Messages

431

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Newfangled wizards for Mach4

« on: November 13, 2012, 09:00:16 AM »

Ron,

   You are talking way over my head. Look how long it took me to realize that I could do multiple operations at 1 time? I was having a good time single op'ing it when I was too lazy to use CAD.

   I do know this, I enjoy the benefits of working with products that achieve the goals I desire and do it well. Your product is 1 of those. Hats off to you and your efforts. In my experiences with the businessmen and women of Mach and CncZone, I have been nothing but impressed.

   In fact I would go further and say, if everyone turned off their divisive TV's and came to sites like these, their confidence in humans would only go up.

                         John

432

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Newfangled wizards for Mach4

« on: November 12, 2012, 07:09:18 PM »

Wow, I had no idea. That is amazingly useful. I can't wait to go out in the garage and try it.

433

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Newfangled wizards for Mach4

« on: November 12, 2012, 02:25:46 PM »

Ron, I was just reading about chaining operations together. Are you telling me that right now in Mach3 with your addon (which I have 2.86) I could say do a pocket in the X/y axis using the wizard generate the code and then generate a code for a hole drilling operation and then copy them together without extensive understanding of G Code? I have always used each operation individually but would enjoy doing a multi op job. Would this allow for tool changes too?

434

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 12, 2012, 02:10:02 PM »

demo NFW? Newfangled's wizards?

435

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 12, 2012, 01:02:05 PM »

I am not sure of the bubbling upwards but it will cause gumming up the flutes and breaking the cutter. It will also make some metals harder as it is heating up and tempering it. Perfect your lettering and the like on some scraps first.

436

General Mach Discussion / Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 12, 2012, 09:37:05 AM »

BR, I had posted the pics just for clarification of terms on the tools he is using.

   Though I use a drill point all the time for chamfering.

437

General Mach Discussion / Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 12, 2012, 08:35:52 AM »

Just for clarification which tool.

438

General Mach Discussion / Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 12, 2012, 07:09:53 AM »

Btw, I too get great results in MDF only to experience some frustration after moving over to aluminum. I also can cut real fast and deep in the wood. But it isn't quite so impressive (it is to me) in metals.

On the engraving hopefully someone else will chime in. I have always understood it is a high rpm tool. At .06125 diameter it should be fast. IIRC engraving is generally a single pass but I could be wrong.

  Personally I would take a piece of scrap aluminum. Choose 1 letter. Fix the rpm at 6000. Cut the letter (shallow depth of cut, single pass) at a feed rate you know won't break your tool. Then look at the results. Move over an inch. Reset my X and Y coordinates to 0. Use the feed rate over ride button and reduce the feed rate say 25% and rerun the letter. Does it get better or worse? I am betting this v tool you are referring to ( if it is an engraving tool) is a single flute.

439

General Mach Discussion / Home/limits settings

« on: November 12, 2012, 06:46:57 AM »

Do not be ashamed for thinking Mach is complicated, it is. Especially if you are new to this. The mathematics, electronics, computers and then right when you think it is going to be easy, the difficulty of machining and materials jumps up. It is a challenge for sure.

Yes there are 2 settings for debounce. One is for spindle indexing. It is the interval setting you need. Place a number in the dialog box and press enter or it won't save. Though this setting will not cause a problem if you keep the numbers low as I suggested, the more I think about what you are saying. It appears more like the trigger isn't being recognized more than a false trip.

   Regarding the ref boxes being green upon restart. In my experience they  always are red upon start up, I then ref all ( in my understanding this gives a fresh point, removing any positional loss from previous runs and zeroes everything back out) then all turn green. I believe there is a setting on the general config page that will keep the settings constant when Mach shut downs but I have not had much luck yet. I in the name of safety and to minimize my tool loss find it easier to ref all at the beginning of the day and then proceed.

   When you hit the machine coordinates button after a ref command (remember the ref all command should make the axis move until it hits the switch, it then sets all of the dros to zero) pressing the machine coordinates button again should give you your work offset if you had touched a piece you were going to work on. Machine coordinates should always be the same as this is telling you  the limits of the physical machine. In truthfulness you can set this incorrectly but that is topic for later.

   You mention that 3 of the 4 axis do ref correctly. Do you have a 4th axis? Does it have switches? Anyway does it do anything different if you press the ref all button on the main or program page?

One other thing if Hood contradicts anything I said. Follow his advice as he explains much clearer and knows much more than I.

440

General Mach Discussion / Re: Questions 1st Aluminum Cut Sample

« on: November 11, 2012, 11:01:18 PM »

  I meant a lead in for cutting the openings not letters. Do you have a center drill? I was just reading in the "show and tell" section here and there is a thread "bike part" where he uses a center drill for the engraving and has very good results. He didnt think so but i did. The shorter and more rigid the tool, least amount of stickout and w secure workholding will give the best results.