

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Practice Part

« on: December 10, 2019, 10:03:03 AM »

I think you are right, it looks like drill drift when viewed from the top.

If everything of mine turned out as good as that I would be well pleased - keep up the good work my friend.

Tweakie.

442

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Mach4 Motion Controllers

« on: December 10, 2019, 03:31:58 AM »

I seem to operate my CNC machines in a totally different manner to everyone else so here is something to make you smile…

I have a number of different Motion Controllers that I can use with mach4 and to make them interchangeable with any of my machines they are output pin compatible (using just two Ports) and not physically attached to the machine. To avoid any possible start-up problems my Computer and Motion Controller are powered first and my machine is only powered once the software is up and running. To achieve this I am using a simple Solid State Relay (activated by my Computer USB) to switch power to my Motion Controller PSU at the same time as my Computer is powered. Works like a charm. 

Tweakie.

443

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Practice Part

« on: December 10, 2019, 01:48:08 AM »

Excellent work.

Just one point, it's probably the camera angle, but that chamfer does not look concentric.

444

General Mach Discussion / Re: Carbide Create with Mach 3

« on: December 10, 2019, 01:33:46 AM »

Sounds like you either have Mach3 set-up in Millimetre units and your generated Gcode is in Inch units or that your Steps Per Units are set incorrectly in Motor Tuning.

Try running the 'Set Steps per Unit' calibration feature (Mach3 Settings page) Is it producing correct distances ?

445

General Mach Discussion / Re: Carbide Create with Mach 3

« on: December 09, 2019, 02:03:57 AM »

Hi Jeff,

Check out F-Engrave - it is Free, easy to use and can produce brilliant results.

(I have used it to V-Carve 1.5 Mtr. signs in Teak and at the other end of the scale to rotary engrave 0.5mm high text).

https://www.scorchworks.com/Fengrave/fengrave.html

Tweakie.

446

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach 3 cuts all my DXF drawings 4 times

« on: December 07, 2019, 04:59:18 AM »

$99 

447

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach 3 cuts all my DXF drawings 4 times

« on: December 07, 2019, 04:27:34 AM »

Ideally your .dxf should have been created with just one line (in the centre of the bitmap lines that were traced) but you have traced either side of the original lines.

The only solution with your existing .dxf is to delete the lines you do not want before creating the Gcode with LazyCam.

448

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach 3 cuts all my DXF drawings 4 times

« on: December 07, 2019, 01:55:51 AM »

Check your .dxf - chances are that you have double lines for each contour and LazyCam is just following the lines it has been given.

Tweakie.

449

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Fusion 360 gcode has wrong Z axis height

« on: December 07, 2019, 01:47:49 AM »

Hi Bill,

That error message refers to the IJ Mode being incorrect for the arc that is being produced - try changing the IJ Mode or better still add the G90.1 / G91.1 (as appropriate) to your Gcode file.

Tweakie.

450

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Fusion 360 gcode has wrong Z axis height

« on: December 06, 2019, 10:03:41 AM »

It's common practice to have Z zero as the top surface of the workpiece - at least that's what I do but somehow your Gcode file has been compiled differently.