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Messages - bdmsb

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1
General Mach Discussion / Re: Laser pointers to set starting mill position
« on: December 06, 2009, 10:25:55 PM »
I bought this laser edge finder:

http://www.lasercenteredgefinder.com/main.html

It serves my needs perfectly. I'm using it to index off a known point on a work piece I need to duplicate. I find it exceptionally handy for previewing the tool path of a program before I run it, and for measuring positions with the DRO. Thanks for the referral.



2
General Mach Discussion / Re: Laser pointers to set starting mill position
« on: November 28, 2009, 07:28:33 PM »
Google returns no links for "Zarzul".

3
General Mach Discussion / Where can I learn about macros?
« on: November 28, 2009, 04:22:43 PM »
The downloaded Mach3 instructions say:

    The Operator>Macros menu item displays a dialog which allows you to see the currently
    installed macros, to Load, Edit and Save or Save As the text.

But I find no such menu item under Operator.
Where can I learn about macros, how to use them, and how to write them?

4
General Mach Discussion / Re: Laser pointers to set starting mill position
« on: November 28, 2009, 02:11:51 PM »
My work mostly consists of milling operations on plastic materials. I need to index off a corner of a new piece, and the corner is often a raised edge inside the mill vice, too low for a wiggler. My accuracy requirements are modest. But the laser seems to offer something unique ... the ability to run through a program and verify the cut path on the workpiece. This would be a huge asset to me.

5
General Mach Discussion / Laser pointers to set starting mill position
« on: November 28, 2009, 11:50:32 AM »
Are there inexpensive laser pointers available to chuck in the mill spindle and point me to a reference point on a work piece? Most common laser pointers are too bright and the spot is too big to set the origin. I built one once out of a "bullet" laser pointer but it was short lived and it seems like there ought to be a commercial one. I have seen expensive optical finders. There must be lower cost options these days.

6
General Mach Discussion / Re: How to install Shuttle Pro?
« on: November 28, 2009, 11:27:31 AM »
I'm new to Mach3 and had no idea there were other choices for a pendant. I got the ShuttlePro because I saw one at a friend's house. But then I suppose it might have taken me a long time to learn about the alternatives had I not asked questions about the one I bought. The USB interface works for me as I have only one parallel port. It's tempting to build a custom gizmo, but it quickly becomes a question of whether I want to build tools or use them. Time is short (and getting shorter).

7
General Mach Discussion / Re: How to install Shuttle Pro?
« on: November 27, 2009, 07:01:47 PM »
Sorry to have wasted your time. You were right. Removing the installed driver makes it work fine. It's really a very handy pendant. You ought to try it.

Thanks for your help and your patience.

8
General Mach Discussion / Re: How to install Shuttle Pro?
« on: November 27, 2009, 06:51:23 PM »
That's a start, thanks. I have enabled the ShuttlePro from "Config Plugins" but the system seems to have acquired molasses. Operation is sluggish and the ShuttlePro is slow to respond. After I release the jog wheel it continues to feed motion commands to the mill for several seconds because they sem to have "backed up" in a queue. I did NOT uninstall the ShuttlePro driver from their CD. Does someone have personal experience with this accessory?


9
General Mach Discussion / How to install Shuttle Pro?
« on: November 27, 2009, 06:05:59 PM »
I have received a Shuttle Pro and installed in on the PC but can't find any instructions in the Mach3 literature for how to make it available to the program.

10
General Mach Discussion / Re: Handwheels stall the table easily
« on: November 25, 2009, 03:44:55 PM »
I'm using Parker Hannifin OEM 650s matched properly to the motor current as best as I can tell, though the motors never get more than warm to the touch. The drivers do power down at idle, so it's hard to judge drive power from motor temperature.

I find that, when milling a 1 inch hole, I get a lot of jitter in the X axis unless I feed slower than 10 ipm.

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