Messages

5051

Tangent Corner / Re: Read the Docs comment

« on: January 29, 2010, 11:43:58 AM »

ChandlerW,
I do notice that this is your first post so if you have a particular problem with LazyCam by all means post
and  there will be a reply to it by me or another user. You can reply again and again..., and i certainly promote it,
until your are satisfied with the response to you. I have never seen someone post....no more replies to a thread
 because the question has been answered.


Just for info, to put things in perspective, relative to  problems a user may have with LazyCam, and I speak
 only for myself.

1. I try to read ever single post relative to LC and reply based on the info given. My reply can be very specific
   , general, read the manual ( in some cases that reply says look at section, figure, or what ever). Additionaly
   I have spent HOURS helping someone find a solution or work around  to do something.

2.Many users don't even know there is a manual. Here is some info on the manaul which may save you some time:
   -  the manual took some 300 hours to do ( hard core hacking as there was no documentation). Surely there are
      things missed.
   - every post ever made on this site,  that i could find, was incorporated / considered and the info in some manner
      was incorporated into the manual the best i could.
   - the manual requires some minor additions and clarifications. But it has stood the test of time over the last year
     since it's writing.
   - if the manual answers the question, i will post specific info on where to find it. That saves me a lot of time, and
     frankly, my time is valuable also. Purely voluntary my friend...so cut me some slack!
     
3. I have echoed numerous times the following:
    - DO NOT HACK YOUR WAY THROUGH LAZYCAM
    - PLEASE  post you DXF. If a user does not want to want to post because of confidentiality, i will be happy to sign an
      agreement. And i have done that.

4

." if I'm redirected to the docs, and I can't find my answer, and I know that I'm not going to get any help here"

     
     BULL----! That is just not true. I don't buy that for one momment. So post the problem, quit complaining, as you
     have not even asked yet!
     
    Users will then give of themselves to assist you. There may not be a simple answer to the problem.

"So now one person has the answer."

Maybe, and if they took a momment and replied, saying this is what solved the problem, then all would benefit.

So please post you particular problem.  What more can i say,

RICH

5052

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 29, 2010, 10:15:38 AM »

ART,
I think it's rather solid for just coming out of the box. The hard thing to find... is the little critters and the only way is
to just do as many profiles along with cutting tool combinations. So you also need a diversity of folks , because they all think differently.I'll just keep picking away at the different profiles and see if i can find some common faults.

I like it that you can do more than one finish pass. As shown it takes a number of tools to accomplish the profile.
Will try to  spend a few hours each day fooling with it.

I am not looking for bugs in any of the different buttons etc., and just staying focused on the finish pass.
If i find any by chance will ket you know.
IE; - don't simulate
     - don't try to post code
     - etc.........

RICH

5053

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 10:18:08 PM »

TO ALL,
If you wish to try try out LazyTurn or test out the latest version and need a file......

Take a look at Appendix"D" in the LazyTurn Manual as it provides a listing of 80 dxf files along with pictures of each and it's associated reply of this thread. No need to even have CAD!

RICH

5054

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 09:56:50 PM »

ART,
Nothing really wrong with this one except for the name of the file. 
I wonder were he's hiding! 
RICH

5055

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 09:39:24 PM »

ART,
I'm getting to really like that tool placement button you added as it allows for easy adjusment of the tool angle
as shown in fig #1.
 
This is not the easiet truning to do and you can see the cut though / osscilation in pic #2.

In pic #3 I changed the approach to machining it with two finish passes, the first worked well, and the
second would have been fine except for the cut thru.Looks like it happens at the beginning of the arc.

RICH

5056

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 09:11:14 PM »

See my modified post above. Your memory is better than mine.
RICH

5057

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 08:47:17 PM »

ART,
Get an error on this one. I can get a finish pass but roughs are a problem.
I worked before in LT.
RICH

MODIFIED: There was a small arc at the end which created the problem as shown in pic #2.

