Messages

81

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need Help on a Major Conversion

« on: April 20, 2010, 08:41:23 PM »

Thanks Hood I will try it tomorrow at work.  I'm assuming I'll just put G64 on one line at the top of the code and I'll see how that goes.  The ez routers have gear racks and ride on angle iron (probably more of a hobby set up but I'm pleased with them)..the shop sabre rides on hiwin guides and has ball screw set up...is a ball screw setup traditionally a slower machine?

Maybe an idea would be to change motors???

82

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need Help on a Major Conversion

« on: April 20, 2010, 04:31:03 PM »

Ok guys,

I got my new shop sabre up and running today...i was able to use my ez router toolpaths on it.  All I had to do was remove some of the header that had multiple gcode commands and i was in business.  Thing is, it runs the same exact toolpath in twice as much time.  So what takes me 10 mins to run on my ez router takes 20 minutes to run on the shop sabre.  Here's what I think it is, if I'm thinking right:

Since the shop sabre does not have a breakout board, it's getting all its signals in succession, one at a time (which also results in less fluid movements), whereas the ez router is getting all its signals more quickly and almost simultaneously, resulting in a faster run with smoother motion.  This is why I need a BOB.  Am I guessing this right???

I really need to cut this time in half to make $$$.

Bill

83

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need Help on a Major Conversion

« on: April 18, 2010, 08:58:19 AM »

Thanks...where could I obtain a wiring diagram, short of trying to copy the actual wiring in one of my other machines?!

Bill

84

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need Help on a Major Conversion

« on: April 17, 2010, 12:07:47 PM »

Attached are some pics of the control box.  I'll reveal some of my naivete:

I'm not really sure what a breakout board does versus what the drives do.  As I look at the box, it looks like it has drives but no breakout board.  So I'm trying to figure out what kind of breakout board I need to get off ebay.  Some of them are $25 and some are $125.  Which one?!

85

General Mach Discussion / Need Help on a Major Conversion

« on: April 16, 2010, 08:58:10 PM »

Ok, well maybe this wouldn't be a major conversion for some, but this is pushing my limits and knowledge.  I have used EZ Router CNCs for about 5 years now which are 3 axis machines using Gecko drives and of course Mach3.  Now I have a Shop Sabre that has WinCNC.  I was under the impression that I could just use Mach3 on this machine, but after looking into the control box, it is not setup at all like my EZ Routers.  There is no breakout board.  I need to convert my Shop Sabre over to Mach3, so I'm thinking I need to buy a new breakout board, but I don't know what to buy.  I will also need to add a Z zero plate, and currently the router must be turned on manually (my EZ Routers turn on automatically, and I want this feature on my Shop Sabre).  Will I need to buy new Geckos?  Oh man, for as much as I've learned, I have a long way to go!

What do I need to do?  Please help!

Bill Sines

86

General Mach Discussion / Re: Shop Sabre Mach3 Set Up

« on: April 02, 2010, 08:54:03 PM »

 

Nice.  That makes me happy Tweakie.  The guy I'm buying from has a manual, which I didn't look at, but with a little playing around hopefully I can get the thing going.  One problem, my other machines have z zero plates, but the Shop Sabre doesn't.  I want to set it up with one...guess I will just have to look at it and play around with it.
 

87

General Mach Discussion / Re: Shop Sabre Mach3 Set Up

« on: April 02, 2010, 09:34:05 AM »

So I have to completely redo the breakout board in order to use Mach3?

88

General Mach Discussion / Shop Sabre Mach3 Set Up

« on: April 01, 2010, 02:43:58 PM »

I'm looking at purchasing a Shop Sabre from someone used.  The machine currently runs WinCNC, but I want to set it up to run Mach3.  Does anyone know what kinds of settings I need to put in to get it to run on there?  I currently run Mach3 on my EZ-Router machines that do not use a ball screw design, so this is beyond anything I've done up to this point with Mach3.

Thanks
Bill

89

General Mach Discussion / Re: What machines run Mach?

« on: February 14, 2010, 07:52:22 AM »

I agree!  It is about using the right tool for the job.  99% of our machine time is v-carving signs.  We do very little cutout stuff for people, and we do absolutely no cabinet work.  I really wish I had some background in this, just for the sake of learning a useful skill.  I guess I'd be curious to know if companies hire based solely on experience, or if they would hire based on the capability to learn quickly....

90

General Mach Discussion / Re: What machines run Mach?

« on: February 13, 2010, 03:11:33 PM »

I do all my toolpathing in Vectric VCarve, even my 2d stuff (we do mostly vcarving anyway).  Is this relegated to pretty small shops as well?