Messages

31

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help stepper + drive

« on: August 27, 2018, 01:45:03 PM »

Yes it will work but I think you’d do better to get an equivalent Leadshine drive.  Still chinese but based on better technology and considered to be very good drives.

32

General Mach Discussion / Re: very newbie

« on: August 27, 2018, 01:38:38 PM »

Struggle is good, the lessons learned that way are the ones that stick. Once you have struggled to learn what the basics are you will far more from someone that then helps you. I have taught Cad and Cam to lots of people. If you don’t spend some struggle time my help is often wasted on you.

33

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Machine continues to run after MPG stop

« on: August 18, 2018, 11:12:42 PM »

The solution is simple. Cranking too fast gains you nothing, crank slower. Cranking fast you overflow the pulse input buffer and pulses are lost anyway. Now consider why it doesn’t stop when you stop. You see that you need to move over 0.020” so you turn the wheel 20 steps and stop. Without the buffer it would stop instantly but it  could stop short of the distance you wanted and you might spoil the part.

34

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: PoKeys57CNC and Single Index Pulse Threading

« on: August 13, 2018, 06:42:43 PM »

I thought of threading that way.  Do you unwind the spindle to get back to start or is there an easy way to set the spindle orientation to 0 and just run again?

35

General Mach Discussion / Selecting a laser

« on: August 08, 2018, 10:30:52 PM »

I want to add a laser to my machine specifically for cutting double faced adhesives and thin materials similar to paper. Can someone recommend a particular laser, lens, and power supply that will give decent results? Don’t want to spend time learning about the laser as I have need to cut prototypes right now.

Thanks,

36

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: PoKeys57CNC and Single Index Pulse Threading

« on: August 08, 2018, 10:23:46 PM »

Dan,
Thanks for the clarification. I have a pretty sweet setup with a 3 axis bed type design where the table is a 205 lb cast iron surface plate.  All THK 20mm ballscrews and heavy preload high speed rails for an 18” cube work envelope.  I have a Harbor Freight 7x12 lathe stripped of everything but the headstock, chuck, and tailstock. The tool post is an 0xo Tormach wedge style mounted alongside the mill spindle. Lathe spindle drive is 30mm wide 8mm HTD belt to provide stiffness for 4th axis work and the stepper drives with a 4 to 1 reduction ratio for 4th axis work.
I also have a Do-More BRX PLC to stepper control the lathe spindle and use Mach 3 for 4 axis work.

37

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: PoKeys57CNC and Single Index Pulse Threading

« on: August 08, 2018, 01:01:17 PM »

Dan,
Thanks for the info. I am a little disappointed your stepper and drives are already a lot bigger than mine. But CNC on small machines is more about not standing there for hours turning a hand crank, and instead working on other stuff while it chips away on its own.

38

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: PoKeys57CNC and Single Index Pulse Threading

« on: August 07, 2018, 07:12:12 PM »

Interesting videos for me.  I have a Nema 34 stepper driven lathe that I have not gotten operating yet but soon will.  What size is holding torque is your stepper and what voltage power supply is driving it?  I have a 1200 in/oz stepper with a 68vdc power supply using Leadshine digital step drive.  I only want to do occasional turning and it looks like yours works quite well.

39

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Tool Table Numbering Approach

« on: August 07, 2018, 07:03:10 PM »

Generally tool numbers make sense for tools that stay in a holder that repeats for tool length, such as TTS or Cat40.  We have a about 50 holders and have identified those tools that never come out of the holder unless broken or to be sharpened.  Those tools have a tiny dab of red anti-tamper paint on the joint. If it isn't broken you can trust the tool length to being the same.  For drills that are only used occasionally we have reserved a few numbers in a range and any tool in that range must have the length set before it can be used.

40

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 did not start router spindle automatic using SSR relay

« on: August 07, 2018, 01:05:16 PM »

You likely don’t have the M codes assigned to pin 17. F5 works because it is assigned to the spindle by Mach