Messages

641

General Mach Discussion / G41/G2 cutter comp

« on: May 13, 2013, 07:20:45 PM »

I have noticed that most software does the approach to the part with G41 or G42 with a single move. I have always done it with an additional very short (0.010") straight move after the G41/42 but  BEFORE plunging in with the Z axis.  I don't like the compensation being applied after the cutter is in the material as it often cuts material I'd like to keep. When trying to apply cutter comp to a small pocket the single move method may very well destroy your part.  The way I do it the cutter goes right into the pocket.  I also like to use a radius on and off the part, as the entry and exit points are not visible that way.

Another thing I do in the design phase of a part is I never make the inside radiuses on size for a standard end mill.  I typically design 1/4" radiuses as 0.260".  When cutting with a new full size cutter it sweeps the corner with clearance and doesn't chatter.  When someone else designed the part with a 0.250" radius I usually grab a reground end mill and sweep the corner that way.  At one shop I worked at I became very popular with the tool room guy because I was always asking for regrinds instead of new end mills.

Gary H. Lucas

642

General Mach Discussion / Re: If not LazyCam then what?

« on: May 13, 2013, 07:09:16 PM »

Gary,
I would suggest you try Cambam as it provides good code and has some nice features for the price. Only use it for the milling machine and assume
that is what your interested in. Any CAD work is done with AutoCad and for 3D Meshcam is used.
For the lathe Dolphin is used.

All the software is similar and what I like another would dislike so only you can judge a selection.


RICH

Rich,
I downloaded the trial version of CamBam, and I have the trial version of MeshCam already.  I have a project where most parts would be best in CamBam, but one part is probably a MeshCam candidate.

Gary H. Lucas

643

General Mach Discussion / Re: If not LazyCam then what?

« on: May 13, 2013, 07:06:52 PM »

There will always be new and better software coming along but who is to say that the old stuff is not still good ? (When Mach Rev4 arrives many will change camp but if Mach3 does the job...)

Tweakie.

Tweakie,
You are right about that.  I ran an old Bandit controller and it had a very good mill bore cycle that spiraled out then made a circular move back to center, and it was very gentle on the cutter.  Then I ran a 20 year newer Fadal and their mill bore cycle stuffed the end mill straight out from center into the material.  There was nothing you could do to prevent it from chattering badly!  I wrote my own subroutine instead.  However the Fadal had a macro language that was actually MBasic.  That worked very well.  I wrote a 50 line program that we used to cut a 12" x 18" x 7" deep pocket in steel with a 15 degree taper on the sides and rounded out corners.  The roughing operation took 70 passes with a insert mill, and the finishing was done with 700 passes using a cutter with circular inserts.

644

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 software hooks

« on: May 12, 2013, 09:21:33 PM »

I have to laugh that a CNC controller loads up a modern PC.  The old Bandit controller I used to run had the same processor as the Apple II!

Gary H. Lucas

645

General Mach Discussion / If not LazyCam then what?

« on: May 12, 2013, 09:17:43 PM »

I am playing with Lazy Cam and it is okay to me, but I understand it is a dead end.  So what is everyone using instead?  I worked as a CNC programmer for a year on a pair of Fadal machining centers where I did mostly castings from 50 year old prints, all hand coded. I then worked for four years doing prototypes on an old Bandit controller where my boss wrote me a DXF to Excel program, and an Excel to Bandit loader program. So I have worked with some less that cutting edge stuff!

Gary H. Lucas

646

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is LazyCam only partially functional in Mach 3 Demo?

« on: May 11, 2013, 08:58:57 AM »

Brett,
Thanks, that it what is happening, I am hitting the 50 line limit for the demo. My machine is running great under Mach 3, no glitches that weren't caused by me!  I am glad I took the time to get the hard limits and e-stop completely functional before trying to run it.  I have crashed into the end limits or hit the e-stop more times that I like to admit.  I will purchase a license today.

Gary H. Lucas

647

General Mach Discussion / Is LazyCam only partially functional in Mach 3 Demo?

« on: May 10, 2013, 09:29:18 PM »

Trying to create a G-code program for some hexagon holes and LazyCam seems to just produce coed for one of three, then a bunch of G40 G1 blocks. Is this because I don't have a license yet?

Thanks,

Gary H. Lucas

648

General Mach Discussion / Re: can mach3 run my cnc cold saw?

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:58:44 PM »

Forgot to explain what a Cold Saw is!  A cold saw uses a slow turning 30 to 80 rpm toothed high speed steel blade to cut metals in a milling type operation with coolant feed. The vise typically clamps both side of the cut, so pieces 1/8" long can be cut safely.  They are very precise, one I owned would produce a 100 pieces all within 0.001" of each other.  The cut is burr free and very smooth, like it was milled.  I bought one because when I sent out blocks of aluminum for machining I got charged more for squaring up the blocks in a mill than the rest of the operations.  Once the blocks were delivered accurately cut with no excess material to machine off the shops charged me a whole lot less. I cut the parts and stamped my part number on them at the same time, made it easy to identify what pieces got made into what parts.

Gary H. Lucas

649

General Mach Discussion / Re: can mach3 run my cnc cold saw?

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:50:20 PM »

I've owned a couple of cold saws and I think Mach 3 is overkill for a cold saw.  A simple PLC would do the trick just fine, depending on what level of automation you want.  If you'd like to discuss it further contact me. I have lots of experience with the inexpensive PLCs from Automation Direct. In fact I have a DL06 connected to Mach 3 to allow a very high level of customization on my CNC.

Gary H. Lucas

650

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: New toy - DM3000 lathe

« on: May 06, 2013, 10:09:48 PM »

It looks like it is a conversion of one of the chinese mini lathes like Harbor Freight etc.  Little Machine Shop carries every part of those lathes.

Gary H. Lucas