Messages

6581

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a mouse's scroll button as MPG?

« on: January 28, 2009, 07:02:46 AM »

Not discounting using the mouse wheel and  just wanted to make you aware of a cheap alternative.
Somewhat off thread here.
You can find "old" printers at fleamarkets, trash, garage sales, etc. We bought 10 for 5 bucks from
a liquidation place as they had a pile of them they just wanted to get rid of. We got 8 encoders out
of the 10 so i quess cost was more like .63 cents.
RICH

6582

SmoothStepper USB / Re: SS: Motors won't turn yet

« on: January 28, 2009, 06:49:49 AM »

Brain,
Make sure you have the ESTOP configured in ports & pins, check emulated in ports and pins.
Also , make check that the port for the pinouts are correct.
RICH

6583

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions on Threading With Turn on Sherline - From Yahoo SherlineCNC Group

« on: January 26, 2009, 07:55:26 PM »

Hi Bob,
Just a few comments for what they are worth.

Carbide has it's place, but for the wimpy and punny I'll go with razor sharp cobalt tools anyday.

Now that you got it running, play around with it some and a 1/4-20 thread requires small depth of cut.

Doing small threads can be a challenge because there is not much room for error becuse of your machine or setup.

To help with the spring of small diameters you may want to make a small live center like the attached.
The tip is replaceable or a custom one can be made ( ground rod was used). The one i made has three small bearings in it. Stock was placed in chuck, the front piece turned true on the outside, drilled and reamed thru for drill rod removable tip, match marked reversed in the collet chuck, and bored for the od of bearings, the beariings and tail shaft pressed in.
It is rigid and turns true. Better than some of the ones you can buy.

Now the one model maker at the model show last year does threading over 300 tpi and makes his owne taps and has written some articles in magazines about it. Small stuff and makes a 0-80 look big!

RICH

6584

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a mouse's scroll button as MPG?

« on: January 26, 2009, 06:42:22 PM »

Sorry, halkintool, just in a silly mood.

That MPG is used via the PP port ( need to use up two pins), and the settings used are 50 for the count/unit and 400 for the velocity which gives a nice feel for using it and about .008" of movement per rotation of the wheel. So i can just tweak right into something down in very fine increments. Of course the faster you turn the faster the axis will move. In fact it works great for doing some turning on my punny lathe. The mouse is a good idea, but if high resolution is what your after, then for 1/2 a buck you just can't go wrong.

Oh, you need a screw driver to take the printer apart, and if the encoder is bad, you can beat the printer up with the hammer should you feel cheated.   

RICH

6585

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a mouse's scroll button as MPG?

« on: January 26, 2009, 05:41:25 PM »

halkintool,
Sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words. You can also use a hammer for removal
just be carefull where you hit.  I may even fancy it up some one of these days.
RICH

6586

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a mouse's scroll button as MPG?

« on: January 26, 2009, 05:09:58 PM »

How about an MPG for $.50 cents using a high end encoder which comes complete with case and a handwheel for turning it? 30VER came up wiith the idea only problem is you have to owne a screw driver! 
Ask him about it. 
RICH

6587

Screen designer tips and tutorials / Re: TOOL COMPENSATION - ADDING TWO ITEM BOXES

« on: January 25, 2009, 09:15:38 PM »

RC,
There are two books and I purchased "CNC Programminig Techniques" as suggested by Brain.
It cover's a lot of ground. If your totaly unfamilar with Gcode and lost on basic trig and math it will may be a challenge. As a novice, you need to just find a quiet place and focus your attention on what's being presented.Ha! Ha! So far i don't think i wasted my money as i was thinking about getting it for quite some time.
It certainly covers what Brian went over regaurding Mach's new compensation, but you just don't read a few pages since it's filled with a lot of techniques. All in all, yep worth the money if there is interest
and a solid reference source is desired.

RICH

6588

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions on Threading With Turn on Sherline - From Yahoo SherlineCNC Group

« on: January 25, 2009, 07:34:39 AM »

Simpson36,

Think you may want to have a look at this posting. There may be a few others that Hood can point you to.
There's a lot about threading in that thead as it progresses from being broken to having it fixed.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,7646.msg49006.html#msg49006

RICH

6589

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions on Threading With Turn on Sherline - From Yahoo SherlineCNC Group

« on: January 25, 2009, 06:41:04 AM »

  Good for you Bob and have fun. 
You may want to check out the Canned Cycle - Threading G76 item 10.7.18 on page 10-16 of
Using Mach3Turn.
 
RICH
 

6590

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions on Threading With Turn on Sherline - From Yahoo SherlineCNC Group

« on: January 24, 2009, 10:42:58 PM »

BOB,
You need to have the spindle feedback in sync mode checked or threading WILL NOT WORK right.
At one time, if memory serves me, threading wouldn't work at all if the index wasn't checked.


I also agree with HOOD on the single index pulse is all that is needed. That's all you need know for now
and can discuss it later on if wished.

What do you mean by step / sit a while? ie; did the z actaully move then stop? or did the stepper just turn very slowly a "small" amount and stop. In the lathe diagnostic info screen was it jumpiing back and forth between
Waiting for index trigger  / threading in effect?  It should be green in the box when waiting for the index trigger
and upon a trigger, the threading in effect box should turn green.

Can you look at the pulse signal with a scope?

RICH