Messages

671

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: NFW is not keeping the settings changes

« on: November 10, 2008, 07:26:23 PM »

The name on the General tab is simply the name shown under the icon on the desktop. It means nothing to running mach, its just a name.

The Shortcut line called Target is the important one- it should be something like C:\Mach3\Mach3.exe /p Mach3Mill

The first part is the name of the program to run, its always C:\Mach3\Mach3.exe  Dont try to change this.

The last part /p Mach3Mill  is the name of the profile this icon will use to startup. It must be the same as your xml file, so if it says Mach3Mill then mach will try to open Mach3Mill.xml for the profile data. If it does not find a file by that name then it creates a new .xml file by whatever name you called the profile.

Find your profile file, probably Mach3Mill.xml. Right click and look at properties. Near the bottom of the general tab there are a couple boxes for READ ONLY. If this is checked your xml cannot be altered, hence Mach cannot save your settings.

It is highly recommended that you create your own profile and icon- in my case I have the icon named JetMill and my profile is JetMill.xml That way a new install of Mach will never alter any of my settings.

This is all very well covered, with illustrations in the new Install doc. see http://www.machsupport.com/docs/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf
 

672

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 Install and setup document

« on: November 10, 2008, 05:47:37 PM »

A new document for Installing and setup of MAch3 is now on-line See http://www.artsoftcontrols.com/docs/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf

This is a doc that needs to be read and followed step by step. I covers everything a beginner needs to get a mill running.

We hope to have paper copies for sale at the Cabin Fever workshop and on-line.

673

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: NFW is not keeping the settings changes

« on: November 10, 2008, 05:43:55 PM »

It sounds like your xml file got turned to read-only. Mach saves lots of DRO and LED values into the xml. If you renamed the machine you created a new xml.

Saving the file and restoring it from a CD will make it read-only.

674

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z AXIS KNEE

« on: November 08, 2008, 08:24:58 AM »

I converted a Jet knee mill and did the knee instead of the quill. I used a 1200 in-oz stepper and put it directly on the crank position. It has worked for a year, but I recently tried to cut a mold in aluminum that ran a couple hours and I had some loss of Z position. The funny part was it actually GAINED in Z, so I wound up deeper that it was supposed to be. I think it was because the Zup moves were G00, while the down moves were at a slow feed rate.

I had an AC servo on hand so I decided to try that. I removed the gears and was able to mount the motor inside the knee casting with a short belt to the top of the screw. But I can only get a 2:1 belt drive in there, so the servo cannot quite handle it. I am waiting for a gearbox that fits on the top of the servo.

I like having the quill free to do delicate drilling or tapping operations. I also like it for tool change- I use the Tormach tool holders, and I put a heavy spring under my drawbar. I built a simple bridge above the drawbar. To change tools I simply push the quill up to compress the spring and eject the collet.

There are some photos of my Jet conversion on my website plsntcov.8m.com

675

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: V2.79

« on: November 04, 2008, 08:37:44 PM »

No good excuse for not having the T version up yet, I just have not done it. Ill try to get it done soon

Ive been talking with Brian about some very helpful changes in how VB works internally. Some of the changes are done now, some will still take a while. Im not to anxious to dig into the current Vb stuff now, but maybe when the new stuff is ready I can make some very interesting changes.

676

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: October 29, 2008, 10:05:48 PM »

I expect the seminars will be about like the tentative schedule we put up earlier, but we will likely shift things a bit as we get closer to the time and maybe pickup another speaker or two.

I do expect it to be busy all 3 days- I hope we can have about 4 daily session of 1 1/2 hour with about 30 min between sessions to do a walk around the show. There will be a lot happening.

Im sure there will be some guys that cant get there for Friday, but I did not think we could do justice to all we want to cover in just 2 days.  Lots to do, we will do our best to cover everything.

677

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: cripled code

« on: October 28, 2008, 09:15:54 PM »

Im sorry, but I do not understand your problem.

If you mean the NFS set of wizards, they do require a license. When you run the wizard without a license it works, and will pre-view the code, but when you return to Mach the code is replaced by a message, I think it says "no license found'

Is this the problme yu see?

678

General Mach Discussion / Re: changing feed rate during direction changes

« on: October 23, 2008, 02:04:25 PM »

Generally, CV is best for free form or artistic stuff, while Exact Stop is needed when the part must be exactly the shape drawn, no corner rounding off is allowed. You are not likely to get tool marks at the turns, since the stop is extremely brief, but Mach will use the acceleration rate as its tuned to do.

Also the stops are usually at places like sharp corners where you must make a right angle turn.

There are tuning parameters on CV so you can adjust it so it does smooth curves when they are gentle, but does the stop when the angle between moves is sharp.

There was a recent doc put up by Art that defined some of the CV params and their effect. I know it was on the Yahoo group, I think its also here somewhere.

679

General Mach Discussion / Re: changing feed rate during direction changes

« on: October 23, 2008, 11:26:22 AM »

Are you running in Constant Velocity mode or Exact Stop? CV must round off corners since we can make instant changes to direction. Exact Stop will slow to a stop, then make a square corner and accelerate back up to speed in the new direction.

Mach starts up in the mode selected on the Config->General Config menu in the block called Motion Mode. You can change the mode in programs with G61 or G64.

680

General Mach Discussion / Re: feedrate & units per min are different

« on: October 23, 2008, 11:19:02 AM »

You are also adding an F word to a G00 line which is invalid.


G00 X0.0000 Y0.0000  <<------- G00 mode starts here
M6 T2
M03 S10000
X-0.1066 Y-0.1975 Z0.0312  F15.0  <<<------ still in G00 mode, F word has no effect
Z-0.0196  F1.0
X0.1066  F3.0
X0.1177 Y-0.1911
X0.2244 Y-0.0064

So Mach is doing exactly what it is programmed to do.

Damn machines always run the actual code, not what you want it to be. :-)