Messages

531

General Mach Discussion / Using Mach 3 for a Rostock Delta printer

« on: February 15, 2014, 03:54:07 PM »

I'm building a Rostock Delta style printer.  I'd really like to use Mach 3 to drive it. However it is not a cartesian XYZ axis arrangement.  Instead there are 3 vertical linear axis arranged in a triangle. Z moves involve moving all three axis at the same time, as do X and Y moves.  So the computer must calculate the kinematics and move the axis appropriately.  So the question here is could this be accomplished by Mach 3?  Could a plugin be written to handle the kinematics?  I am not a programmer, I'm the mechanical guy. However my buddy who is actually getting the printer is something of a computer whiz and could probably pull this off if it was possible.

Thanks.

532

Tangent Corner / Re: Side Effects

« on: January 31, 2014, 08:20:18 PM »

When you add energy to a system (warming) the oscillations get bigger, hotter summers and colder winters.  It may be cold now but summer temps are going to set records too.

533

General Mach Discussion / Re: How fast?

« on: January 21, 2014, 07:53:50 PM »

The only reason I might have for moving fast is that I am mounting an extruder head on the machine for 3D printing.

Wow! Can you elaborate on this. I did not that one could buy an extruder head to mount on a CNC mill. Info please? Links?

Join the RepRap forum.  Lots of people building their own machines. A 3d printer is basicly a very lightly built CNC that moves very fast if possible. When I look at pictures of most of them my brain just screams "IT"S NOT STIFF!!!" and then I read the tales of woe about ripples in the print etc.  I am anxious to see what my machine, which has a build envelope of about 12" x 12" x 18" high and is made from very stiff and accurate THK rails can do.

A few guys with machines running Mach 3, you use the spindle stepper output to drive the stepper motor on the extruder.  I bought an extruder kit from QU'BD and that was a mistake.  It looks very nice, but it has so many flaws you have to conclude it was designed by someone that has never seen a 3D printer!  As a result I haven't gotten mine working yet because I am making some new parts for it.  Fortunately I have a CNC not a 3d printer with an extruder that doesn't work. There are some good ones out there and it pays to ask those who are actually using them.

I also bought a temperature controller and a silicone heater for the build platform as I am interested in doing materials that need the heated bed or they warp. A word of warning, the parts sold for 3D printers are often poorly designed and even more poorly made! "Oh! you want mounting holes on that circuit board? Do they have to line up?" What a circus! However I am trying to join so who am I to complain?

534

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach4 tapping video

« on: January 20, 2014, 05:51:14 PM »

RPMS a tad low or feed a tad high?

535

Tangent Corner / Re: Thread Milling cutters

« on: January 17, 2014, 07:21:22 PM »

Yes, you  are right they very well could be.  I thinking in milling terms.

536

General Mach Discussion / Re: UC100 interference - Ethernet better?

« on: January 17, 2014, 07:20:13 PM »

My Yuelihing board is USB and I have no interference problems. However I have absolutely everything shielded, including the USB cable but most are not. Ethernet might be better, simply because it can be used up to 100 meters while USB is good for about 5 meters. Are you cables all shielded?

537

General Mach Discussion / Re: Touch Probe Problem

« on: January 17, 2014, 02:07:30 PM »

A 1K resistor limits the load on the input to 5 milliamps. Your 36 ohm resistor puts a 138 milliamp load on the input and could potentially damage it, depending on how the circuit is built. Get the right one, right away!

538

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cable Carrier

« on: January 17, 2014, 01:57:13 PM »

Even so-called self-lubricating materials benefit from initial lubrication. Silicone spay is an excellent choice for this and it won't hurt the cables.

539

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cable Ducts

« on: January 17, 2014, 01:53:31 PM »

Push the cover hard towards one side, then lift on that side. Alternately pull on the cover on one corner then run a finger under the cover popping the base fingers loose as you go. Small shallow ones like you are using are the toughest. Deeper ones are much easier.

540

Tangent Corner / Re: Thread Milling cutters

« on: January 17, 2014, 11:33:36 AM »

I would say that the internal insert has greater relief. On the outside of a part the surface curves away from the insert. In a hole the surface curves towards the tool so it could rub if you don't have enough relief.  I would guess that an internal insert might work okay for occasional outside threading. Certainly worth a try I would think. If I only had a couple of threads to do that is what I would do.