Messages

41

General Mach Discussion / Re: another tool change question , g32 g25 g28 ???

« on: September 10, 2008, 04:56:16 PM »

Richard, typo in that script too. At the bottom wher it has Code "G00 G54 Z" & ChangeZ should be Code "G00 G53 Z" & ChangeZ


It should RC. Depending on the version of Mach your runinng. The bleeding edge version will appreciate a sleep(*) rather than the while (is moveing) wend


Brett

Brett,

Have you been watching the video of the M11-180 UPPER RECEIVER in action on thompsonmachine.net? Would seem so with the Chip with a Glock Avitar!
 

Kristin

42

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lazy cam problems

« on: September 10, 2008, 01:37:34 PM »

Brian,

I have to agree LC is not user friendly... at all. One thing was driving me nuts was offsetting and getting wierd loops in the paths, Art told me to highlight what I wanted (in or out) and zoom way in then hit offset, fixed it problem 100%. I do wish they would keep the layers tab on top, seems to be the one I need most to make sure my tool settings and cut depth are set correctly. I think a bit of effort in writing up some (any) instructions would go a long way in making people happier with the software there is nothing except the one or two videos and that does me not much good when I want to do something to watch a 20 min video. I usually have to go about three rounds with LC before I can get a good file out of it, but I usually load it on my desktop first and find the obvious warnings like zero radius line 23 and the like and fix those first.

Hopefully some of our $75 "donations" will go towards at least a basic manual writeup and perhaps a cleaner user interface so I don't have to bounce from tab to tab to check all the parameters.

Kristin

Does anyone know of a simple 2 or 3d cam program like Lazycam
but better?
I paid the money for Lazycam but it really sucks.
I could sit here for 2 hrs explaining the problems but it's a waste of time
Brian already told me that they weren't going to fix anything.

It's a shame because I really like Mach 3.
You would think they would have a little more pride in their product
like they do with Mach 3
Please let me know,
Brian

43

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lazy cam problems

« on: September 10, 2008, 01:21:58 PM »

Dave,

I think you'll find TNG on the download page, TNG= the next/new generation which is how it's listed.

Kristin

44

General Mach Discussion / Re: Learning GCode... How to guide?

« on: September 09, 2008, 11:53:14 AM »

I found this to be useful, not all inclusive but...Pic a topic and look at the printable handouts

http://technology.calumet.purdue.edu/met/mfet/275/coursematerial.htm

Kristin

45

General Mach Discussion / Re: Work offset touch Button?????

« on: September 08, 2008, 07:28:30 PM »

Ed,

That's quite a family tree you have there in the photo above!

Kristin

46

General Mach Discussion / Re: Home and/or limit switch

« on: September 06, 2008, 04:54:14 PM »

OK,

I think I have it, going to set up the home switches, wire them is series N.C. and get moving. I have 5 inputs on the controler card 10,11,12,13 &15 and a second port if I run out of inputs/outputs so that is not a big problem using seperate I/O for everything. Really not planning on making this too complex (Famous last words) I do want to add spindle motor control and perhaps a coolant output but I am sure I'll find another one or two things like the spindle speed if I swap to a variable speed drive.

Kristin

47

General Mach Discussion / Re: Home and/or limit switch

« on: September 06, 2008, 04:23:16 PM »

Well that works for me as I mentioned it is easier mechanically to mount the switch that way and also gets the table clear of the spindle for setting parts. Then all I need (haha ALL!) to do is set up the work offset, I can feel the brain hemorrhage coming on already.

Kristin

48

General Mach Discussion / Re: Home and/or limit switch

« on: September 06, 2008, 04:08:26 PM »

Kristin,

 I think you've got it pretty well figured out, and pretty much the way my knee mill is setup. I agree there seems little use to a Z "down" limit. I used microswitches, and feel that was a good choice. I seem to get pefect repeatability, to within well under 0.001", and they'll be less susceptible to damage from coolant/oil. If they do ever fail, replacements are as close as the nearest Radio Shack, for about $2 each.

Regards,
Ray L.

Ray,

So at home position where is your table? Full right and out or Full right and in?

Kristin

49

General Mach Discussion / Re: Home and/or limit switch

« on: September 06, 2008, 04:05:30 PM »

Hood,

Thanks I knew one of my axis was the wrong way! I just was looking at table forward as mechanically it looked like the easy way out for switch mounting. If I put a limit on Z can that be wired in series with the home switches or would I need another input for limit switches (which I suppose I can wire all in series should I put X & Y limits too)? I am trying to wrap my head around the idea of a central switch and two flags, I can see it with using mechanical switches but the opto switches I have would lend themselves better to having the bar block them 99% of the time since they have a wide slot I could use .125" thick aluminum bar with adjustable apertures at the ends. Now the quandary is, how to set up the inputs active high or low so a failure will stop the machine. I know I saw something along those lines in one of the videos as to the preferred active state so it was "failsafe"

Kristin

50

General Mach Discussion / Home and/or limit switch

« on: September 06, 2008, 02:43:28 PM »

I am trying to figure out how and where to put home and/or limit switches on my Taig mill. The Z axis has a tee slot on one side where I can easily mount a home switch to home to just short of the mechanical top stop which is where I think that may belong. I can't really see the need for a lower limit as depending on the tool having a hard limit there is not going to keep me from crashing into the table, is that where the soft limits come in? Are soft limits set in the program coordinates or machine coordinates? For the Y axis I was thinking a switch mounted to the motor/leadscrew mounting plate will work and contact the movable slide, setting home as the furthest out position of the table. There is a pin fixed to the Y axis carriage that I can use to contact a switch mounted on the Table for my X home which I suppose should be table full right hand side for XY=0,0.

Does this make sense in the grand scheme of things, home would be table full right, full out toward the front and Z axis full up position? I am still figuring if I should use slotted opto sensors or microswitches so I really need to clear up my confusion with "Home" position before I can make the mountings and actuators or I might end up with a mirror image of what I need.

Once all this is done, if I have set fixture('s) say for engraving a plate I should be able to home the machine and either just load the program code or use the MDI to move to my X,Y zero position and run, that is my limited understanding.

Thanks,

Kristin