You're quite right, of course, it might be a good opportunity to do something that won't have disastrous results if I get it wrong.
Thanks for the work so far.

Tony

Scott,

I've had a first try at editing your code, so see what you think. I found that it was not possible to do a second operation on internal threads so I've fixed that. I've also altered the tool change format so that putting say tool 1 in gives T101. I'm still not sure about code H & how it works in turning. Anyway, Mach picks up the tool change now ok.
An extra bit of code that I put in is G4 P10 to give my spindle time to get up to speed before the threading starts. A nicer way would be to only start when the set speed was reached, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.
I'ts all quite instructive & interesting to use some of the bits of the software that I hadn't looked at before.

Tony

A few questions:

  What did you fix for cutting more than one internal thread?

Also, there are 256 posible tools in the library, so if you had tool 137, would you post out T1370137???

Scott

Scott,

the fix for the internal multiples was adding an 'appendTeachfile()' to the start of the  internal second operation code. I also put in the LED inidcator increment code, as in the external version.
Not sure about the tools, as I can only envisage about 8 in one setup. In the Txxyy format xx is the tool & yy the offset in the tool table. I haven't worked out a situation yet where I would want to use another tool's offset, but I'm fairly new at this game. The main point is that mach ignores entries of the T1 sort. M6 goes & looks at the toolchanger macro so that's fine, but I don't know about the H word.
I've got a fairly crude extra page of standard threads working now, accessed by an extra button on both threading pages.
Its just a lot of buttons with standard threads  on them. Pressing one inserts the Pitch, OD & ID into the appropriate DRO on internal & external pages. You can, of course, still alter them manually before posting.
The thing was easy enough to do, but it's rather tedious entering the data. A proper system would use a table setup in Exel or something like that & access it from a drop down menu. I'm a bit rusty on the VB front so I'll have to think about that a bit.
Don't want to hijack your code so tell me to back off if it bothers you.

Tony

Hi Tony, Scott,

You do not need tables of threads.  All threads are calculated from the pitch, it is possible to calculate all the dimensions from 3 inputs, type (Whitworth, UNC etc.), pitch, diameter. 4 If you include the internal/external option.

If you want the formulas I will send you them.

That way any size of thread could be cut and the screens could just have buttons for the common ones that insert the relevant data into the calculation fields.

Graham.

Hi Graham,

That might be useful. It's only me starting off this idea of standard threads, I just find it a bit tedious looking up numbers & typing them in. There are enough choices to make, without things that should stay the same.
By the way, have you got anywhere with your drives yet?

Tony

Tony and Graham,

    Tony:  Please go ahead and adapt away!! I released this in the hopes that it would help others, if you add more functionality the better, just post up your work So I and others can benefit from it.

     Graham:  Yes!!! Please send your calculation fromulas (Include the ones for Imperial), and Tony and I could use them!!

Scott

I want to write a wizard to do rope and barley twists on my indexer.  the profile is cut with custom router bits.  I need to be able to enter pitch, depth and unlike threading I need to be able to enter of starts.  It has been 10 years since I have written any code and I was wondering if I can get source code for you simple threading as a guide?

Download the Wizard and open it in Screen3, and you can see the code behind the compile buttons, and thus you can modify them for your use.

scott

Scott and Tony,
    Thanks for all the work on this project, it's perfict for me in my little home shop. One problem, I can't get to post the Gcode. When I press the Post it Button it locks up. Obviously Iv'e done something wrong for no one else has talked about it. Iv'e got the files orginized as such Mach3->Turnaddons->QuickThreads with the set files->Bitmaps, all bmp files. Thanks for yalls help. Ben