Messages

1561

Mach Screens / Re: Haas Screen

« on: July 03, 2014, 06:16:18 AM »

Dayone had started one for the lathe and then posted the files, BUT, it was never completed.

Don't recall anything that someone continued the work to finish it.

RICH

1562

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: profiles

« on: July 02, 2014, 04:44:15 PM »

ian,
MeshCam can open a 2d dxf. You will find info on how to use Meshcam on it's site.

RICH

1563

General Mach Discussion / Re: Trying to notch 25mm 316 stainless may be use wizzards but don't know how

« on: July 02, 2014, 04:47:24 AM »

Steve,

There is a wizard called Andy's Circle Routines that is easy to use.

Here is a link to a Wizard list that you may want to look at:
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,10434.msg64469.html#msg64469

Link to the routine:
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,2802.msg61190.html#msg61190

RICH

1564

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lazycut won't open .dxf file

« on: June 25, 2014, 07:48:39 PM »

Wondering what version of Autocad are you using?

As replied by others it needs to be a 2D drawing and saved as a Version 12 DXF.
There is a manual in Member's Doc's for LazyCam. Read it and don't try hacking away at the program.

RICH

1565

General Mach Discussion / Re: Backlash compensation and jogging

« on: June 24, 2014, 05:04:14 AM »

As for eliminating backlash, that's fundamentally impossible

.

Basicaly true , but, you can minimize it. Very often the culprit is the thrust bearings and proper pre-load can reduce backlash.
If you realy get anal about this one can profile the ball screws movement over it's entire length in both forward and backward direction, test the ball nut play, measure the preload, etc. Based on measurements from a known standard, of resolution greater than the compnents, you can know exactly what you have.

BTW, I do my checking using optics. Also don't have servo's so Hood is a good source on that subject.

Good stuff to do if your borded on a rainy day and have the equipment to do it.


RICH

1566

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Sherline Rotary Magic Number

« on: June 24, 2014, 04:43:53 AM »

Keith,
A rotary table can have  have backlash and you should check to see how much yours has. One should take out the backlash before indexing and
then move in one direction until finished indexing for a task.

A0 and there should be no movement if you are at A0, but depends on the your configuration ( reply #5 ). Not sure but A01 may be interperted as 1 degree.

For acceleration adjust the velocity until it skips, then lower by say 50 %, then start increasing the accel until it skips and reduce that by 50%.
Then refine both by rotating from  different starting locations about the rotation in both directions. Just need to play around.

The clunk probably is just the backlash being taken up and as the velocity / accel increase so will the force of engagemant of the screw and gear, and also the start and stop of the stepper. Just jog the rotary in very small increments and you will hear the stepper clunk / step even though the 
table is not moving.

RICH
 

1567

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Sherline Rotary Magic Number

« on: June 22, 2014, 06:12:36 PM »

Keith,

It should be degrees. Now if the the rotary was configured as linear then it would be inches.

Try this, tell it 360 with your current settings, see what the A axis dro actualy says, then put that dro reading as how far it actualy moved, then it will calculate and tell you what the steps per unit should be.

RICH

1568

General Mach Discussion / Re: First job and the machine freezes mid cut.

« on: June 22, 2014, 06:03:03 PM »

Your not an idiot, actualy your just like all the rest of us!      Please don't ask what we are like as you should know..........

Anyway.........
Yes I agree with you, should get an error message saying " This is a demo and restricted to 500 lines or even less".

RICH

1569

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Sherline Rotary Magic Number

« on: June 22, 2014, 05:51:16 PM »

Keith,
Your rotary table based on info you posted as follows:

Rotary table calc for .9 degree stepper:

- 72 handle turns per one table revolution x 400 stepper pulses per stepper rotation = 28800 pulses  per one table revolution ie; 360 degrees

- 28800 pulses x 1/360 degrees = 80 pulses per degree

Since you are 1/2 stepping .....  2 x 80 = 160 pulses

So your steps per unit should be 160 for the A axis.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link to the stepper calculator:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16315.0.html
See attached pic.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now if you wanted to, you could always use the axis calibration in Mach > Settings (ALT-6 ) tab to set the steps per unit for the A axis.
Click on Set steps per unit  button ( it's just above the Reset button) it will ask you to select the axis and how much you want it to move.
Then based on the actual DRO value displayed, you would put that number in and Mach would calculate what the steps should be. So if you accept the steps per unit will be changed.

RICH

1570

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 22, 2014, 04:00:55 PM »

in the basement?

Yes, that is true.

As long as the washer and dryer is not down there she doesn't care how it looks.

Washer and dryer are down here and the last thing you want is metal chips to end up inside your drawers.......
Also she does Tai Bo or whatever it's called and she needs room to practice.
Little thing she is but can surely kick the ********* out something!     

RICH