Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed not changing until overide button pressed

« on: January 13, 2011, 11:19:36 AM »

I'll try opening in Mach Screen and looking through for duplicate DROs, is there an easy way to do this ? I'm not quite sure what you mean, as there are two versions of one user DRO on a page, one as a readout and one as a slider.

Open MachScreen select view from the menu bar select overview

You can sort on a function etc make the tables wider etc

Phil

2

Works in progress / Re: THE LATHE PROJECT - 2011

« on: January 11, 2011, 05:39:58 AM »

And I also like the look of Gerry's new mill screen. Looks very clean and easy to look at.

Dan

Do you think he will mind if we nicked it. 

I am not a fan of flashy screens and Gerrys is very very good but he is finding out that people want more

So as soon as more goes on a page things have to be reduced in size and you upset the peeps who liked it as it was.

So maybe the new screen could come in various flavours so that more peeps can be satisfied

I agree with Scotts statement that he just moved stuff around to suit his way of working as its a lot easier than starting from scratch

Phil

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: jogging set up question

« on: January 09, 2011, 04:53:06 PM »

Just press the tab button

Phil

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

4

Works in progress / Re: THE LATHE PROJECT - 2011

« on: January 09, 2011, 04:36:02 PM »

Screen Grabs

Phil

5

Works in progress / Re: THE LATHE PROJECT - 2011

« on: January 09, 2011, 04:06:32 PM »

Phil....I am still using your screen. Let not your heart be troubled.     Definately post your ideas and if you have a new pic of it modify your reply / add the pic.
Can you list or highlight the personal features you added?
Thanks,
RICH

Manual screen

I added with the help of Melee (No Longer A Member) a facing wizard i suppose i use it so

Touch on workpiece set the facing amount be to be removed it will progressively remove that amount and then set Z to zero at the end of each cut the Z backs out so as not to touch the material when rapiding out there is a settings page to this so that speeds etc can all be preset

A G00 Z button and a G00 X Button  so when you have to come back to your axis zero just press the right button

Then i have two buttons with G1 Z and G1 X these each have a Dro to be the position the axis will feed to at the current set feedrate

The most used dros &  functions from the mpg flyout screen, i am using two mpgs to control the axis and the buttons allow fine movement and all types of movement

I replaced the code for the homing button to ref both axis one after the other

Two buttons to switch between Feed per rev & Feed per min

Cycle Screen

I added an optional stop button M30

I added a dro to show the Rapid feed rate override

I added buttons for 10, 20 ,50 100% to slow rapids to the shown percentage so no heart attacks when first running code

A verify button but not sure if its working

Settings page

A button to Set Steps Per Axis (Why wasn't it already there)

Phil

6

Works in progress / Re: THE LATHE PROJECT - 2011

« on: January 09, 2011, 03:23:34 PM »

I am very flattered to see my 3 page lathe screen so well thought of.  

When i first opened lathe i thought i was in some parallel universe it was so different from mill.  

I hadn't had much luck with screen 4 it just doesn't work for me but thanks to Klaus and his MachScreen i was able to do my screen i don't think i would have persevered with screen 4 i would have used someone else's.

I would be the first to admit my screen is lacking graphically and i am not too good with scripts and such like so i don't really know how i could contribute to the new lathe screen apart from ideas.

I have  have updated my own screen but i haven't bothered with the graphics i just use the standard buttons generated by MachScreen.

Some of the features asked for i already have in my personal version and as i work in metric some of my updates would not suit imperial users sol for those still living in the past so there would be two versions mm & imperial.

I haven't modified my screen for some months so to me it is perfect but there are lots of things on the screen that i do not use so things could be improved further i know.

If those in charge would like to see it or know more details i will post it

Phil

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Making a list of things that need fixed in Turn

« on: January 05, 2011, 09:51:22 AM »

You need a better spindle motor

I will have to read that a few times more  later on when I get some time but from first read is that not exactly what it should do if you have a min and max spindle?

Hood

I wondered how long before you started bragging about your spindle motor. 

But the point is i do not know how it should react. 

Phil

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Making a list of things that need fixed in Turn

« on: January 05, 2011, 09:22:55 AM »

OK real world scenario on my machine

VFD controlled spindle i can have a max speed of 1500 RPM the slowest is 375 RPM controlled by Mach3

I want to face a 150mm dia billet at a CSS of 70 SMM

I start at 150mm X the min speed i can run is 375 RPM (176) gives a feed rate of 176 SMM

When i get to 3mm on X i am only cutting at 14 SMM (7430) in brackets is the desired RPM to maintain 70 SMM

So i have a very small window where i am truly cutting at 70 SMM (60mm dia to 15mm dia)

I agree about still conforming to the Max speed set in G48

So at 375 RPM i would be cutting at 70 SMM at 60mm dia my target and i would stay on target to 15 mm dia when i will be running at 1500 RPM

I hope this makes more sense now as i haven't had the opportunity to use CSS as its broken but if it was working i wouldn't be able to use it as my spindle cannot reach those speeds

But doing it my suggested way, everyone could get the best out of their available spindle speed. The SMM is blended between Min and Max. It may be worth asking Brian if this is an easier way of doing it

Or am i talking gonads as usual. 

Phil

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Making a list of things that need fixed in Turn

« on: January 05, 2011, 06:00:54 AM »

Graham pointed out the freakishly high speeds needed to maintain true CSS as X moves to Zero

So as most peeps cannot reach those speeds can it be made to work as follows

When it starts it uses the minimum speed available and when it reaches the X Zero it will have reached the maximum speed available

This assumes you are feeding towards Zero so though not true CSS it will allow everyone to get the best available speed out of their machine from starting slow to finishing fast

The same applies when turning the OD

Phil

10

SmoothStepper USB / Re: smoothstepper and mach3

« on: January 05, 2011, 05:50:47 AM »

This was posted in another thread and may be helpful

I will add some useful info

I was having some issues with my lathe and i was putting the blame on the Smooth Stepper (Mach freezing)

I changed to the PP well what can i say the RPM which was rock steady on the SS was all over the place with the PP the machine sounded much rougher using the PP also.

I finally found the problem, i had a USB pci card that was a magnet for all the crud floating in the workshop air and had built up over all the ports and circuit board.   

So if you want good threading get a SS

Phil