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Author Topic: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router  (Read 6589 times)

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Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« on: January 22, 2014, 04:44:03 PM »
Hi,

Trying to make a large scale printer using my cnc router, first thought was to try and attach some kind of print head to the cnc but can't really see a way to run it, then someone mentioned the use of an airbrush, my question is how do I operate a solenoid using the 4th axis on the controller and can it be done using Mach3? the solenoid would operate the trigger on the airbrush

Hope someone can help

Thanks

Dna
Re: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2014, 05:12:22 PM »
Hi,
It is fairly straight forward.

You could use the Gcode M words, to turn on and another to turn off an output.  You could select the user M words, say M800 and  M801 and write the scripts to activate the output.

The easier solution is to use the coolant control M word. Go into the spindle setup tab and set the output to be controlled by the coolant control.
Then to turn it on you can use M7 and to turn it ff M9. That way you won't need to write the macros.

Cheers,

Peter
----------------------------------------------------
Homann Designs
http://www.homanndesigns.com
email: peter at homanndesigns.com
Re: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2014, 04:01:20 AM »
Hi Peter,

Thank you for your reply, I have only had my Cnc for just under a year and don't have much experience changing the code/program, but I'm willing to learn, at the moment I create the drawing in Vcarve7 then generate the tool path from there,
  So if I understand this right if I were to create the tool path in Vc 7 then go into the program and add the on off commands?
Do you think I would be able to spray lettering this way?

My first thought was something like a inkjet print head but I keep drawing a blank with that as no one I know seems to know how to get mach3 to operate it which is why the airbrush is next on the list.

Thank you and hope you don't mind me asking you these questions

Dan
Re: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2014, 07:01:13 AM »
Dan,
An alternate way to control your airbrush could be similar to the way we do with lasers.  Connect a solid state relay of your choosing to the direction pin of an axis (such a Z).  Then when the gcode file is executed by Mach3, a Z-x.x command will turn the relay on, and a Z0.0 will turn it off.  No need with this method to modify or edit the VCarve gcode with special M codes.

There are other methods/commands that Mach3 can use to control an output pin for the airbrush relay, but these likely would involve modifying a post processor file for VCarve.

John Champlain   
Re: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2014, 08:20:16 AM »
Hi John,

Thank you for your reply, it sounds like the way to go, does this eliminate the Z movement totally or does it work together?

Thanks
Dan
Re: Airbrush attachment on Cnc Router
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2014, 08:36:06 AM »
Hi Dan,

With John suggestion, the relay comes on when the Z goes negative.  It would be the simplest if you don't need to move the Z in the negative direction.

Cheers,

Peter
----------------------------------------------------
Homann Designs
http://www.homanndesigns.com
email: peter at homanndesigns.com