Messages

111

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is it possible to check part location in GCode.

« on: September 12, 2009, 06:12:55 AM »

Hi

Will M00 do what I want? From what I've read if I insert an M00 after the position move then mach will wait until I've pressed the cycle start button.

Steve

112

General Mach Discussion / Is it possible to check part location in GCode.

« on: September 11, 2009, 06:58:41 AM »

Hi

I have a part that I cut out by hand (triangle) at the moment in plastic and I would like to use my router to clean up the outside shape.
Problem is the table isn't big enough to fit more than one at a time, this means I still have to rough them out of the sheet by hand to be able to still get 7 per sheet.

So I was thinking that I could mark 2 points from the card template and have the Gcode check these points with the cutter before continuing and cutting the outside. I would have the shape marked on the table so the part would be roughly located.

My question is how would I do this? Can I hand code these points in and have Mach wait until I press the enter key?

Regards
Steve

113

General Mach Discussion / Re: Perfect Square?

« on: August 26, 2009, 02:47:16 PM »

No both bottles were only wine, but it was the last drop of the 3rd that gave me the head ache this morning

I have the same problem with my router, I have used 16mm tricoidal thread and brass nuts, the thread has room to move up and down in the nut while having little movement along the thread, when it gets in the middle and spinning fairly fast you get a squawking sound as the thread flaps around (technical term) and it can even lock up my axis.

I found the best method was to split the nut and compress it somehow, I know it's not an elegant solution but it works.

A better and much nicer solution is to have a brass nut and Delrin nut, turn out half the brass one and thread, turn down the outside of the Delrin one and thread to suit the inside thread of the brass one and then you have an adjustable backlash nut that should also help with the "flapping"

A temporary solution is to oil the tread as it stops the grabbing that causes the problem.

Or

As some one else has mentioned you could also add a damper, apparently these work very well

Steve

114

General Mach Discussion / Re: Perfect Square?

« on: August 25, 2009, 03:44:44 PM »

Looking at the axis settings your on inch's, 36" <m/min so I would have thought that's ok and Acc 2! Does it ever get upto speed?

You may be hitting soft limits, do you zero the axis and is the table size setup (can't remember which tab that is).

Normal use is to have the table size setup and have the soft limits on. Zero axis (ref all) before doing anything when the machine is first turned on.
You then clamp down you stock and drive the axis to a point you determined in your cam, usually bottom left, and press each button to the left of the DRO.
You should then be able to look at the table view to the right and it will show a white line around with you gcode lines in blue, if these blue lines are inside the white line you will be fine, other wise you'll get a warning that your code goes out of the table limits.

I'm quite tipsy at the moment on our second bottle so hopefully I've said it all right

Steve

115

General Mach Discussion / Re: Intermittant problem with Z stepper loosing steps on rapids (used to be fine)

« on: June 24, 2009, 10:35:53 AM »

Hi

Just a quick update on this problem.

I checked the enhanced pulsing was selected and it was so after letting the weather take it's course i ran the mill again when the weather had cooled down a lot last week and there was no problem, the stepper sounded like it should and I couldn't get it to lose steps no mater how I tried until i upped the accelaration so it's defenatly heat related.

so when it warmed up again this week I've checked a few mechanical things and the most obvious is the oil lubricating the quill is running out of the bottom and seems to be leaving the quill drier than it normally is, so this has led me to the conclusion that the oil I'm using isn't upto running in hot environments.

Steve

116

General Mach Discussion / Re: Intermittant problem with Z stepper loosing steps on rapids (used to be fine)

« on: June 17, 2009, 03:58:12 PM »

Thanks Hood, I'll check that as I had a power out a few weeks ago and it may have altered a few settings (I just remembered )

Steve

117

General Mach Discussion / Re: Intermittant problem with Z stepper loosing steps on rapids (used to be fine)

« on: June 17, 2009, 02:02:21 PM »

I've tried the Z axis when it was cooler and while it didn't drop any steps it sounded rough on occasion so I took the head apart and cleaned everything and reassembled and while slightly better it still goes through patches of roughness, mainly near the top of the stroke.

I think I'll fit a spring of strut to help with the weight of the quill.

Steve

118

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sign done in relief (background routed out leaving the letters).

« on: June 16, 2009, 05:20:17 AM »

Glad I could help, it's a bit hard to take it all in at first but you'll sort it.

Steve

119

General Mach Discussion / Re: Intermittant problem with Z stepper loosing steps on rapids (used to be fine)

« on: June 16, 2009, 05:12:11 AM »

Hi Rich

No the steppers were relatively cool, just above workshop ambient, which was hot I was dripping stood still doing nothing.
It's a lot cooler today as it rained last night and the air temp is down a lot.

Listen to me! makes it sound like the south of France or something not Cumbria! The dark green box profile roof doesn't help, when the sun shines on it it's like a radiator.

Steve

120

General Mach Discussion / Intermittant problem with Z stepper loosing steps on rapids (used to be fine)

« on: June 15, 2009, 06:25:18 PM »

Long title, says it all basically so I was after a bit of advise.

My mill is a Denford Easymill with 3.5 amp steppers on all axis, this weekend while machining some parts the Z started to loose steps while retracting on rapid moves in fact it just stopped moving sometimes, just like it was getting stuck or something.

Anyway I tried the axis by hand and it felt OK and moved smoothly, I then lowered the rapids down from 1m/min to 500mm/min.
The same happened but I noticed that the stepper seems to go through a funny patch like it's vibrating or something, could this be harmonics?, it's when it's making this noise that it stops being able to drive the axis.

X and Y have no problems with the same 2:1 ratio and 5mm pitch ball screws but they are dealing with the weight of the whole table however they weren't doing anywere like the same amount of work as the Z axis.
The workshop was really hot this weekend so I wondered if the driver was overheating and not being able to output enough power to the stepper so when I get chance I'm going to try it one evening when it's cooler. (unfortunately that looks like tomorrow)

I'm using Routout CNC 10amp drivers and a 37V 20amp power supply but no cooling fan in the case.

So if anyones got any ideas please let me know.

Thanks
Steve