Hi. My name is Harish. I am an engineering student . I am completely new to CNC machines.
I have just started working with one .   

My name is Elizabeth.  My husband and I have a sign company and are looking forward to adding metal signs to the types of signs we make with our new CNC machine.  Quite a steep learning curve for us.  I'm looking forward to being able to pick everyone's brains!

Hi Guys,

Welcome to the forum.

Tweakie.

Hi All,
My name is Martin and I live in Vail Arizona. I'm sort of newbe to the CNC machining world but I use a CNC plasma machine all the time in my metal fabrication business. I also work for the Military as a Machinist / Welder. I have just purchased a Taig CNC mini Mill about 4 months ago and I'm having an issue with the Z axis.  I will open a new thread and see if you fine folks can help me out. Thanks.
 

hello,
steve - west london - England
want to purchase a 3040 a3 sized platen, unsure of what I really want.
signage background.
want to have a play with 3/4 to 1'' rigid pvc - loose lettering
then figure out how to mill incised lettering at say a4 size in a block, screwing them to a back-board individually, gilding them -  then overlaying a clear acrylic sheet, that has been floated in black, but has the lettering cut out from it - in reverse -

My name is Paul Robinson. I own a small woodworking shop in northwestern Minnesota, Robinson Wood Furnishings. I just bought a new CNC to help me along and also give me capabilities that the "other guys" in the area don't currently have. I am new and lost. . I am on the very beginning of a long and hopefully successful journey. I got started by doing some odd projects for myself then explored a little more and so on. I was hired on at a local woodshop that wholesaled mantels to a local gas fireplace manufacturer. The guys I was working for wanted to get out of the business so I took it over in 2008. Within a year after taking the business over the company I was wholesaling to, quit producing fireplaces. It was either learn more, or quit. I went to the school of hard knocks and been going strong ever since. I work by myself, and have a buddy help me on installs when I need. So that's about it. Going on to the next adventure in building with CNC technology. That's about it. 

Hey Paul......I have been around for about a year and have learning more than I knew I would need to learn.

The learning curve is steep but you can make it. 

I use a router and a plasma cutter on my machine I do several designs on rustic tables. 

Good luck......Let me know if you ever need my 2 cents worth.

Hello; My name is Larry I have a small ranch just west of Angus, TX. I first bought a CNC Router - Plasma 5'x10' back in 2001. I went partners with a guy who said he was an ace at selling products. So we bought the cnc machine I set it up and after working directly with the controller company final got it running great. (wincnc those guys where great to work with) The maker of the machine was worthless. The table was made with quality parts just very bad design. Anyway I got to making parts and had several local welders I was making parts for. Mean while after 8 months my partner had not sold a thing so we shut down. Anyway I had always wanted to build the ultimate cnc machine. One to do wood routing, plasma, lathe, and milling. I have just completed it and I chose to use Mach 3 (which I bought nearly 10 years ago and just let it sit idle) as my control software. After several designs and redsigns i have the ultimate cnc machine. It is 5'X10' table with lathe and milling attached to the end of the table. I have  a 17" Z axis which I can extend if needed. I power the Z axis with a 3 1/2 HP porter cable router which I drive a 10/1 gear box for lathe and drilling. I plan to share with the group here if there is any intrest.  Thanks Crossfire Ranch  Larry

Hi Larry,

Welcome to the forum.

I am sure we could all learn a lot from your adventure into the world of CNC and we would be pleased to see any pictures / descriptions of your build.
If you start a new topic in the "Show'n'tell section" http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/board,27.0.html that would be really great.

Tweakie.

Hi all,
My name is Jeremy.  I built a gantry style router/plasma machine with T slot aluminum over the last couple of years.  I finally got it finished, then decided I wanted a laser.  I got an 80 watt Reci laser from lightobject.com.  I have it mounted on the side with mirrors and the cutting head.  I had to remove my Z axis assembly for that.

I am having an issue with Mach 3, and wanted to see if I could get some help.  I was experimenting with loading a G-code file and running it to tweak motor speeds, etc.  I drew up a basic flame outline with netscape, opened the DXF file in CamBam, and generated G-code.  So at first, when I loaded the g-code to mach3, it would show my part in the tool path window, I could run the program, and my machine would move appropriately.  At some point as I was going back and forth between another computer with CamBam and my machine computer with my g-code fle, mach 3 geeked out on me.  When I load the g-code, it does not show anything in the toolpath window, and if I hit run, it starts moving in a wierd swirl pattern.

I have tried going back to CamBam and regenerating the g-code, I tried rebooting the machine computer.  I copied the mill profile and started another profile in case I screwed up a setting, I even uninstalled mach 3 completely and re-installed it.  Each time I get the same results.  It does not show the part in the tool path window like it originally did, and just moves in a random swirl pattern.  

Also, when it was running right, I noticed that my motors did not move as smoothly as they did when I just jog with mach 3.  Actually they were quite jerky.  I have Kelling KL4030 motor drivers, C10 breakout board, and 425 oz in steppers from automationtechnologiesinc.com.  I currently have the drivers set at 1/4 stepping.  I wasn't quite sure which setting to go with.

I would greatly appreciate any help.  I am trying to get a small business of the ground, and just paid for mach 3 and CamBam in the past couple of days.

I'll see if I can post a couple pictures of my machine.

Ok.  Not sure how to post a pic.
Jeremy