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Messages - Frank1959

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1
Sounds great, something I could implement.
Mach4 I´ve seen conflicting reprots...some dont like it over Mach3, you obviuosly do.
I used Leadshine Easy Drivers, they have encoders.
A touch screen is on the list too, but first FINISH THE MACHINE  ; - ))
Fifth axis??? Thats really where I want to go...but again, first, an rotary A axis, and eventually a trunnion and later B and C on there own head. My previous machine for milling tech foams, polystirene etc,  had a rotary, and theres loads can be done with some creative programming.
But thats big talk for me at the present. FINISH THE MACHINE, get it up and running, with an eye to doing even stone or local alabaster, sell...the big word a sculptor needs to do.
I will watch your space for news of fifth axis!
Frank

2
Hi Craig, sounds good, is it a physical button, or the screen button? i would like to install them, physical buttons in a box I mean, so as to not have to go running to the screen everytime I want to Run Cycle, Pause, Feed Hold, whatever....but is secondary on the priorities list at the moment. I have seen videos where guys do it, so it´ll happen...

3
Thanks Craig, and apologies for not relying before, I wanted to visit my old partners shop and check what happens exactly when I push reset on that other (MACH3) machine, before answering you, cause I´m convinced it doesnt retest DRO´s to zero.
That said, your answer makes complete sense...there could be a loss of position, and so it resets to 0 just in case the machinist doesnt realise this, if the difference was small. And your advice is good; Feed Hold instead of E Stop, but not always possible, obviously.
My old partner is finally available tomorrow so i will chk that machine just for further info.
Thanks again!
Frank

4
General Mach Discussion / Clicking RESET on screen turns DROs to zero
« on: June 07, 2023, 12:52:56 PM »
I´ve just installed MACH3 on my third home-built CNC machine, 3 axis for the moment, A axis pending mechanics, harmonic drive etc.
My knowledge of the program is admittedly scratchy, but after nearly 8 years of using the 25? functions that everyone needs, and many hours of milling, I can´t find out why this is happening...
So here´s the thing; if I need to press RESET on the MACH screen, after say an MDI g-code entry, the machine stops...ok up to here. But when I press Reset again to unlock MACH, the DRO´s mysteriously all go to zero, hence I lose my position.
This didnt happen on my other two machines, so any help offered I will be very grateful.

Thanks,

Frank

6
thanks guys,

Ger, when you say "Another issue with a saw blade is that the toolpath needs to be aligned with the blade, sort of like a tangential knife...."
But isn't any tool path ALWAYS  aligned with the tool?? Or  is it a case of the tool path being aligned with the spindle axis, which is the same axis as a cylindrical tool, but with a disc, the tool path would be  at 90º to the spindle axis.  Maybe  I am  getting confusing (or the subject starts to get confusing for me ; - (

Also, you mention "But you can only make straight cuts." For roughing out material, the cuts could be "straight" in say X or Y axis, but they would obviously need to follow the relief of the 3D form in the Z axis.


And lastly you mention , "I've seen this done in videos, and I think it was with a 5 axis machine.". Yes, here´s one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GQmgyviNRU  , a Chinese machine, which interestingly combines a disc AND a milling tool in the same tool holder.

 Both ALPHACAM (British i think)  and PEGASUS CADCAM (Italian) are stone CAM programs that use discs to rough out. But, we are talking about prohibitive prices.....

I´m investigating if BOBCAD can do this, as a reasonably priced alternative....any user out there happy with it? And also, Rhino+Madcam...both seem under what ALPHACAM  costs.

thanks!


7
many thanks,

again!

Will let you know,

f

8
Thanks Craig,
yes and no, obviously the price of MASTERCAM   is over the top for my present level of expenditure, but yes, it might point in the right direction...i.e. a software that allows you to profile a custom tool. Nice one!
Frank.
(Ps, love your sense of humour re wife and best friend ;D)

9
I mill polystyrene to make the occasional theatre or museum prop, and sometimes even dinosaurs and the like, on a home built 4 axis machine, using MACH3,   and DESKPROTO to create  tool paths. Check out http://www.formato3d.com/ One big step to achieve faster finishing came with the addition of a hot wire roughing sequence, made possible using a work around within DESKPROTO  that BR549 very kindly suggested.

I´m a sculptor, (www.franknorton.com) and my current project is  to build a machine capable of milling stone, obviously super-rigid and a much more powerful spindle. Initially it will be 3 axis plus rotary, but with a view to 5 axis. I want to do bas-reliefs in marble and sandstone.
Industrial software packages like ALPHACAM STONE   for tool-path generation in the stone and granite  sector have a function where they use diamond coated discs, the smaller ones in the region of 12”/300mm in diameter,  to rough “mill” the block of stone, the surplus material  is then removed manually by hammer and chisel!...before true milling with diamond and tungsten carbide tools. This greatly reduces working time.
But I know of no software...DESKPROTO definetely cant...that allows you to configure a disc as a tool for roughing out in this way.
Failing the use of a specific program which includes discs in the tool library, any tool-path 3D software where all the tool geometry parameters are configurable....diameter in both planes for example, or diameter in one plane and thickness in the other......would do.
Any ideas?
Many thanks in advance,

Frank Norton.

10
hi Roger, and Dude,
thx both for your input. I had seen references to FUSION but honestly thought it only was cabable of indexing, not continuous, and had so un-checked it off my list pf possible soultions, as indexing isn´t the way I need to go...large pieces cant easily be spun on a trunnion type rotation axis (A or B, or whatever you call it ).  Now I see that, yes, 5 axis continuous is possible. So i will continue investigating and try and see tutorials etc.
I came across videos of POWERMILL, and it looks exactly what I need, but haven´t been able to discover what price it´s at. Here´s a chinese tutorial video, in English.
Roger, have you considered "cnc tool kit"? http://www.cnc-toolkit.com/ It´s eems viable, free, but quite intensive at a programming level.
With regards our common interest in cnc machining stone, I´d be more than happy to share all info I find. Interested? Is your machine home built?
Yes, my web is at present only in Spanish. I´m Irish, but live in Spain and my customers are up to this only on a national level.
Are you considering using a diamond disc to rough out work before milling? It seems to be the way big industrial machines do it. But yet another complication when it come to programming, as I know of no software cabable of accepting the geometry of a flat disc and creating toolpaths for it. Ther is a high end  English industrial program, I cant think of the name at the moment, which does allow this.
More questions for you, Roger. How do you use AutoSketch at a 3D level?
Thanks again,
Frank.

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