Messages

501

Mach Screens / Re: How to change Goto Zero's function

« on: April 04, 2009, 09:08:29 PM »

I don't know why that button would zero the X and Y before the Z.  I never use it.

Designate the button of your choice to "VB Script Edited in Mach3"

Then put this into the button script,

Code "G0Z0"
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Code "G0X0Y0"

EDIT:  I fiddled with it a bit and using the "Safe Z" settings will effect which moves first also.  Safe Z is another feature I never use. 

502

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Suggestion for hole drilling wizards

« on: March 31, 2009, 06:55:52 PM »

Well it did not prove as difficult as I first thought.

They are fairly complex (to my eye) bits of code and some of the math goes over my head

but just trying to follow the logic you get an idea of what it is doing.

Any way I now have a personalised set of newfangled wizards that has some extra functionality that makes them quite a bit more usable for me.

Each of the four hole drilling pages now has a fourth type of drill operation as an option.

In light of the above posts this is not for sharing so please don't ask. 

Thanks for your forbearance Ron.

Greg

503

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Laser cross hair tool position.

« on: March 31, 2009, 05:32:43 PM »

Ron

The laser cross is mounted so that it projects exactly parallel with the Z axis travel.

The offset from the spindle centreline is known and consistent.

So in practice the cross is manually aligned with a point of feature on the job or table by jogging.

Then usually by use of a button script the spindle centreline is moved to take up that position.

My experience is, precision is only about 0.02" so obviously it won't fill every setup need.

These lasers cost only a few bucks.  Perhaps more money could buy greater precision.

Greg

504

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wrapper and toolpath view

« on: March 31, 2009, 09:19:56 AM »

 I see that your red box is what I am looking to use and I have found one in ebay at a reasonable price. 
 

It would not want to have any wear in it.  There is no way to adjust for that.

if you could do it all over again, would you choose a different ratio, or are you satisfied that the ratio you chose is best suited to your application?

I think mine is 40 to 1.  I got got it for almost nothing.  That is why I used it.  Mildly surprised it works as well as it does.

Not sure about the ideal ratio. It is fairly stiff.  Made for much higher loads than it is getting.  Large bearings and seals and thick oil, all contribute.  400 oz stepper is only just enough.

Greg

505

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Suggestion for hole drilling wizards

« on: March 31, 2009, 07:53:20 AM »

On the license question, Newfangled did not attach a specific license to the wizards. 
There is a code protection scheme with a password, but its not to hard to get around.
Obviously we would be greatly upset if someone took the code and tried to sell a modified version.
But if a user figures out how to modify it for his own use there really is no restriction.

My worry is that modified version will get out and make support impossible, Its hard enough when there are
old versions around, but trying to support code that has been modified by a user is impossible.

OK thanks for the info Ron.  For personal use and do not share.  Sounds pretty fair and reasonable to me.

Back to the original question, Im not sure I understand what you want by a single hole drilling.
Do you mean you want the wizard to make stops at each location, like a 2D machine would?
Because of the complexity of getting into and out of the wizard a choice for a single hole seems more trouble than its worth.

Yeah I expected people to say "What do you want to do that for?"

Not for single holes but for multiples.  Multiple Hole Pattern wizard for example.

Enter up to 20 hole locations the select one of the drill operations, G81, G83, G73 or manual as a fourth option.

Gcode will move to hole position and M1.  Press start and next hole position comes up etc.

I know I am a bit odd.     But I would find that very handy.

Let you know how I get on.

Greg

506

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing and Slaved Axis

« on: March 31, 2009, 07:08:52 AM »

Sent you an email Rod

Greg

507

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Suggestion for hole drilling wizards

« on: March 31, 2009, 02:38:50 AM »

I realise you are replying to Vince but just to get this thread back on track.......   

My request was about having the wizard move to position for a predefined series of hole and then drill it manually.

What you are talking about is the opposite of that concept.  Manually jog to a position then have Mach drill the hole for you.

So in my particular case (and every case is different) drilling the hole is the easy part and takes no effort. 

It is the accurate, quick and easy positioning for a series holes and using the gcode to accomplish that part of the task.

Hence using the wizards that I already have.

Greg

508

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Suggestion for hole drilling wizards

« on: March 30, 2009, 11:20:25 PM »

(;-) Now don't take this wrong BUT would it not be easier to learn how to do a

G81 Z 0.500 R .1 F5 S1200

Your right TP.  But remember I am starting way back at the beginning with no proper training.

I have learnt a lot (relatively speaking) by dissecting code and trying to figure out how it works and why it is written in a particular way.  Like yours for instance. 

The New Fangled Wizards I find very useful and would be more so for me if they had a manual drill as one of the selected options.  Hence my question.

The complexity of some of the code in the wizards dazzles me.  Unlikely I will ever be able to write it's like.

However I have learnt a bit, mostly by studying others code samples and have written a number of simpler snippets to do things that I need.

By the way I do know how to use G81.  Learnt that by looking at wizards. 

Greg

509

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wrapper and toolpath view

« on: March 30, 2009, 10:41:10 PM »

.....would a 425ozstepper turn something like this, or would this worm gear have
lots of resistance?

That probably depends how fast you want to turn it.  Steppers lose torque with rpm.

I made a rotary axis using a similar gearbox.  See this link,

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,6158.0.html

It works pretty well for a router.  Probably not backlash free enough for a mill.

However I do believe it compares reasonably well with some of the rotary tables hobby users employ.

Greg

510

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wrapper and toolpath view

« on: March 30, 2009, 09:42:41 PM »

G'day Dave

Did you pick up on the "Use Diameter for Feedrate" setting on the toolpaths dialogue box?

This will try to adjust the rotary axis feedrate to account for the diameter of the job.

The other issue is that often the gearing of the rotary axis simply will not allow for the axis to rotate fast enough to give 60 ipm cut speed on a 2" diameter job.

As the rotary axis speed bumps up against the max steps per min for that axis, Mach will slow down the other axis to achieve a coordinated move.

My rotary axis will only achieve about 4 rpm which translates into about 25 ipm at 2" diameter.

So no matter what feedrate I command in gcode, feedrate will sometimes be limited by that factor. Depending on the move segment.

Greg