5058

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 28, 2010, 12:33:46 AM »

ART,

Was the roughing done with the tool at 0 degree's?

Yes.  You don't see it in 30 deg , but I wanted to see if at 60 if the finish pass would fail  or show something obvoius that the pass is not good.

 

profile if you like. Ill add it to the dev list

My gut tells me it will be used more than you think.

not tip end, its why its important the setting of tip radius is correct

Yep and understand and certainly can see it from a calculation point of view.
The program will do just fine ie; pathing based on different tools etc, but on the practical side of things the user will have tool setting problems. You can't address that with the program.
Let me try to explain......
Example is threading, you have a threading tool with a radius and most users can't relate how far to back the tool away from the piece / reference  because they don't know where the point of it is relative to the radius center relative to the path.
So i figured if it was easy ( nothing is ) the program could give the user the sharp tip point via an offset from the radius in the X & Z and then the user could manipulate the axes to get the tool into position. The program dosn't need this , it's just a nice feature that the user could use witout calcualting it or measuring it.
Just something that you may want to consider later on as a nicety of the program.

RICH


 

5059

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: January 27, 2010, 09:39:52 PM »

ART,
Don't know if important at this time, but notice the finish cut generated for the 60 deg rotated
tool. I guess that's a good indication as you noted before about the finish cut not following the
profile and cutting into the stock.

I know we requested this before, namely, being able to just get the code for the profile.
Here is my pitch for it. Supose you machine a piece and it's just slightly over size for whatever
 reason. You would be able just to tweak the X axis start point and do another run just
using the code. Additionaly, if one deisred, the profile gcade could be easily modified.

May be a little ahead of things on this one, but where will the start point be for the next pathing
be when a change of tool is required. Will it be offset from say the roughing pass?
Will the tool be positioined based on the tip circle or end of the tool face? Just soemthing to think about.
Maybe it would be nice to have the tool go back to some referenced position.

Is it possible , well rather easily, because you have the info for tip radius and enscribed circle along with
tool rotation angle , to calculate /  provide an X and Z offset to the tool end point?
RICH

5060

Share Your GCode / Re: Degree Wheel

« on: January 27, 2010, 08:46:34 PM »

 adprinter,

I do use generic fonts which are made up of straight lines. And yes they engrave nicely.
So i would generate a DXF file out of AutoCAD or Microstation and use them. I do make sure all is drawn correctly.
That is easy and dosn't take long at to do at all.

Now here is an example for you, sorry i don't have a picture. A shop wanted custom plates made ( about 30 )  that
would be be attached to motorcyle engines. He wanted raised / cut out letters and the plate dimension was restricted.
So you need to see what will fit and adjust the text for the end mill that would be used. So from a artistic point of view
, the "color" ( how the blackness of the lettering to the whiteness  / tone  is related to a visual look of the piece), needed
to be right requiring shaping the letters to be visualy correct along with say being able to cut it out.
 An example  would be the letter "O" which if cut  perfect in heigth to the other letters would look "big" when your done and
 looks like hell to my eyes. So you change spacing so the cuttter can machine out the letter but then you also play with the letter
shape and look at it overall to see if the color is right.   So probably 5 hours later i had the design done.

I did something similar to what you did for the degree wheel. Only mine  was very small. Now for the numbers, The "0"
is an ellipse and is done in a single cut, such that you only have a common entry and exit point which makes for nice engraving.
Additioinaly the Gcode is minimized and total engraving time is reduced greatly. The same goes for QRUOPSDGCB26890.

I only ever did one font set. I don't remember how long it took to be frank. But wasn't no 1 hour but a lot less than the time you spent.
For what i do it's usualy custom letters and there is no font which seems to fit the bill. In fact to be original i create my owne font at times.
Some of the font that programs create along a line or curve or even a around a circle leaves something to be desired, but, like all things,  
I'm just an amateur with an opinion!

Not being the most artistic person I was lucky to have a few top notch artists and some darn good engravers to give me some advice.
The guys at Remington Arms were fantastic.

RICH