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Complex figures
« on: September 17, 2012, 12:41:51 AM »
Hello, I'm learning right now how to use my "lathe" and my question is if it's possible with this software to get non-symmetrical figures such as a hand or the horse figure for a chess. 

I went through the dxf's and I see the figure that Mach Turn uses is a profile to work with. I'm curious since my lathe is a 4 Axis machine so the Z axis can move up and down easier than the cutting piece of a lathe.

Thanks

Offline RICH

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Re: Complex figures
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2012, 06:01:24 AM »
You have a router / 3 axis machine (x,y,z axis) along with a rotary which we'll call A axis (4 th axis) and not a conventional lathe.
You can speak in terms of a lathe, if the rotary can be used to turn continuously other than just index and you are configuring
Mach, and also the axis which is holding the tool, such that you have an X & Z axis as conventionally defined for a lathe.

I don't know what software you are referring to. Mach is a controller which controls the axis movements based on instructions as written
or generated by specific software and how the axis are configured. There is big difference between G17 or G18 ( plane selection).

Thus you can use a lathe as a mill or a mill as a lathe, but, the software must generate appropriate code based on configuration. In general
software is specific for a lathe or mill. Mach MSN allows the user to use a mill as a lathe with mounted non-turning cutter .

2D software uses a profile. In the case of Mach Turn, it would assume that it is a conventional lathe, the profile represents a cross section
through a 3D part and thus provides a 3D symmetrical shape about the center line. A chess horse figure is not a completely symmetrical figure.

Just one example to do the horse figure you could  use the mill along with the 4 axis as a rotary such that the piece is machined by rotating the axis in 2 to 4 steps and the Z axis has a rotating cutter ( say router mounted on it).

RICH

 

Re: Complex figures
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2012, 03:24:01 PM »
Hi thanks for the reply.  My bad, I was talking about Mach3 Turn software, I was looking at the documentation and indeed I saw that the software works with a cross section of the figure.  I was just trying to figure out how to work the chess horse since I saw a video on youtube of a rotary sculpting it and said to myself "I could probably make my router do that".

I'm afraid I didn't follow you on the G17 - G18 explanation, I'm fairly new understanding G code.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to work the A axis since I'm just mounting it.  Correct me if I'm wrong please, Mach3 Mill could be used to rotate the A axis for this type of work?  If I design my own figure, will it be better to draw a DXF 3D model or 4 different 2D faces for Mach to run it?

A lot of questions arising and I'm hungry for information, thanks for all the help.  Regards.

Offline RICH

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Re: Complex figures
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2012, 07:13:22 PM »
G17 is the XY plane (MIll)
G18 defines the planes as XZ ( lathe)

You would be doing 3D work so a model of the figure is made in CAD or CAM. Different CAM programs work differently.
Suggest you have a look at the MeshCam site tutorials or Vectric site tutorials rather than me explaining.

RICH

Re: Complex figures
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2012, 07:56:14 PM »
Cool, let me try that.  Thanks again.