Hi all its nice to be here and i hope some one can help.
Here i go im an absolute newby to all of this i have a sherline mill trying to use mach3 with it, is there a file i can download to set it up or do i have to do it manually. ill start with this then post the rest of the 1001 and one question.

ps any one here from rotherham uk.


ps ps A big Thanks To All

did you buy the sherline from the sherline company because I notice they sell
it complete with some kind of controller,
know I not sure what you are trying to do but I have a sherline also and what I did was I retrofited with knew motors, and the electronic stuff and as for controller I am using mach 3, you can use mach 3 just download there demo version it lets you do up to 500 lines.
when you download there demo all you do is do you motor set ups for pins and ports and some other things and you are ready to go.
at least that is a start. let me know if i can help
good luck

Thanks cob

Got the mach3 download but not sure how i set up the ports and stuff so that it outputs to the motors any idear what setting i need to change to get it working screen shots or somthing like that would be good. the unit has a box that fits to the pararell port then connects upto 4no stepermotors to it.

thanks for your help :)

Hi Roadhog,

Try going here...

http://www.machsupport.com/videos/

And watch the video tutorials

Roadhog, do you have the Sherline driver box? If so you can get the Sherline XML file and it will set up everything for you. I have the inch version which came with the version I got from the desk top machine shop. They are no longer in business. Perhaps I could send you the version I'm using?

GeneK

Hi all yes i have a shirline drive box the set up is new as ive had it about 4 weeks still not made anything yet as the code i produced would not work with the programs it came with on the linex system. So i thought id use my laptop to run mach3 under windows, ha and guess what still no luck its not driving the motors I get a slight hissing from them and thats it any one got any idears, I put the sherline thingy on and i get 1 motor to drive but it will only go one way and sound like its struggerling.

please please i need help this thing is driving me mad.

and big thanks to all for help so far.

An XML file sets all the ports, pins and other parameters necessary to make your machine run under Mach. You copy it into the main Mach3 folder, then it will show up in the list of Profiles you choose from when opening a program in the Mach3 loader. You can get a Sherline XML (inches or metric) from the Mach FTP site: ftp://ftp.machsupport.com/XMLs

The other factor that might be operating against you is the laptop. Mach is famous for not getting along with them. The problem is the low voltage coming out of the parallel port. Desktops put out about 5 volts, which Mach needs for its logic control. Laptops put out about 3.3 volts, which isn't enough. Try using a desktop computer, and see if the problem persists. You might be also able to get a PCMCIA card that provides a parallel port for the laptop, if you're determined to use it - Quatech puts out a pretty good one, see: http://www.quatech.com/catalog/parallel_pcmcia.php

Let us know how it goes for you, okay?

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com





Hi all yes i have a shirline drive box the set up is new as ive had it about 4 weeks still not made anything yet as the code i produced would not work with the programs it came with on the linex system. So i thought id use my laptop to run mach3 under windows, ha and guess what still no luck its not driving the motors I get a slight hissing from them and thats it any one got any idears, I put the sherline thingy on and i get 1 motor to drive but it will only go one way and sound like its struggerling.

please please i need help this thing is driving me mad.

and big thanks to all for help so far.

Hi all
things are looking up manage to cut some chips today ye har.
just need to thind some dosh to buy full version mach3 500 lines dont go very far do they.

so id just like to say a big thank you to u all, any of you out there into model making any tips would nice. any gcode for props etc would be good.

Hi all can anyone give me a clue wye this is happening

I loaded the xml file in got my mill to work but now when i load the gcode in its messed up.


Thanks all

Like, what's "messed up" about it? How did you save the G-code in the first place - was it plain text or something else? How did you generate it - did you write it by hand, or use a CAM program? Since EMC only runs in Linux, there might be some issues involved with file translation, although I've never run into it with plain-text G-code files.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

Hi all

Ok ill try and explain this a lttle more clear but please remember im new to this.

ok i loaded mach3 onto the com after changing it back to windows and i could load the g code that was produced by solidcam and it loaded fine but my sherline unit with the suppliyed controll unit would not operate.

so i inported the xml file into mack3 wich was grate my sherline mill seems to do what it should do with this program.

The next step was to reload the g code and guess what it was all messed up.

ive tryed to attach the code hope it works.

You keep saying the code is messed up. How is it messed up. What are you expecting versus what you get?
I see what appears to be a mold being pocketed for a nine vane impeller or something like that. Mach 3 doesn't seem to compute the ranges correctly when the G code uses subroutines, but walking through the code by hand it looks like it will cut the pocket ok.
The rapid plane is over 50 mm and it will spend a lot of time in the air before anything is cut each time the bit is retracted.

GeneK

Hi there when i put the code in the first time it shows the unit as compleat,but after loading the xml. The picture that it displays is messed up the bottom flange ends up at one side and the vains at the other.

ill try to get some pics at the weekend.


