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Author Topic: Another newb, another issue...  (Read 11779 times)

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Offline RonC

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Re: Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2012, 07:29:14 AM »
Hi SlikChit,
There is no need to use lazycam, Aspire will output G code straight to Mach3, just choose the post processor from the drop down list when you save your Aspire file, I use Vcarve Pro and it works brilliantly.
Keep plugging away, it will all come together soon.

RonC
Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2012, 11:58:55 AM »
Ron, thx for the reply...I woke up last night and decided to rewatch the tutorials from the very beginning. In doing so, I learned a whole lot that I had missed in my skimming through. I was able to get it up and moving last night(early this morning) with a sharpie in the collet and the spindle off. The important thing is I have it functioning properly now. Now I just need to change the orientation of my table in mach3 and make a spring-loaded pen plotter and I think I'm set. I know that I should plane my mfd spoil board, but I haven't had time and don't have any extraction in place as of yet, so I'm just playing for now.

Offline Chaoticone

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Re: Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2012, 04:26:36 PM »
 :)
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2012, 09:23:41 AM »

Here's what I got for my first "successful" go at running code on my unit(and first time period for me). It's one of 3 variations of my company logo, this one being more of a girlie one, but still looks cool enough to keep around. It took about 6-8 sharpies, due to the non-planed surface. I started in the lower right corner at 100ips and got distracted by my wife and didn't catch the sharpie dying. But in any case, it's a great learning experience on how to find where it faded out, by scrolling through the code and picking up where it left off. Obviously, at the time, I didn't think to set the Z depth in the area I was working on, and kept setting it near the TC position lol. Rookie mistakes, I know hehe
Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #24 on: October 10, 2012, 09:27:52 AM »
Oh yeah, Sam, great tutorial on the pen plotter, made one in 5seconds. Only issue with mine is the pen body was kind of flimsy and would flex at times and skew the output. Maybe a piece of copper pipe over the pen body for cheap DIY reinforcement, or SS brake line or similar tubing

Offline Chaoticone

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Re: Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #25 on: October 10, 2012, 09:40:39 AM »
On your way now!  :)

Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!

Offline Sam

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Re: Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #26 on: October 10, 2012, 10:00:43 AM »
Thank you. I cut everything down so it is only about 2 inches long. No more flex. Just gotta be careful when ya cut the ink tube so as not to make a mess. Nice job on the logo. I thought the faded crosshatch was intentional, before I read the post.
"CONFIDENCE: it's the feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation."
Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #27 on: October 10, 2012, 10:32:15 AM »
Lol thx. Yeah, after going over it a few times at different set depths, it looks way better and more intentional. I thought about chopping the pen down, but didn't feel like dealing with the mess if the ink did decide to make one. I'm wanting to figure out a spring mechanism for the sharpies, might end up with something like the bigger one where Sam posted his. I think it was Rich that made it (has the adjustment knob). Mine won't be that fancy at this point, but simple and effective(hopefully). As for Z setup, I used a piece of 12 gauge copper wire and straightened it out as much as I could in 5 seconds or so, measured it to at least the length of the marker, and taped it to the collet nut so that it was 3-4mm higher than the tip of the sharpie at the touch-of plate to compensate for the constant rate of pressure across an uneven surface. It worked well enough for my purposes of goofing off. Believe it or not, I posted a pic to a couple of buddies and one of them wants to buy it!  So I told him I'd cut it out this weekend for him. And here I was planning on just planing it and starting over lol
Another newb, another issue...
« Reply #28 on: October 10, 2012, 11:03:37 AM »
While we are on the on the subject...can we talk about spindle speeds and setup in the tool database?  Okay, I created a new category - pen plotters and set it up like a drag tool, but tried to set the spindle speed to 0, but it wouldn't allow it. So I instead, set it to 1rpm and noticed that it seems to do the trick, allowing for the marker to rotate on turns as a knife would. I just want to make sure that I'm going about this the right way. I wouldn't be opposed to some rotation, like 15-20rpm, thinking that this could save on tip wear and distortion, or it could cause it to fray and fail, I have no clue lol. I haven't tried yet, because of noise fears hehe