Messages

4481

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Mach seems to be cutting on the wrong side??? Any ideas?

« on: July 16, 2010, 06:08:10 PM »

having the left arrow move the table left will cause me problems

Hope my reply doesn't create confusion, but, I have the arrow keys set so that the table moves in the direction of the arrow for one XML,
then when i am doing something else ( like using a modified webcam and the image is reversed i have the arrow keys  set so the table moves again in the direction the keys point, but it's actually reversed ), but the motors are set up conventionally for using the flyout / jogging
buttons.

Never had a problem.

BTW, the goofy reason for some of this is because, say, using the XBOX 360 along with a reverse / upside down image from a microscope and tracking things with Copycat, you can't afford to get the resulting code all screwed up!

As long as key assignment makes sense to you, i guess.....
RICH

4482

General Mach Discussion / Re: Driver test AGAIN!

« on: July 16, 2010, 05:32:54 PM »

I think the closer the pulse per second at the top to the selected Kernel speed and what the graph line looks like is most important.
RICH

4483

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: DXF to LC problems...

« on: July 15, 2010, 02:13:51 PM »

Bob,
Can you attached the dwg and also the dxf of it and i will have a look. I don't have Autocad 2011 so not sure just what dxf versions are available from it.
Rich

4484

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: How to Moved Leadin and out

« on: July 15, 2010, 09:29:23 AM »

LC creates the lead as an entity which is part of / associated with the chain. As i said before, you would be machinng say a chain and applying
the lead to that chain / machining operation. You can drag the lead in to another spot on the chain ( you can't move that lead to another chain.  You can't manipulate entities very easily. ) LC should not be used as CAD program. If you right mouse click on a particular entitiy in the program list you will see that you can't do anything with it as compared to a chain. You can go to the tools and select Turn off leads and that will delete the lead you created. You can just select the chain and easily add the lead again in the layers tab. The lead is added automaticaly added and you have choice. Go to the layer tab and click the layer lead setting button and select what kind you want.

Analogy: If you were manualy programing a lead it would be based on some quide lines and would provide the pathing into the profile.
You couldn't just change gcode file by copying the lead gcode before a different profile. It would not work.

RICH

4485

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: How to Moved Leadin and out

« on: July 15, 2010, 08:53:02 AM »

Tutorial #7 in the manual covers Lead - ins and outs. Not sure i understand what you are trying to do. IE; A single lead in and lead out would be applied to  a single machining operation( usualy offsetting or cutter compensation ). See page 25 of the manual . If the chain is a machining operation it would seem that it would just be easier to add them.
You can change the location of the lead similar to how you change the location of a rapid.

I never used a plasma machine, so excuse the ignorance if i am wrong in what i say next, ie; the torch cut has width so that is the equivilant to
to a mill diameter and thus you would offset or compensate from the desired shape to suite.

BTW....reply based on LazyCam 3.00

RICH

4486

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Converting a Harbor Freight 8x12 lathe to CNC

« on: July 14, 2010, 10:25:21 PM »

Ron,
Ball screws for the x axis are a real PITA. They are expensive and one needs to be carefull on the size of the nut since there is not much room for installing them. I used a small precision ground ball screw taken out of a positioning table and it is serving me extremely well.
For threading i took great pains to get have negligible backlash for both axes. You may want to consider using two MPG's, custom mounted
on the front carriage, sort of like a manual lathe since it feels natural and mimics manual operation, but then i just have mine on a long cord so i position the box wherever i want. That's the fun with the small machines since you can fool with them  with min work.

BTW....have a look at the modified screen set done and posted by Phil.
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,13548.msg88932.html#msg88932

RICH

4487

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Converting a Harbor Freight 8x12 lathe to CNC

« on: July 14, 2010, 09:49:07 PM »

Interesting Ron.
They are popular and I started a thread on the one my friend is converting. Only the one above knows when that will get done.

Now that i have looked at your good write up No ball screws? Where's the auto tool changer? Belt driven and no variable speed drive? 
What size motor are you using?

You don't know how lucky you are.........physicaly no room in my shop for a 8 x 12 !

BTW.... will you be using  the little lathe for custom interior turnings for that full size fire engine you bought a while ago.  
 
RICH

4488

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: 3-Axis Mill

« on: July 14, 2010, 09:21:16 PM »

A 2" square and diameter circle. It will first cut the square to a final depth of 1" in 4 depth passes and then the circle in 4 depth passes.
If you have a digital readout attached to  the mill you can just add a dwell line in after each pass ( like G4 P5 for five seconds ) which would give you time to see the difference between displayed DRO and your digital readout. You may want to change the feedrate to something higher or lower.

So try machine out with no cutting tool.

A similar one to test actual cutting would be good, similar but say, the circle is  above the square like a boss. This way you can test how accurately
the machine will hold a diameter and squareness. Then do a circular pocket and check out of round.
RICH

4489

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: 3-Axis Mill

« on: July 14, 2010, 08:38:54 PM »

No problem.

RICH

4490

General Mach Discussion / Re: Smooth Stepper & Backlash

« on: July 14, 2010, 10:30:29 AM »

Yes it would a good option and the request for it goes back a lot longer than a year ago.   

You may want to go the WARP9 site and watch for update status on backlash.
Greg said he would be implementing backlash as soon as he finishes changes for another SS plugin update, then another plugin
would be posted for backlash.

That was a month or so ago......

RICH