All the best

thank oyu all vmutch

Hi again

Here is a pic of what im trying to make

Hi again

Here is a pic of what im trying to make
Roadhog, I just cut your file and it does look like that when finished. I cut it in foam and ran at 300% feed rate override and the run time was 3 and 1/2 hrs.

GeneK

Hi again

Here is a pic of what im trying to make

I'll try to attach a picture of the foam version I cut last night.

GeneK

nice one Genek

Well thats what it should look like nice job but i think ill have to find a way of making it go a bit faster how long would u exspect a piese like that to take in aluminium.

still working on my grathics problem but have noticed when i load the xml file i get a diferent main screen o well will have more time to play at the weekend.

thanks Genek

Roadhog, actually, I probably would cut 6061 at that speed(4 ipm/100mm ipm) or faster. I have found that shallow depth of cut and higher feed rate minimizes tool breaking and clears the swarf out better. I don't know the source of your g-code but it seems very inefficient. Going from memory there is a lot of wasted motion, first it pocket cuts down .5mm to the top of the vanes, followed by pocket cutting .5mm the areas between the vanes, and then continues to pocket the area between vanes with what seems to be excessive profile clean up passes.
I would guess that there are 25-40% wasted motion.

GeneK

Not that I could do it either, but from what I have heard, hand coding it would save about 20% to 50% of the lines as compared to software generated code. I mean the cam generated code can save you a whole bunch of coding time and they do a great job. Most times I will go in and trim the fat so to speak and reprocess it several times to get a leaner, meaner code.

I also have had to learn how to setup my cam program to give me what I want as opposed to what it wants to do. Such as order of machining, it will sometimes do a cut on one side of a large part and then go all the way across and then do the next cut and come back to the other side. Lots of wasted time and frustration when doing a run of parts.

Mike

Not that I could do it either, but from what I have heard, hand coding it would save about 20% to 50% of the lines as compared to software generated code. I mean the cam generated code can save you a whole bunch of coding time and they do a great job. Most times I will go in and trim the fat so to speak and reprocess it several times to get a leaner, meaner code.

I also have had to learn how to setup my cam program to give me what I want as opposed to what it wants to do. Such as order of machining, it will sometimes do a cut on one side of a large part and then go all the way across and then do the next cut and come back to the other side. Lots of wasted time and frustration when doing a run of parts.

Mike

That's one reason I can't let go of BobCad ver 20, I use it like an amanuensis to record sections of the project. Like, take one vane section and program it complete, transfer to cam side. Then blank out the geometry you just did and do another section and so on till everything has been done.
The hand coding reminds me of working at Verbatim tape Co. I desigined and built the tape certifiers for the engineering lab. Had to handle the tape at 120 inches / second and not run off the end of the spools in the cartridge. I wrote the code in C and used in-line assembly to speed up the program. The in-line assembly gave over a hundred fold increase in speed.

GeneK

HI all

Well thats going to take a wile for me to sort out, and i thought all i had to do was design what i needed then pop it out of the cnc, o well looks like another two years to sort this out man my heads bangging allready.

well here,s to the weekend hope you all have a good one

cheers all.

Roadhog, in Mach3 you can use the MDI window to experiment with the G-codes. Just type in the command and hit return and it will execute that command. It really helps to understand what it is all about.

GeneK

HI all

Well thats going to take a wile for me to sort out, and i thought all i had to do was design what i needed then pop it out of the cnc, o well looks like another two years to sort this out man my heads bangging allready.

well here,s to the weekend hope you all have a good one

cheers all.

:)Sounds like the Exorcist to me:)

Roadhog, in Mach3 you can use the MDI window to experiment with the G-codes. Just type in the command and hit return and it will execute that command. It really helps to understand what it is all about.

GeneK

I went from knowing to what G-code was to actually doing it in a short time.
I found that printing out a list of the codes and understanding the basic codes made life a lot simpler, and I wasn't so afraid of editing my code.
Practice doing something easy first and work your way up

Mike.

you have to practice to understand it. Floral foam and MDF are your best friends in this type of learning. Floral foam (that green foam the use to arrange fake flowers in) is very forgiving on toolings for that opps that sends Z-1 instead of z-.1

you have to practice to understand it. Floral foam and MDF are your best friends in this type of learning. Floral foam (that green foam the use to arrange fake flowers in) is very forgiving on toolings for that opps that sends Z-1 instead of z-.1

:)Hey Fixxit, you mean I am not the only fool who does that:)

:)Hey Fixxit, you mean I am not the only fool who does that:)

Depends are you meaning uding floral foam or forgetting the "." ????? LOLOL

I never thought of floral foam, As I have a bunch of blue foam from other projects. I meant forgetting the decimal point. :confused:

(chair)Makes you feel like a total loser when a bit snaps just as you hit the e-stop(chair)

And yes for the rest of you out there I have learned to go slow the first few times or just cut air to make sure it works. I just forget when doing a quick little something in MDI.

Sounds like the making of a good poll.


