Now that I got my 1st cut done, I have some questions regarding gcode.

1. At the end of a cut, how can I get the machine to go at 0,0. Is this done in LC, Mach3 or manually editing the gcode and how?

2. I would like to learn how to control the feed rate of the router. I understand that G1 is feed rate at a certain speed. But how do I input the value I want? Is this done on LC, Layers Menu, Feed Rate? And if yes I just type there lets say 15”/min? I have done that but then on my gCode I noticed a line like this:
G1 Z-0.1250 F0.50. What F0.50 means? 1/2" per minute or 50” per minute?

3. At the moment I don’t do my cuts right thru the material but eventually I will. So if I have a piece of 10”x10” and I want to cut a circle in the center of 6” diameter when the cut is complete the circle piece will be loose and could fly out of the cut. Do you normally secure the center piece somehow so it will not fly out?

Nicolas

Now that I got my 1st cut done, I have some questions regarding gcode.

1. At the end of a cut, how can I get the machine to go at 0,0. Is this done in LC, Mach3 or manually editing the gcode and how?

Not sure what you mean by "to go at 0,0" if you are meaning to go to X0Y0 in work coordinates then you need to have it in your code. Dont use LC so not sure if its possible to have it do that. You could probably edit the Post Processor to add it as the last move or you could manually edit the code to add it.

2. I would like to learn how to control the feed rate of the router. I understand that G1 is feed rate at a certain speed. But how do I input the value I want? Is this done on LC, Layers Menu, Feed Rate? And if yes I just type there lets say 15”/min? I have done that but then on my gCode I noticed a line like this:
G1 Z-0.1250 F0.50. What F0.50 means? 1/2" per minute or 50” per minute?

Again dont use LC so cant advise on specifics but you should be able to enter a feed in. The F0.5 that you are seeing is 0.5 units per min (if in G94 mode) the units will depend whether your code is metric or imperial, as you are likely imperial then it will be 0.5inch per min.

3. At the moment I don’t do my cuts right thru the material but eventually I will. So if I have a piece of 10”x10” and I want to cut a circle in the center of 6” diameter when the cut is complete the circle piece will be loose and could fly out of the cut. Do you normally secure the center piece somehow so it will not fly out?

Nicolas

Lots of ways to skin a cat, it will all depend on your material etc. Sometimes I will have small tangs in the final code so that every so often on the final pass the Z will raise for a short distance then go down again. Once your code is finished it should just be a case of popping the piece out but obviously it wil depend on material. Another way is to leave a small amount then flip over and face off the back, another way is double sided tape or vacuum table. All depends on  what material, what size it is etc etc.

Hood

Thank you Hood

Yes I mean X0Y0, so if I was to edit the code manually what I have to wright?

The rest sounds fine
Nicolas

If your Z is clear and you just want to move at rapid speed to X0 Y0 in work coords then simply adding G0X0Y0 will do that.
Hood

But make sure the Z is clear. Do


G0 Z1
G0 X0 Y0

But make sure the Z is clear. Do


G0 Z1
G0 X0 Y0

All the simple drawings I hade so far are done in Acad, then the dxf is imported to LC and then the gcode is exported to mach. I noticed that after the cut the router rises 1” above the surface and stays there and that is the end of the code. Then I thought that it would be nice to have an addition to the code to bring the router to X0,Y0.

Looking at the code I noticed that they all end with:
G0 Z1.0000
M5
M30

Obviously I didn’t put these lines there because I don’t know what they mean but I will assume they are the cause of lifting the router 1” above the surface.

What M5 and M30 means?

Also as Hood mentioned earlier, do I put the G0 X0Y0 after the M30?

One more question. When I start my cuts I’m offset from the machines X0Y0 coordinates. Means that I jog the machine to about X10Y15, then I zero the DROs and the program starts from this point. If I input at the end of the code G0X0Y0 as Hood mentioned earlier, would the machine go back to my offset X0Y0 or it will go back to the machines X0Y0 coordinates? The reason I’m asking is that I have hold down clamps which they will interfer if the machine goes back to the machines coordinates.

Nicolas

M5 is Spindle Stop
M30 is programme rewind

G0X0Y0 will move to the work offset zero, G53G0X0Y0 would take it to machine coords zero.

Hood

M5 is Spindle Stop
M30 is programme rewind

G0X0Y0 will move to the work offset zero, G53G0X0Y0 would take it to machine coords zero.

Hood

Thank you Hood again, realy good to know this

Is it correct to say that during a cut, pressing “Feed Hold” will stop the machine and then pressing “Cycle Start” will get the machine going again without missing a code line?

If I want to make a cut thru a ½” thick material (MDF) and I want to do this in 3 or 4 passes where do I input the number of passes?

Nicolas

Yes, Feedhold will "pause" the cut, and Cycle Start will resume.

LC should have a Depth of Cut and Depth /Pass. It should calculate the # of passes on it's own.

Yes, Feedhold will "pause" the cut, and Cycle Start will resume.

LC should have a Depth of Cut and Depth /Pass. It should calculate the # of passes on it's own.

I can see in LC the depth of cut / pass but no the number of passes. How LC can calculate the # of passes since I have not input the material thickness I want to cut?
Nicolas