Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: How to enter&set a new arbitrary tool position without zeroing it?

« on: July 11, 2021, 08:42:14 AM »

Go to the MDI tab - the second from the left -  just above the [RESET] button is [Input] -- enter G0 z-10 then reset the Z axis to 0.0000

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 25, 2020, 07:24:55 PM »

Two reasons Graham  -   One is that I always like to know how things work since that gives me a better understanding when thing (inevitably) go wrong,  but the more important reason is that I can't get the Wizards to work 

I have found the Wizards List as you point out and can select [Circular Pocket] or any of them for that matter but whatever I do after changing the parameters and clicking on [Post Code] when I click on [EXIT] nothing happens and I have to close Mach3 and re-start it      so obviously there is no code in the window.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: G82 Drilling Cycle

« on: July 25, 2020, 02:44:42 PM »

Right click and drag ?
Tweakie.

Thought you might like to know that I've found the answer to this issue.   It's all about settings in [Config][Tool Paths]. Once I'd found that I had much more control and could decide for myself how I wanted the Tool Paths Window to look.

It's not perfect, and I'll do some more experimenting, but much better that the view I was getting by default.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 25, 2020, 10:34:48 AM »

A quick scan though the Mach2 Custom .PDF seems to indicate that there is a probability that it will contain useful information when I have done a bit more study.

Currently I'm looking carefully at the Mach4 GCode Manual which is certainly more comprehensive than any previous G-Code tutorial I've seen -- specifically detailing the parameters expected for each code and providing explanations as to what each is expected to do.

It may well be that some of the codes have seen embellishment or at least 'tweaking' but I suspect that in general I can use the information for testing.

Having hand-coded a program to cut a circular pocket, clearing all the internal waste material away -  and realizing how tedious changing many lines of code can be, not to mention the fact that I now have to do the same to mill the thread, with each pass needing to feed the cutter a little deeper (increased radius) --- I'm considering writing a Program (in Pascal) to enter the various potential variables -- Pocket dia. & depth, Tool dia., Feed rate etc. which will then output the G-Code with all the many lines of code taking account of each 'pass' needed.  It won't be a 10 minute exercise though 

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 25, 2020, 09:09:16 AM »

Thanks for the link Tweakie but it doesn't give me much benefit 

There are a few 'links' which simply say something to the effect that "This is available on the Web and hasn't been archived" but doesn't provide a link to where it is on the web.

Also. there are many entries in the contents tree with no links at all ----  not at all what I expected a 'Wiki' to be.

Is it reasonable to expect the Wizards to work as expected or is this another of those issues that have been sidelined by the fact the Mach4 is now taking all the development resource and Mach3 is 'as is' ?  (like the G41, G42 offset issue I came across)

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 25, 2020, 07:09:12 AM »

My workshop system did not have the -29 Z offset and when I closed the Office system & re-opened it - nor did that ??   How it became set to that figure will no doubt remain a mystery.

I've successfully cut the 'pocket' which is the 22mm deep bore for the 80mm thread so I have moved forward a great deal.  What I am now somewhat concerned about is the fact that clicking on the link A Wiki containing all the customization information for Mach3 just gives me a blank page and  the [Wizards] do not do what the Mach3Mill_1.84.pdf describes.

For instance I can select the [Circular Pocket] Wizard and I do get the screen display as shown on page 23 of the 'Manual' - Fig.3.8 I can modify the tool and pocket size but neither CW (M3) nor CCW (M4) are lit (even when I enter a spindle speed) and when I [Post Code] nothing changes and [EXIT] does not return me to the 'normal' screen and I can't find any way to regain control without closing & re-opening Mach3.
It is not just this 'Wizard' - I have tried [Thread Milling] and can't even change from inch to mm in that - again [EXIT] does not return me to 'Normal'.

I'm sure that once I can get more than a blank screen from the Wiki link many of my questions will be answered 

 

17

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 24, 2020, 07:36:47 PM »

Certainly not your English TPS  -  that is vastly superior to my German    -  more likely to be my understanding.

