Messages

1051

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link

« on: July 27, 2009, 04:48:42 PM »

Project completed!  Here's a new video link showing the finshed 'mini machining center' doing its thing with Mach3.  

Feel free to ask questions or make comments. I tried to keep the 4th axis project uncomplicated so that anyone who wants to build something like this can duplicate these results. I don;t have drawings to share, but would be happy to provide sources and part numbers to anyone who wants them.

Once again, many thanks to all who helped this project along with information, ideas and generally sharing knowledge.  I'm a newbee at CNC retrofits and could not have accomplished this without everyone's help  

Here is the link . . . just pay no attention to my wife's excited chattering in the background  . . she thinks it's     and wants to know how to use it to do her wall art scuptures. . .  which of course it will do beautifully . . . just as soon as I do this one last modification . . which won't cost much . . .  really! .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2-Kdud7eiA

1052

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle?

« on: July 23, 2009, 06:18:01 AM »

Robhi,

Can't speak for the others, but I am confused about exactly what your configuration is, especially what 'spindle' you refer to from one post to the next.

My impression is that you have one high speed spindle which will be the 'pen' and do the actual engraving and the second spindle is holding the workpiece and does not need to do anything other than slowly rotate the workpiece in the manner of an 'A' axis for a mill.

If the above description fits your machine, then the remaining question is how fast you need to turn the 'A' axis. If you need to go fast for wood TURNING, you need a servo. If you only need to go slow for wood ENGRAVING then a stepper would be adequate.

1053

General Mach Discussion / Re: What causes '. . . out of limits to use soft limits' error?

« on: July 22, 2009, 05:55:45 PM »

Got it figured out.

Can't use more than a 30 bit number for limits. I had stupid huge numbers still in the A axis from the time before you enlightened me to the joys of SwapAxis.

Doesn't matter if A is active or not. Mach just pukes on the huge number if its there.

Thanks for the help, though. I owe you an Atholl Brose

1054

General Mach Discussion / Re: What causes '. . . out of limits to use soft limits' error?

« on: July 22, 2009, 04:56:00 PM »

It does this whether the A axis is active or not, so we can take that out of the picture. 

The machine homes all three axis to zero and goes positive from there in X and Y and negative in Z.
Clicking on RefAllHome works perfectly

I had the X axis converted to a photointerruptor for a while and I recently converter the Y and Z as well. Each axis limit switch is wired to its own pin.  Hmmmm, now come to think of it, that IS a change that was made  . . . I really can;t say if the error coinsided with the limit switch upgrades.

Does it make a difference if the limits are separated or on the same pin?


It is set something like this

Axis  MAX      MIN

X     9.8       0

Y     5.7       0

Z      0        -12.5

1055

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle?

« on: July 22, 2009, 04:47:04 PM »

Dang, I think I recognize that video!

The indexer in that video is driven with a servo, but initially it had a NEMA34 stepper of 640oz-in which was adequate for holding the workpiece with a 3.6 to 1 reduction.

Yes, if you only need to rotate the workpiece for the purpose of engraving, then a stepper would be fine. I would suggest a microsteeping drive and gear it down a lot via a wide timing belt with an idler or other method for tensioning the belt, which has to be very tight.

Keep in mind that in this situation, the belt stiffness and the motor holding power alone is going to provide the rigidity.

What is it you are making?

1056

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle?

« on: July 22, 2009, 02:23:01 PM »

Seems to me if you want to 'write' on a piece of wood that is held by your spindle, you are going to need a few extra goodies.

For starters, what exactly is going to be the 'pen' that you write with? Do you have a high speed spindle rigged up to your cross slide or something like that?

You are going to need to control the direction and azimuth (radial position) of the workpiece in order to 'write' on it, so a motor and speed controller is not going to be adequate at all.

If you want to use the same spindle for turning and 'writing' you are going to need a servo motor with a timing belt drive on the spindle . . . -or- . . a 4th axis on your mill table.

Look here for some ideas:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,11422.0.html

1057

General Mach Discussion / What causes '. . . out of limits to use soft limits' error?

« on: July 22, 2009, 02:06:08 PM »

Message similar to subject line every time I try to click soft limits on.    Been this way for a while so I don't remeber exactly when it started or what I might have changed just prior.

Homing works fine, all limit switches funtioning, machine is well within the homing/limits settings, with no limit switches triggered.

I tried disabling one axis at a time and then disabled all of them together . . .  same error 

Same error with Gcode loded or with no program loaded. Machine is running fine.

So it is not something glaringly obvious. Got me stumped . . . prolly something simple I am overlooking. 

1058

General Mach Discussion / Re: release canidate ver .028

« on: July 22, 2009, 01:55:59 PM »

I tried 029 and it does not reliably run internal subroutines or external macros.

Went back to 026 and all is well again.

Just FYI.

1059

General Mach Discussion / Re: step rate

« on: July 21, 2009, 07:05:26 AM »

What kind of computer and OS are you using?

You might try opening the task manager and clicking the performance tab to see how much CPU you are using. If it pegs, the motors will stall. Even reasonably powerful computers can have so many background tasks running that Machruns on leftovers.

Stop any antivirus/antispyware software while running Mach.

Make sure you do not have any printer drivers installed in the computer. That can also stall the motors when the driver polls the port.

1060

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 & Lathe Spindle Encoder Recommendations

« on: July 19, 2009, 12:53:46 PM »

My next toy will be Advanced Motion Controls model DX15CO8

Snagged it on ebay for $25, so  . . .  worst case can't be that bad 

I need a CAN interface for it, but I can definately get a surplus UBS to CAN adapter for $50 . . . I'm trying to get it for $25, we shall see.

AMC does make models that will interface with RS232, but a new one of those babies is something like $600 . . . . WAY outside the 'dinking around with toys' department.