Messages

291

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Chads new machine

« on: August 02, 2006, 11:51:30 AM »

Lvjtech:  I would prefer the pics stay here ( one less forum to answer questions on) but feel free to link to here.  Also thanks for the kind words it has been a challenge for my partners and I.

Krymis: I will look for your email, I get ~ 120 emails a day in that address and it is easy to loose one.

We got 2 and a half inches of rain at the shop last night in 45 min. There was 1.5 inches of standing water in the shop, i was there till midnight shop vacing water out ;(

Chad

292

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Chads new machine

« on: August 01, 2006, 02:29:02 PM »

We wanted as little flex as as is possible. Tubing is 4x4,4x6,2x2,8x8 and all is 1/4 thick.
I weigh about 175 and with the machine on and holding position i can only get about .01 flex in any of the axes pushing as hard as i can.
The more steel The less flex, more mass less chatter.  At Least that is what we are hoping for.  If the machine was just for light foam then yes it is about 85% overbuilt. MDF and dense tooling board isn't light and needs something that is pretty ridged, especially with the x down 36" . If it isn't strong a 100 ipm cut in 3/4 mdf is going to get a lot of flex in the z. The head and the z weigh just under 300 lbs and some test cuts were smooth as butter at ~100 ipm. Not only that but this machine is capable of 550 ipm rapids. If not strong accel and de-cell alone would cause considerable flexing, the gantry weighs around 1300 lbs. Also figure a 4'x8'x3' block of mdf weighs arund 2400 lbs, we have to be able to put that on the table without the base and machine flexing and binding the slides.


Chad

 

293

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Chads new machine

« on: July 31, 2006, 01:31:35 AM »

Just a couple more...

Chad

294

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Chads new machine

« on: July 31, 2006, 01:30:31 AM »

Hey, Some more pics. I will take some more this week.

These pictures show more of the machine. I have been getting it going this last week and hope to get it dialed in and cutting in the next couple of days.
The big "box around the machine is our attempt at keeping the dust from going everywhere. I finally got around to tidying up the power supply and cleaning up some loose ends. I will put some more up in a couple of days.

Chad

295

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software Limit!

« on: July 27, 2006, 04:24:30 PM »

Hi Glenn,

I think i might know what is going on (or not). Did you accidentally enable "Soft Limits" It is a button by the dro on the main program screen.
What this does, with a machine with home and limit switches is slow down the machine when it comes to the end of the travel. This keeps your machine from going full speed into a limit switch.

If you don't have home switches installed and ref 0,0,0 somewhere and enable soft limits it is easy to get the thing confused thinking that you a already past a "soft limit", hence the e stop.

OK first thing to try. Make sure you didn't enable soft limits.
second, go to the settings tab and hit  the override limits button, go back to the program run screen and hit reset. it should allow you  to jog now.

Third look in the manual under homing and limits and read up on the soft limit and homing section. It took me a little while to get my head around it all..

Chad

296

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Chads new machine

« on: July 27, 2006, 01:04:47 AM »

Hi Yenneb, So sorry for the delay. We have cnc'd out our knee mill and i have been making stuff on that. As well as getting used to the g-rex and mach-4. I have played with the plug in mach 3 version but haven't made the switch. I will post some pictures soon of the Knee mill .

As for the big mill it has been in limbo for the last month and a half but i got the power supply finally done and I had it moving today. I am going to spend all day tomorrow tuning and tweaking the thing and i will take some recent pictures. and upload them this weekend. The big mill is going to be full steam ahead starting this week .

Chad

297

General Mach Discussion / Need some more advice- R8 quick change tooling

« on: July 25, 2006, 12:50:54 AM »

Been looking and and found a bunch of different stuff. Anyone have stuff they like? And hopefully at a decent price?    Has any one used the tormach stuff?

Chad

298

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe for part touch off

« on: July 25, 2006, 12:47:20 AM »

HI all, After much research and lots of phone Calls I have decided on a probe. Heidenhain kt- 130. It is $740 and repeatable to 1um. You can order a ruby tip for it and a different stylus. I looked at the really nice cnc versions and they all start at about $3000.  I think this guy will do everything i need it to do.

Brian, Those that you linked me to are continuity types ( i am pretty sure) I wanted to be able to use it as a digitizer also. And i make a pretty good amount of plastic stuff to so they wouldn't work to well for me.

DAlgie, I looked at those too i wanted something a little heaver duty and a little more accurate. Although i am sure it would have worked just fine.

Hood, Wow! That looks great. 5 um, that is awesome for home-brew.  you should start selling them, i would have bought one

any way here is a pic of the thing.

Chad

299

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe for part touch off

« on: July 22, 2006, 08:31:40 PM »

Those look good. I have one question. Are those just continuity probes? In other words do they just complete a circuit when is is touched? I want on e that is a switch that closes so i can use it on non conductive parts and use for 3d digitizing down the road.

Chad

300

General Mach Discussion / Probe for part touch off

« on: July 22, 2006, 11:42:02 AM »

HI all does anyone know of any probes  that are in the $1000 dollar range?

The one I found for hobby says it is accurate to + or - a couple of thou and i was hoping for one that is a little higher resolution.

Some of the super dooper ones are good to 1um , i am sure are a fortune and WAY beyond my machine and my wallet. 
Anyone know of anything in-between?

And brian I would need some help with a part touch off macro until art gets his plug in working.

Thanks

Chad