I haven't yet tested this on my 'Real' system  -  it's on my simulation Office PC so no 'Hardware' attached  -  also it hasn't happened previously and I'm sure I've specified less than Z -71 in the past (I could well be mistaken though  ).


I will check the setting in the workshop system in the morning but I'd like to know how I can change the -29 to 0 -- as I've said I have no hardware attached so there surely must be a way to modify it.

18

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 24, 2020, 01:42:15 PM »

That was quick TPS !!   


I've found the [Diagnostics] and see that Z has a work offset 0f -29  which makes absolute sense BUT  I can't find a way to change that to zero.  -   I can simply type '0' over the -29 but can't see a [Save] and the figure returns to -29 when I go back to the Program Run page.

I have to stop programming for the evening - I'm due to host a Zoom Quiz at 6:45      -  I'll look in later though.

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting a Circle - Figures don't add up!

« on: July 24, 2020, 01:17:39 PM »

Progressing a little further, I'm now wanting to cut a circular 'pocket' - well the outside - and I'd like it to be 22mm deep.
The top of the work is at Z= -52 so starting a Z= -51 to provide a 'Z lead-in' so that there is no plunge entry, I'm using G2 with the Z parameter changing at each pass by 2mm I want to get down to Z = -74 but, in the simulation, I'm getting a [Soft Limits] error when Z is below -71     

This is the program I'm simulating :

Code: [Select]

%
O0010  (Bore ready to Thread Mill 80 x 3.NC)

N10 (Author - JG  - 24 July 2020)
N20 (for Denford MicroRouter Compact under Mach3 V2)
N30 (Thread Milling 80 x 3mm    -   bore = 76.75 - R= 38.376)
N40 (T3 D=8 Flatt End Mill to remove centre)
N45 (T4 D=24.32 Thread Mill cutter)
N50 (units mm)
N60 (X & Y 0 in MACHINE centre)
        (X Min = -200, X Max +200)
        (Y Min = -100, Y Max = +100)
        (Z Max = 0 at top    Z Min = -100)

N100 G17 G21 G00          (set up XY Plane & Metric - fast traverse)
N110 X34.0762 Y0 Z-51    (move XY & Z     -    Determine Z by reference to work)
N120 S8000 M3                 (set spindle speed & start spindle)
N130 F3000                        (set feed rate  -  simulation )
N140 G2 I-34.0762 J0 Z-52    (cut Circle about 0,0 feeding Z 2mm)
N150 I-34.0762 J0 Z-54
N160 I-34.0762 J0 Z-56
N170 I-34.0762 J0 Z-58
N180 I-34.0762 J0 Z-60
N190 I-34.0762 J0 Z-62
N200 I-34.0762 J0 Z-64
N210 I-34.0762 J0 Z-66
N220 I-34.0762 J0 Z-68
N230 I-34.0762 J0 Z-70
N240 I-34.0762 J0 Z-71
N250 I-34.0762 J0
(N260 I-34.0762 J0)        (Cut flat bottom    NO Z change)

N1450 M05           (Turn spindle off)

N1500 G00 X0 Y0 Z0  (move tool at fast rate to 0 0 0)
N1510 M30           (Close Program)
%

The error appears if I set Z in N240 to -72   --   I would expect (in theory) to be able to go to -100, there will of course be other factors such as tool length that will preclude that, but I'm not setting a tool Nº which might confuse the issue anywhere.

A separate question  -  after each rotation (line of G-Code  N140 - N240) there is a tool 'dwell'; can this be eliminated so that the program simply runs a continuous cycle ?
 

20

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutting under or over size depending on software

« on: July 23, 2020, 11:36:35 AM »

Hi Paul,  I'm also very new to G-Code but my approach is to get an understanding of what G-Code does by writing short and very simple programs by hand to see EXACTLY what happens.

Over the past week I've learned a great deal by making silly errors and having them corrected by the other learned folk on the forum.

If you don't know what (say) G30 or G17 or G54 does then reading through a program generated by some CAM program is not likely to make a lot of sense.