Topics

11

General Mach Discussion / tooling (please move if needed)

« on: October 25, 2010, 12:11:31 PM »

Being new to all this I was wondering if anyone knew of a guide to tooling on lathes and milling machines etc ? a sort of what is used for what if you get my meanings.

Any pdf etc for me to sit and read would be great
 

12

Tangent Corner / A quick tool guide

« on: October 24, 2010, 07:04:47 PM »

Being new to all this I was wondering if anyone knew of a guide to tooling on lathes and milling machines etc ? a sort of what is used for what if you get my meanings.

Any pdf etc for me to sit and read would be great

13

Share Your GCode / Code conversions

« on: October 19, 2010, 08:04:12 PM »

please dont think I'm stupid I have trouble reading things and understanding.

I have gone back to school so to speek to learn cnc more as a hobby I always wanted to do.
we have to write the code in word or note pad. this bit of code is used to do the job.
this is a snipet of code we used to cut a small nameplate
Start
%                  
O0020(Rik outer name plate)
N10   G90  G21 G54            
N20   G40 80            
N30   T10 M06            
N40   G0 X0               
N50   G0 X-20 Y-20 S1000 M13
N60   G43 H10 G0 z3
N70   G0 Z-3 F50
N80   G41 G01 X-5 Y-3 D10 F75      
N90   G01  X-5 Y3
N100   G01 X-3 Y5
N110   G01 X33 Y5
N120   G01 X35 Y3
N130   G01 X33 Y-3
N140   G01 X33 Y-5
N150   G01 X-3 Y-5
N160   G01 X-5 Y-3
N170    G0 Z50
N180   G40 G0 X-20 Y20
N190   M05
N200    M09
N210   G28 G0 Z100
N220   G28 G0 Y100
N230   M30   
%                  

Iam reading the manual I am strugling a little to get my head round it.  I know this bit of code ref to offsets etc in the machine we are using but my main question is sort of I know
the program we use at college is alphacam and this outputs the code to the machine we use there.What do I need to do to get the code to output to a format that mach3 understands?
Or am I comming at this from thw wrong way, please tell me if I am being dumb on this I jst have not got my head round how things go, Hood did a bit of code for me and I was very greatfull for the pointers I get that I dont need the line numbers I think but the rest at the moment is I think over my head or I am just slooooow at this lol

14

General Mach Discussion / Starting from scratch.

« on: October 10, 2010, 07:33:15 PM »

Hello all My name is Rik And I am from th UK east coast, Hull.

My wife says I'm having a mid life hell I'm only 37.
Anyway got the news going to be laid off in December, work at the same place for over 3 years now but chane is afoot so last in first out.

I have always wanted to machine mill and lathe I was a thin plate welder for a long while.
I had a bit of a car accident and this left me disabled can not lift very well, I managed to stick a steering wheel in my chest.

So moved into computers and networking its good but there is nothing to show for your work at the end of the day and I miss this.
So I have gone to college and enroled on a course to learn CNC machining Both CNC
I love the course so have nade the jump to buy a small lathe and milling machine.
I have not got them yet but every sat morning and sunday is now spent reading manuals etc to be able to at least have a go on the machines when we get them here.

So This will be a blogg of the ups and downs as I try to turn a hobby into a bussines from home to start and then just to see what goes.

I may well from time to time ask questions as I belive we need to pass on the knowlage or it will be lost.

So please bear with me  and point me true when I go a stray lol

15

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / New to this so sorry for dumbnes

« on: October 07, 2010, 07:33:59 PM »

Ok I am trying to get with it on mach3.
the help I need is that at college and yes I am a first year mature student.

I have tried to enter the G code we used, but getting errors I thought alll code format was standard but now I am thinking not.
Start ( S:Spindle Speed: T:Tool Number: R:Arc radius: T:Tool Number: )
%                  (handshake with machine) ( %: Start or end of program )
O0040(Rik Hutchcroft Name Plate) ( O:Subroutine label number:0040 )
N10   G90  G21 G54         (set absolute, metric & datum) ( G90:Absolute prog G21:Prog in mm G54:Zero offset #1 )
N20   G40 G80             (cutter compensation& canned cycle cancel) ( G40:Tool radius comp off G80:Cancel canned cycle )
N30    T03 M06            (tool change 3mm slot) ( T:Tool Number:03  M06:Tool change )
N40   G0 X0               (rapid move to safe position) ( G00:Rapid positioning X:0         

Wher ehave I gone wrong? Please  I have to use alphacam at college and its nothing like this where the hell do I start.

Sorry for rant but getting frustrated now
N50   G0 X0 M13 S2000         (rapid to first hole spindle c/w 2000 rpm coolant on) ( G00:Rapid positioning X:0  M13:?? S:Spindle Speed:2000          )
N60   G43 G0 Z3 H03         (tool length comp +ve rapid to 3mm above surface) ( G43:Tool offset compensation positive G00:Rapid positioning Z:3  H:Tool length offset index:03          )
N70    G81 X0 Y0 Z-5 R3 F50      (drill cycle x0 y0 z-5 retract 3 feed 50) ( G81:Drilling to final depth canned cycle X:0  Y:0  Z:-5  R:Arc radius:3  F:Feedrate:50       )
N80   X30 Y0            (drill second hole co’ds only needed ( X:30  Y:0             )
N90   G80               (canned cycle cancle) ( G80:Cancel canned cycle )
N100   M05               (spindle stop) ( M05:Spindle Stop )
N110   M09               (coolant stop) ( M09:Mist Coolant Device Off )
N120   G28 G0 Z100         (return to ref point rapid to z100 1st) ( G28:Return to home pos G00:Rapid positioning Z:100          )
N130   G28 G0 Y100         (return to ref point rapid to y100 1st) ( G28:Return to home pos G00:Rapid positioning Y:100          )
N140   M30               (end of program (tape rewind)) ( M30:End program...rewind stop )
%                  (end handshake) ( %: Start or end of program )

16

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 in relation to alphaCam

« on: October 03, 2010, 01:51:26 PM »

Well to stat with hello people.

I am really new to all this and have or will have 2 new bits of kit soon
both denford
a starmill and a starturn both converted to work with mach3 hence the posts on here.

Now the fun starts I am at college (mature student 37) doing a city and guilds in CNC operation.
I always wanted to learn cnc and love making little things here and there.

Enter mid life crisis or so says the wife and the news of being made redundent at christmas.
So time to get off my arse and do IT.

At the college they use alphaCam to run the machine we are learning on a Dugard Eagle 1000/Fanuc 0i_MB Controller.
With being really new I am not sure of the differance between the two, so is there anyone out there that could give me a few pointers please.
I am in the middle of reading the manual so please bear with me In alphacam we saved the Gcode to a file and sent it to the mill is this the same with mach3?