Messages

21

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach4 + Sherline lathe help - stuck at g1/G01 and M3

« on: September 06, 2023, 06:10:55 AM »

From your original post I can't tell but is the lathe setup to where you can jog it around with the keyboard? I setup a friend's lathe many years ago on mach3 and the only thing different was ports and pins. He used to make pens on it. Hundreds.

Is the biggest problem getting code generated? Or running the code?

22

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach4 + Sherline lathe help - stuck at g1/G01 and M3

« on: September 06, 2023, 05:57:02 AM »

This is probably not what you want to hear but 99% of my lathe code is hand scratched. I'm very picky on how I want the lathe to move and end up editing most of it anyway. Try creating your code in the edit gcode window and run the code to simulate and see if it does what you want. If there are complex curves use a CAM program to generate the finish pass. Now that I have been doing it a while I end up with much more efficient code. One of the programs right off the cam program was over 6 minutes. With some tweaks and combining moves that part is made in 3 and a half minutes. Many advantages to understanding gcode.

23

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Set Tool Number in Gcode?

« on: September 05, 2023, 07:09:09 PM »

That would be great. I have to learn Lua. So many things would be doable if i had a good understanding

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Set Tool Number in Gcode?

« on: September 05, 2023, 05:51:17 PM »

Yeah I realize that but if i forget to do that and that #2 tool change gets skipped I have a ruined part. I'll just have to find a way to ignore the display.

25

Mach4 General Discussion / Set Tool Number in Gcode?

« on: September 05, 2023, 05:04:23 PM »

Is it possible to set the tool number in Gcode? I have been searching all the docs and it seems like the answer is no.

I run my program the first time and tool number is one. Stops for the tool change (T2 M6) and tool number changes to 2. Awesome
Run the same program the second time. Tool number is still 2. Ignores the tool change because tool number matches the tool needed.
Added an unwanted tool change (T1 M6) so now i have to click cycle start twice every time i run after the first time to change the tool number back to 1.
Edited the M6 script forcing the stop at all M6 commands so no tool change is ignored. Awesome
Now the tool number is always 2.

I can live with that because it funtions the way i want it to. But thought I would ask. Is there a way to reset the tool number using a Gcode command? This way I could put the M6 macro back together, set the tool number to match the first tool in all my code, and skip the first tool change and not have to click twice!

But I think i already know the answer.

26

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Proper Manual Tool Change

« on: September 04, 2023, 09:00:19 PM »

Ok I just noticed today that a newer version of mach4 was available. Installed it and it appears that the problem is fixed. I'm going to fun all day Wednesday so we shall see.

27

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Proper Manual Tool Change

« on: September 03, 2023, 07:56:04 AM »

The G54 had no effect on the situation. I think I need to learn Lua so I can modify my M6 macro. Something Like This....

Call G6
Get x, y, z machine coordinates stored in variables
move the machine so I can touch off a known height
manually change Z height in DRO
manually move Z to a safe height
Click cycle start
change Machine coordinates to match current position
end G6

Does that sound like Mach3?
Thats what I have done for years when I had Mach3.

Is there a list of core variables somewhere so I can start experimanting with Lua?
 

28

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Proper Manual Tool Change

« on: September 03, 2023, 06:12:53 AM »

Thank you I will check into that.

29

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Proper Manual Tool Change

« on: September 02, 2023, 08:47:22 PM »

Yes I checked all that. After a little more digging I found that I'm not the only one it's happened to and I could not find a fix for the proble.. I guess the only way is to write  or edit my M6 macro. I have absolutely no Dea how to do that. If I did I would write one so it worked just like mach3. Touch off somewhere, set z, and hit cycle start and off we go. I'll have to find a work around for now. I have parts to make that can't wait. Not sure why it's not already built into mach4. It works on every machine.

30

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Start Cycle with a Push Button in Mach4

« on: September 02, 2023, 12:20:05 PM »

I just checked the blog and that is exactly what I did. It's been 2 years so it took a while before I remembered how to do it.



Changed from this....


[mc.ISIG_INPUT1] = function (state) -- this is an example for a condition in the signal table.
--   if (state == 1) then   
--       CycleStart()
--   else
--       mc.mcCntlFeedHold (0)
--   end

end,


To this.....


[mc.ISIG_INPUT0] = function (state) -- this is an example for a condition in the signal table for input zer0.
   if (state == 1) then   
       CycleStart()
   end
end,


Now both the mill and lathe have working cycle start buttons.