Messages

41

General Mach Discussion / corners getting radiused at higher speed on plasma table

« on: January 29, 2012, 08:57:15 AM »

If I try to cut thin material on my plasma table, any inside sharp 90 degree corners end up getting a large radius ( around 3/8 radius), except where the cut starts and stops.
If I cut any ouside 90 degree corners, the corner comes out perfect.
Any ideas?
I've increased my acceleration rate to 40, but the problem persists.
Dan

42

General Mach Discussion / Re: homing and limit issues

« on: December 12, 2011, 06:20:37 PM »

That was it !! For the life of me I couldn't find the fix in the manual. I was afraid to try anything for fear of bending my gantry.
Thanks so much !!
Dan

43

General Mach Discussion / homing and limit issues

« on: December 12, 2011, 05:52:46 PM »

I just finished building a plasma table, but need a bit of help with homing and limit switches.
here's a basic description of my setup;
My table is 50" by 50" square. the x and z axis uses one stepper motor each, but the y axis has 2 motors to drive the gantry.
I have home switches for the x and y axis (home is located at the upper left of my table), and the z home switch is located on the floating head.
I also have limit switches for the x and y , but the z axis has 2 (upper and lower). In theory, the lower limit will never be tripped because it trips when the torch is below the work table height.( I feel safer having it).

Here's where I get stumped !!
When I reference "x", it works perfectly by going to the left and returns a bit when it hits the home switch, but when I reference "y", only one motor stops and returns a bit like it supposed to. The other motor just keeps going !!
How do I make both motors stop and return  together?

Thanks, Dan

44

General Mach Discussion / Re: HELP !! Been running Mach for 3 years, now it's locking up !!

« on: October 20, 2011, 08:49:04 PM »

Thanks !!
Everything seems to be working now.
I guess it wasn't really locked up then, it was probably searching for the files.
Dan

45

General Mach Discussion / Re: HELP !! Been running Mach for 3 years, now it's locking up !!

« on: October 20, 2011, 09:15:36 AM »

Try loading the Gcode from the computer NOT the network. I think you are having network issues and Mach cannot find the files. 

(;-) TP

I couldn't even get that far !! As soon I hit "load g-code", nothing else would work.

Here's an update though !! Last night, I restarted Mach, and tried to load a g-code and sure enough the hour glass came on and Mach locked up. I left it like overnight, and when I checked it this morning, the g-code was loaded ! WTF !! I'm stumped.
I closed Mach then restarted, and now I'm able to load a g-code.
This is great, but I would sure like to know what happened.

Have you tried reinstalling mach?
I once had a similar problem and a reinstall cured it.
Al

If I copy the .XML file (I named it wrong in my last post)is it just a matter of pasting it in the new Mach install ? I realize that I will lose my tool offsets, but I don't want to lose all my pinouts .
Thanks Guys !!
Dan

46

General Mach Discussion / Re: HELP !! Been running Mach for 3 years, now it's locking up !!

« on: October 19, 2011, 11:14:17 PM »

I'm running Windowx XP SP2.
I have not changed anything on the computer !! The affected computer is mounted to my CNC mill. I have a LAN setup here at home and all my CAD/CAM is done on a separate computer. I have recently added another computer to the LAN (CNC Plasma Table), but never changed anything to the mill computer.
I'm thinking of reloading Windows in the morning because I don't know what else to try.
I usually get a drop down screen to chose where to get the g-code from, but I don't even make it there. As soon as I hit "Load G-code", everything goes dead.
I'm OK with computers, but don't want to go through the nightmare again of having to reinput all the parameters in Mach if I have to get another computer. I made a copy of the .XLS file, so if I do infact get another computer, is it just a matter of reinstalling Mach and then load the .XLS file ?
Thank-you.

47

General Mach Discussion / HELP !! Been running Mach for 3 years, now it's locking up !!

« on: October 19, 2011, 08:19:50 PM »

I'm in panic mode here, because I have no idea how to fix this issue !!

Mach fires up normally when I click on the icon. Once it's running, everything seems to be working fine until I try to "Load a G-code".
As soon as I try to load a file, I get an hour glass and everything freezes up. The only way to get out is with ctrl-alt-del . After I shut down Mach and go back to my desktop, re clicking the Mach icon will not fire it up again. I then have to reboot my computer to be able to start Mach again, but the same problem persists. I have tried to do a system restore all the way back to August (I know Mach was working then ) but I still cannot load any g-code files. Thanks for any help !!
Dan

48

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why can't I get full screen ?

« on: September 23, 2011, 04:04:32 PM »

Will do !! Thanks Hood 

49

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why can't I get full screen ?

« on: September 23, 2011, 02:58:25 PM »

Something must have been screwed up, because now all the text is fine. Before, it was kinda hard to read, and some of the letters only showed half !!

50

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why can't I get full screen ?

« on: September 23, 2011, 02:56:32 PM »

Well, That was weird !!
I tried to open "mach3Mill", with the round icon and it opened in small screen.
I opened mach 3 loader, then mach mill and it opened in large screen.
I tried to re open "plasma", now it opens in large screen !!
Actually, now everything opens in large screen !!
I'm confused, but happy  
I guess I'll never know now what happened  
Thanks for your help !!
Dan