Messages

141

General Mach Discussion / Home/Limit referencing.

« on: March 17, 2006, 01:18:17 PM »

Hey fellas.
Finally had time to get my switches wired up.
I currently have the X-- and X home wired to the same switch. I am aware how to use the soft limits, but how do I get the machine to pull off of the switch automatically to a certain point? I am not sure of the accuracy of the switch, but its the best way I have right now of setting zero at the same place on the machine every time. My Y is setup the same. The X++ and Y++ limits are shared. I would just like it to pull off too. I know I can set these to be able to jog off it. I was just wanting a way to reference.
Thanks in advance.

142

General Mach Discussion / Diversify?

« on: November 04, 2005, 01:06:14 PM »

Benny, I think now is the time to induce more categories and instill the current ones where they belong. I orsee this getting too big too quick to deal with. Simply a suggestion mind you. It will also help with guy s that really want to post, but don't want to intrude. The need a particular spot to post in to feel comfortable with letting the cat out of the bag. Well, I guess I feel this way.
What thinks the rest?

143

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lifting Z first and always?

« on: October 30, 2005, 09:18:12 AM »

Thanks Benny. I just knew I had that set that way already. I have it set at 1.5" for safe Z. I have the Safe Z activated on the house computer, not on my machine. 
I have got to remember to transfer my settings out there every time I mess with it. Is there a string on finger button? Perhaps a "club operator now" key? Doh!
Thanks Benny. Its usually the simple stuff that can get me.

144

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lifting Z first and always?

« on: October 29, 2005, 09:22:16 AM »

Thanks Mike. I'm not sure the code will help, But I can put it up later if needed.
When it gets to the tool change, it just alerts me that a TC is needed. It stops right there in mid program waiting for me to tell it to continue.
I had told Mach 3 to remember this position. There is a button in Mach 3 for this. Then I jogged back to my original HOME. I completed the tool change with my bit at this zero on the Z, which was the top surface of my lexan. I now know to make it about this at a guaged position so I can seet my tools up the same height always, and not be on the surface of my material. I would then use some negatives to do my cutting. Whatever my guage block is minus the cut, rather than just zero minus the cut. This will keep me off my plastic for tool changes and stuff.

I was just curious though if there is a setting in Mach 3 that will initialize a safe Z before any "return to" or jog mode to prevent such things?

145

General Mach Discussion / Lifting Z first and always?

« on: October 27, 2005, 07:22:10 PM »

Hey fellas. The other day I was learning some things on my machine in real mode. I was just using a cheap v cutting router bit in some lexan. I had been using a straight cutter. I came to the point in my program for the tool change.
I told Mach 3 to remember where it was, then I jooged over to where zero was once I had the v cutter installed. I was wanting to change the zero. Now I know how I should do this in the future. I should have my zero up and use a negative to cut and use a block to set zero after a tool change.

My problem was that once I had the Z zeroed where I wanted it, I told it to return to where it was when the tool change started. As luck would have it, the only screw I was using to hold down that corner was directly in the path of the return to pre-toolchange. Since my z didn't lift first, Snap. It returned perfectly to where I wanted and would have been at the right height as well had the point not been snapped off.
My question. Is there a way to force Mach to raise the Z before any rapid moves?
It does this fine when running otherwise. Just kinda curious. Thanks in advance.

146

General Mach Discussion / Re: Welcome to the official Mach 2/3/4 support forum.

« on: October 27, 2005, 09:20:49 AM »

Where's the Gallery, Benny?

147

General Mach Discussion / Re: Welcome to the official Mach 2/3/4 support forum.

« on: October 26, 2005, 10:28:33 AM »

Thanks Benny and all that helped with this. Thanks also for testing the attach feature. Looks like it works VERY well. Thats sharp. I look forward to this new site and the look of Art's web site is great. Lots of new stuff there. Art, you da man. Yeah, you too Benny.