Topics

21

Feature Requests / SNMP Status

« on: May 08, 2013, 07:06:32 AM »

That's it really, this would allow the use of any network connected device with SNMP monitoring software to poll the status of the machine, as little as once a minute would be fine, and sound an alarm in the event of an error or job completion,
Simples ;-)
ATB,
Nick

22

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / My Benchtop Mill

« on: May 06, 2013, 03:24:57 PM »

This is my benchtop mill -



I bought it with known stepping problems at higher motor speeds and swapped out the motor & drive to resolve the problems, the new motor & drive give me 0 - 6000 rpm adding a spare PC, monitor and peripherals got me up and running with Mach3.
Some keypad controlled surfacing cuts confirmed it would do what milling I needed.

Todays project was to fit the mysterious spare engraving spindle that came with my Gravograph pantograph engraving machine, drive it from a custom made pulley on the mill spindle and give it some sprung Z freedom whilst keeping X & Y nice & rigid.
This is what I came up with - 



Using a custom bracket mounted on a micrometer ball slide it allows drag and cut engraving of existing uneven and curved surfaces and gives me 0 - 28000 rpm, the ball slide now resides at end of travel held by a coil spring, with the micrometer providing pre-load adjustment on the spring.
This is a drag engraving test with a non-rotating diamond tipped engraving tool -



Now I just need to make up a plate for the table that allows full use of the X/Y envelope for engraving and make an engraving vice for holding all the odd things that I get asked to engrave,
ATB,
Nick

23

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / BobCad/Cam setting incorrect measurement units in Gcode

« on: May 05, 2013, 07:30:58 PM »

I've been having grief all evening with scaling and Mach3 reporting moves exceeding soft limits.
After pulling my hair out for a while I found that Mach3 mysteriously changed to inches every time I loaded the G-code.
Using an online G-Code reference to find the "Units" codes and then checking the output from BobCad/Cam revealed the G20 inch command.
With G20 edited to G21 the code runs great.

Units are set to mm in both Settings - Part and Settings - Default in BobCad/Cam V25, it's using the Mach3 no ATC post and units are set to mm in Mach3
Have I missed something?

24

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / All Dressed Up & No-Where To Go?

« on: April 23, 2013, 03:40:28 PM »

Having resolved some initial issues with my mill ( the DC spindle motor &/or drive kicking out enough EM inteference to cause occasional stepper jitter ) I now find myself with a fully functional benchtop CNC mill - and no means to generate code to run it.
I wondered does anyone have any suggestions for affordable CAD/CAM solutions for use alongside MACH3 for a complete newb hobbyist?
Any input would be greatly appreciated,
Regards,
Nick