Messages

131

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Writing Wizards

« on: November 26, 2007, 02:45:53 PM »

Steve,

You can see how wizards are written by using the screen editor, open one of the turn wizards under the turn-addons folder,  then by editing the button "post code" you can view and change the visual basic program that writes the gcode.  If you are not familiar with visual basic, you could just write your gcode to perform the crowning and modify it for the different barrel diameters and bore diameters you encounter.  Writing the gcode would probably be easier since to do a wizard you need to know how to write the gcode anyway. 

Do you  actual do straight or angled facing cuts or I always thought they were rounded somewhat like a donut?

I think you could use a G2 command and come up with a donut type radius.

I have created several additional turn wizards, I think they are in the downloads section.  If you get started and need help just holler.  We could use more wizards for turn.

Arnie

132

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Writing Wizards

« on: November 26, 2007, 01:52:11 PM »

Is this for turning?

133

General Mach Discussion / Re: edge finding/2.5D probing

« on: November 26, 2007, 01:13:46 PM »

Sterling,

I have been lurking on this thread, very interesting. 

I have just finished up my new probe and wanted to give it a good work out, but the existing stuff in mach seems pretty limited.

Can I try your probing routine?

Thanks Arnie

134

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: It's been a long time since anybody posted a show-n-tell

« on: November 15, 2007, 08:32:05 PM »

how did you get it into Mach3?

Cool looking.

135

General Mach Discussion / Re: Video Window plugin

« on: November 09, 2007, 10:10:24 AM »

maybe post some pic's of the screen shot when you rotate.

136

General Mach Discussion / Re: Video Window plugin

« on: November 09, 2007, 10:07:44 AM »

Ray,

As you describe the camera rotates around one pixel.  Does that one pixel rotate around the crosshairs in Mach3 as you rotate the spindle?  If so, as it rotates is it the same distance from the crosshairs in each quadrant?  Does your camera have adjustment for centering. 

I am guessing that if it doesn't have adjustment it may not be that good for Mach3,  the software that came with it probably will let you adjust the crosshair to compensate for the center of the camera not being concentric with the camera shaft axis/spindle axis.   

The key to the precision is being able to align the camera view axis precisely with the spindle axis,  this is easily verified  by rotation, if the target mark moves from the crosshair as you rotate it is not properly aligned.

I saw those cameras on Ebay,  it was funny just after I had found and mounted a camera that worked real good I felt really lucky because the camera I chose was so easy to mount and focused really well up close,  I was cruising ebay and saw those and discovered it looks like it was the exact same camera I used on my mount.  If you need just a new mount let me know.

Arnie

137

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: First scan..literally..

« on: November 08, 2007, 04:53:01 PM »

Art,

This is just to cool !!!   Can't wait to get my hands on that plugin and start playing too.!!

138

General Mach Discussion / Re: Video Window plugin

« on: November 08, 2007, 03:40:49 PM »

Ray,

I don't believe so,  you will need to adjust your camera center to correspond to the center of your spindle.  The ones I make have 3 adjusting screws for doing this.  You can tell when it is centered by rotating the spindle 180 and if it stays on the same spot it is centered.

Arnie

139

General Mach Discussion / Re: Urgent - Threading not real time

« on: October 29, 2007, 10:09:36 AM »

Glen,

I use threading a lot.  I originally had some trouble with threading and it was caused by my spindle index pulse having a little noise.  If you can't get a rock solid spindle signal, you are going to have trouble.  After getting the noisy signal cured I have no troubles at all with threading.

Arnie

140

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Digitizing probe

« on: October 24, 2007, 01:31:32 PM »

I have just got my design version of a digitizing probe finished ready for the testing stage. 
It has been an interesting project. 
I still have to make a stylus for it but for now I will just use a allen head screw. 

I intend to try a production run of 10 of these and hope to keep the price down where my fellow hobbiest can afford these. 

I am looking for feedback on how to perform sensitivity, accuracy, and repeatability testing on this.

The probe body is made from 3 pieces, top cap, shell & bottom cap, these all screw together.

The electrical grid is made from a blank pc board with balls soldered on it.  The grid is attached to the bottom cap with several spots of RTV about 1/8" thick.
It's plane is adjustable through 3 set screws coming up through the bottom of the cap, these will deflect the grid a small amount for centering the alignment.

The rest of the contact is through the movable piece, not sure what it should be called.  It is made from plexiglass with brass rods for the contactors.

The shaft is a hardened steel shaft screwed into the top cap.

I deleted most of the pictures since the design has been refined. 

On the last post the first picture shows the assembly with a aluminum piece holding the brass rods,  this is just an alignment device used to hold the circuit board in place while the RTV cures.