:confused:How many bits have you ruined by rushing that quick little job?:confused:

thanks all

could any one please tell me how long the project below, what im trying to make would take to make with good code.as my program keeps estermating 9hours.


allso as any one got any good g code that i could look at to get a better idear of what can be done and how quick.

and last but not least is there a simple guide for cutting depth to size of cutter in diferant materials.

hope this all makes sence.

Hi all

Ok ill try and explain this a lttle more clear but please remember im new to this.

ok i loaded mach3 onto the com after changing it back to windows and i could load the g code that was produced by solidcam and it loaded fine but my sherline unit with the suppliyed controll unit would not operate.

so i inported the xml file into mack3 wich was grate my sherline mill seems to do what it should do with this program.

The next step was to reload the g code and guess what it was all messed up.

ive tryed to attach the code hope it works.

thanks all

could any one please tell me how long the project below, what im trying to make would take to make with good code.as my program keeps estermating 9hours.


allso as any one got any good g code that i could look at to get a better idear of what can be done and how quick.

and last but not least is there a simple guide for cutting depth to size of cutter in diferant materials.

hope this all makes sence.

If you were talking about the file from the first post I quoted, I come up with 10 hrs 5 min 29 seconds. My Deskcnc program didn't like your file because there isn't an m02 at the end, and g42 and g43 are incorrectly used.

However if it runs on your machine don't change because different software does it differently.

I just ran it thru Mach3 and it ran fine 10hrs 4 min 58 seconds.

Remember . That program is almost 12k lines long. On top of that You are using a 1.5 mm cutter.

TRY THIS. load your program into Mach3. Go to the tool path tab ALT-F4.
Then click on the G-code window. Then click and hold the scroll button and watch the tool path display. I found that not only are you cutting out the shap of the turbin wheel, you are also machining the square portion of the blank also.

I would rough out most of this part with a much larger cutter, as large as your machine will swing. The cam software will not allow gouging in most cases. If you have a 2mm radius and you use a 10 mm cutter it willl stop short of going all the way in. Then you can do a finnish cut with the small cutter.

If I were you, I would do a test cut in blue foam or wax or something to get a feel for where the cutter is going.

If you want to, post the dxf file, or PM it to me and I will see what I can do from there.
I would use a 50-75% step over and a depth of cut 1x to 2x the tool diameter. But it will be trial and error based on you tools rigidity and power.
This is why you should use a bigger roughing tool and then finnish with a smaller one. Bigger tools can go deeper and have a wider path. Many people think a cnc tool will solve all of their problems. It takes time for the operator to learn all the tricks to cut down on machining time.

On my router is was getting times in the 1 hr range for a part that I was cutting. Just by reducing the distance I was bringing the z out of the part when drilling and for rapids to the next work area, I cut 10 minutes off of the machining time.

If you were to make 50 of your parts, the machining time would get silly?

Hi all Please find attached i hope two screen clips one of mach3 with its origanal XML and the second one with the sherline XML loaded in just wonderd if anyone new what was going on and how i fix it.

Thanks all

Hi all Please find attached i hope two screen clips one of mach3 with its origanal XML and the second one with the sherline XML loaded in just wonderd if anyone new what was going on and how i fix it.

Thanks all


Roadhog, what you see is called 'crop circles'. sometimes a CAM program produces these when it tries to cut a circle from one point to another and the algorithm makes a large circle in the opposite direction than it should. CCW instead of CW.

From what I can make out of your tool path it looks like they are part of a circular pocket. I use BobCad and it will do this at various times. The frustrating thing is that I develop on one computer and run a separate computer in the shop to run the code. One has a true Intel processor and the other AMD. The same code will give different results on each computer at times.

BobCad will not show these crop circles at first but if I back plot the file in BobCad it will show problems. So I just edit untill everything is OK.

I wish that everything in CNC would behave but there seems to always be something to crop up.

I have got the tools that I use and can't afford to change to others so I find what works with what I have.

GeneK

Hi Genek

thanks for the info seems strange that if i put the origanal xml in the same code loads fine but load the shirline xml in it messes up there must be somthing in the configs thats diffent wouldnt u think.Or is that just me being optermistic.

Hi Genek

thanks for the info seems strange that if i put the origanal xml in the same code loads fine but load the shirline xml in it messes up there must be somthing in the configs thats diffent wouldnt u think.Or is that just me being optermistic.

Roadhog, I just found two pictures, one on the intel and the other on the AMD. Both have the same version of Mach3 and Windows XP.

one way I can think of, is to copy the first XML..... and then change it one change at a time to match the sherline XML. each change, load and look at the toolpath. chances are there will be one change that shows the "WACKY" toolpath. and Poof. there is your setting. might actually work.

Hi all
mm that’s a totally weird one genek I’m getting the same problem on both systems though I also have a Pentium and an amd and both give me the same problem so I’m now working through the xml to see if I can solve it.

man this place is grate u get loads of help.
Thanks allot all, hope i can give something back soon.