Basic CNC

Sure!  I ran into a friend at the beach since the last time I posted, gotta say it was a pretty pretty sunset.   Anyway, he informed me that Pumping Station One has voted to get a largish plasma table.  Those things cut steel like my laser table cuts acrylic.  He works for an interesting business, they make large plywood robotic dragons for festivals and chi-chi weddings.  Says it slows up in winter, however.  PS1 nucleates all kinds of small businesses.  Judging from the smile he wears on his face, I infer that working with robotics, fire and hula girls is hella fun.

Another friend of mine got involved with the machining program at a local junior college when they got a huge sum of money from the Obama administration to set up a completely state-of-the-art fabrication program, the goal of which is to represent all modern fabrication techniques.  I am happy to say that practically all of the major manufactures of this stuff are climbing over each other to donate their best machines.  This freed up money for the school to build a huge (cliché warning) state-of-the-art facility off-site.  He is saturated trying to learn all of these exotic machines.  He has even gotten some material donations!

Chicago doesn't disappoint.  I must say that my son ran off with my tools to Portland Oregon, but the weather is nice there now and he has some time off and a nice compound, so we could visit.  He recently acquired a medium-large mill.  He is using my stuff for a laudable cause:  Multnomah County ARES

But she is surrounded by industrial farmland for miles and miles.  Two places we have found for outdoor recreation that are somewhat local are Manistee, Michigan and Carbondale, Il.

There is an disproportional amount of young women here as they are more given to leave the farm for big-city life than their brothers.  There is a large culture here trying to adapt robotics and other technologies to art and social purposes.  Lots of capital, lots of events and festivals.  Fun, Fun.  Winter used to be a lot of fun here, we would go skating and tobogganing, but with global warming it has turned into a rainy miasma, often.

I think I need to come live with you .... I like all these neat tools you and your friend have ...

You're probably right, MK, I could be thread-jacking a little bit.  I own a conventional machine shop, but typically use other people's stuff if I need CNC.  I recently bought a 1KW laser table with a bed almost the size of a half-sheet of plywood with a rotary option.  So, not to be outdone, my buddy gets a 20KW unit with O2 lance and Nitrogen quench for the corners.  Worked well 'til he got lazy with his shut-down sequence the first time out.  Now he is waiting on a new tube!

Like I stated earlier, this neighborhood is simply awash in CNC tools.  My buddy just got a CNC press-brake that predicts the outcomes based on material properties.  He hasn't got it all figured out yet.  When I think CNC tool I am thinking something that had an initial sticker price compatible with that of a McMansion.  Couldn't refrain from mentioning the LR taps, though, just discovered them, had to do a double-take

You mean thread mills but Raymond's mill may not supportit. To use them you need to be able to move the tool in a helical path which requires a fancy controller with helical interpolation  - G codes 02 or 03 but with a Z move in the same code block.

Thread Milling Basics

MK

The step drill will work well on materials that tend to fray, it makes very clean holes.  Now that I am a little more awake, I recall that there is a kind of tap for CNC that can produce both chiralities of thread.  It relies on the tool to turn it and plunge it at the same time.

Don, that's gives me an interesting (if potentially stupid idea), you could use a step drill to avoid tool changes.

Like, IIRC if he is cutting a lacuna for an Allen screw, he just lies to the machine about his tool radius to cut the void for the head.  If he wants a sequence of groves that get smaller and smaller, he uses a for loop to increment his cutter radius compensation.  Not my style, but it works for him quite well.

If you are drilling anything hard/thick, use a technique called 'peck drill.'  This will keep you from getting fouled up by your shavings.

Cutter compensation allows you to use this kind of drill unique to CNC that is sorta like a burin.  It can make different sized holes with the same tool.

G codes are 'go codes,' they result in movement, M codes are 'modal codes,' like turn on/off the coolant,  It is neat that you have cutter radius and cutter length compensation as well as changeable coordinates.  I have a buddy who does wicked things with those features, way beyond the obvious.  He was my teacher for my Okuma-Howa certs in lathe and mill.

Always clamp your stuff down really, really well.  Your machine will vibrate.

Hello Raymond,

I've never used that software so I shall back off in the hope that someone else on E14 has and will be able to help you.

MK

I don't have a pic at the moment but here is the spec.

Ballscrew Machine Assembled

A3 size Machining Area - 500mm x 300mm, Z Axis 155mm

Footprint: 950mm x 750mm

Accuracy/Repeatability: 0.01mm

Translation: Ballscrew

Linear: Hiwin profile rails and carriages

MDL NOTE: CUSTOMER TO SUPPLY: Desktop PC, Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse

Machine Control Software - Mach3 Full License

Design Software - VCarve Pro 7

Electronic Jogging Handwheel

Controller: 3 Axis Controller and x3 NEMA23 3.1Nm Stepper Motors (X, Y and Z)

Proximity Home Switch (X, Y and Z) and additional external emergency stop

Kress Spindle 1050FME, Kress Motor Mount, Brushed dust hood with connection for 38/63mm out

3 x Kress Collets: 3mm, 6mm and 8mm

Sample Milling Cutters, 4 x T-Nuts, Grease

Single phase - standard socket 240V

One socket required - extension lead supplied

Code: [VCARVEMACH3]

CONTROLLER: FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS:

USB (V2.x) from PC/Laptop running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 (32 bit or 64bit)

motor driver connector pin-out is compatible with 10 pin open source interface (Linistepper, PICStep)

controller works with most step/dir stepper and servo motor drivers available on the market

buffered IO for maximum performance

advanced interpolation algorithms

start, stop, pause and resume execution of program on your machine

standard RS274/NGC G-code (EMC2 compatible)

advanced G-codes - G40, G41, G42 (Cutter Radius Compensation) supported

advanced G-codes - G43, G49 (Tool Length Offsets) supported

advanced G-codes - G54, G59.3 (Coordinate System Origins) supported

tested with SolidCAM, MasterCAM, ArtCAM, Vectric, CamBam, MeshCAM ... generated G-code

Profili 4-axes and 3-axes G-code supported

import toolpath from DXF files

import toolpath from PLT/HPGL files

import toolpath from image files

import toolpath from NC-Drill (Excellon) files

import toolpath from Gerber (RS-274X) files

toolpath simulation

automatic homing procedure

advanced toolchange procedures

automatic tool length measuring

export toolpath to G-code

export toolpath to DXF

SDK (software developers kit) is available

works on MacOS X (Snow Leopard 10.6.3) with virtual machine emulating Windows XP SP39 axes USB CNC controller Mk2:

100 kHz maximum step frequency

7 digital outputs

12 us minimum pulse width

manual jog inputs for all axes

limit inputs for all axes

5 general inputs

8 control inputs for pendant or similar device

SD card support for running g-code without computer

control external devices with I2C protocol