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Author Topic: Need some assistance PLEASE!!  (Read 5719 times)

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Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« on: February 21, 2014, 04:21:32 PM »
Hi guys! I am in need of some assistance. Here's my problem. I have a 3 axis cnc and I am running Mach 3. I am cutting out a gun grip. I ordered really expensive wood and the grip requires  7 toolpaths and obviously the screw holes have to be right on etc etc. I ran my first 2 toolpaths. My first 2 toolpaths use the same bit so I didn't have to zero out... NOW... My third toolpath needs a bit change... so I zerod out with the new bit and I forgot to turn the drive switch back on and ran the toolpath on Mach 3. I immediately noticed and stopped the toolpath on Mach 3 and then closed the file and reopened it... then TURNED ON the drive on my processor box. But it was in the wrong position. I then hit the "ref all home" button thinking it would take it back but it didnt. Now it's all out wack I feel. Is there anyway to get it back on track without ruining the wood? PLEASE let me know. Thank you so much for any assistance!
Re: Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 04:49:23 PM »
You evidently do not have HOME switches or you would have the offset to go back to.
If there is any feature on your part that you can locate, or indicate in, you can pick it up then enter those coordinates into the DRO's. A drilled hole or something. Maybe a corner that was machined during the "good" paths ....... anything ?

How did you set your initial part 0,0,0 ? Just eyeball into the stock a bit ?

Russ
Re: Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2014, 05:47:43 PM »
You need to pick up a known location on the part, edges, center and an edge etc.  That means a dial indicator, edge finder etc. As you are may be a wood worker you may not have those. So use known size smooth pin in the spindle and a feeler gauge or even a piece of paper that you know the thickness of. Jog close then jog in real small increments until the pin traps the feeler gauge or paper. You are then the radius of the pin plus the guage away. Type that into the DRO for that axis, watching if it is plus or minus.  For a hole eyeball the pin to center then move one axis until the pin traps the guage or paper. Hit zero for the axis you moved.  Move in the other direction until you trap again. Look at the DRO and move away by half the amount shown and you will be on the center of hole for that axis.  Now do the other axis while you are center of this one.  I usually do the first axis a again to be sure.

To prevent this problem in the future.  Use a post it note.  When you have x y and z zero look at the dials and write down the values on the post it.  IF you need to get back to zero on an axis move close to where it is and use the dial for final location.

Buy an edge finder and a dial indicator.  Life is too short to always use a pin and feeler gauge!
Re: Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2014, 04:30:22 AM »
Hi, I have just loaded Mach3 on windows 7. On my driver test it says driver under control of mach3 but I got no pulse frequency also I get an error message saying    cannot find missing vectors has anybody got some ideas ?

Offline ger21

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Re: Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2014, 07:34:03 AM »
Is it Windows 7 64 bit? If so, the driver won't run on 64bit versions of Windows.
Gerry

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Re: Need some assistance PLEASE!!
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2014, 07:54:34 AM »
Hi Gerry thanks for your input. It is a 32bit but has got duel processors could that be the problem