To Help us STARTERS ge going!!

[KustomKoncepts]

I am expecting delivery of my CNC this friday. as I have been waiting 8 weeks I am still nervious about a few key things that I am not 100% sure on. I wanted to start this post to help me and others who are just getting their machine off of the truck and starting it up for the first time and share what mistakes people have made and some simple steps on how to get started.

[KustomKoncepts]

I have the first questions to my own post.

Starters I will be using V Carve and Cut 3D for tool pathing and WinCNC for driving.

#1 How do I know that my cnc will not run off of the end of the table? ex. does it know what size it is?

#2 What is soft limits and is that from the factory?

#3 Next I do have the tool touch pad but how do I set it? how does it know the height of my top and spoil board?

#4 when setting up a tool in V Carve I understand the sizes and angles but how do I set the step over rate, RPM, plunge, and other speed setting?

[cabnet636]

back soon jim

[cabnet636]

dude there is a machine in your future

now the real fun begins!!!

you are gonna love wincnc with what you have in softeware all is well

the rest teaches as it surfaces

[cabnet636]

help you on the phone when it is setup machine controller will know how big table is as i hope the shop sabre peolple have at least done that for you,


do i rember you sent them a computer jim

[KustomKoncepts]

yes they suggested a computer from dell and dell built it and sent it right to them so it should have all the drivers, software and ports on it and set up I will just need so simple starters even though I watched them do it down there I remember he had the bit in and hit home it came over and tapped x then y home positions then he hit the down arrow untill the bit barley spun by hand and tape it up 1/1000 and set z zero. The first time will just be some getting used to. hop to be cutting This Saturday!!

[ger21]

Jim' the WinCNC guy, but I'll take a stab at your Q's.

1)

a) don't program parts bigger than your machine.
b) Hopefully the machine has limit switches to stop it from running to far.
c) If no limit, ahopefully at least soft limits.

2) Soft Limits are basically limit switches in the software to stop the machine from going to far. Not sure if WinCNC supports them. One thing about soft limits. If you don't have home switches and use them to "home" the machine, soft limits won't work, as the controller (WinCNC) needs to know where its at so it can know where it needs to stop.

3) Not sure, but usually you touch the tool to the top of the workpiece and it sets that as Z=0. It doesn't really know where the table top and /or spoilboard are. It's up to you to make sure you're programs don't drive the tool into the table, unless you have limits to stop it. Usually soft limits won't help you here.

4) When you create the toolpath, there's a "Tool" section in the toolpath dialog. Select "edit" in the tool section and those settings are in the window that opens.

[todd71]

>#1 How do I know that my cnc will not run off of the end of the table? ex. does it >know what size it is?

WinCNC will display the tool path on the screen. The soft limits are shown as a red boundary box.

>#2 What is soft limits and is that from the factory?

This is set at the factory. I have a 4896, with soft limits OFF Y axis max travel is 97.500.
I have a 5 station tool changer. Max X axis at the changer is 54.00. Behind the tool changer 62.00. Which works out good if you need to cut 5 x 5 sheets

>#3 Next I do have the tool touch pad but how do I set it? how does it know the >height of my top and spoil board?

This is also set at the factory. From what I can tell, the height is established from the z home position. From there the machine uses the home position plus the length to the spindle nose (without tool in). Which gives the machine a "constant" height. The tool probe calculates the difference from the "constant" to the tool tip to set the over all length of the various tools. To set the Z soft limit touch off the spoil board and use G28. It's in the manual.


#4 when setting up a tool in V Carve I understand the sizes and angles but how do I set the step over rate, RPM, plunge, and other speed setting?

Sorry, I don't know jack about V Carve. But there has to be a tool library to modify all these setting.
________________________________________________________________

At this point I could write a book about what NOT to do.
As far as what to do
1) Take the time to do it right

2) Have a Forklift, Engine hoist (for the gantry),a jack, 4 car Dolly's and someone to help

3) Place your machine on rubber anti vibration pads.

3) Use a torque wrench ( especially on the 12 screws that attach the gantry assembly to the way bearings )

4) Loctite your screws

5) If your Y axis servo or stepper motor is at the back of the machine there will be a bracket on the gantry that attaches to the bearing collar assembly on the ball screw. ( see attached image) When you screw this assembly to the gantry do it at the back of the machine, close to the motor. At first I tightened mine at the front of the machine, which caused the machine to bind up when it got to the back. The ball screw is approx 1.500 dia and 8 ft long. So there's some deflection which can cause you headaches if your not thinking about it.
( 7214's the Y axis motor is on the gantry carriage and the ball screw is like 2.500 dia, pretty trick set up)

6) If you bought the base from Shopsabre throw away the angle they use for the the front to back cross members and make some out of square tubing. The angle flex's to much and compromises the rigidity of the machine.
Keep in mind that the wiring rides on the top left side of pc. of angle iron. If you do this, which I highly recommend, you'll need to support the cable assembly. Should be able to weld that pc of angle to the square tubing. This is something I wish I'd done when I set my machine up. Now I just keep telling myself "I'll get around to it..." and you know how that goes. I probly wont do it till I have to move the damn thing.

Other than the angle iron I've got no complaints about my Shopsabre. The tech support has been responsive and right on target with the issues I've had to resolve.


Good luck,
Todd
http://www.innovative-accents.com

[cabnet636]

i was dead tired and went quick last night, i am still way new to cnc and a lot of ah haa moments are still coming my way.

all of what gery andtod have pointed out have happened to me, i am fortunate to have had joey and bill on the phone at some pretty important moments, i'll do what my experience allows so feel free to call, we are moving well with the operation of the machine and maybe searching to hard for the idiot proof method which may cloud what we should have learned in the first place.

i have no doubt you can do this, my simple advice is dont break any bolts and air cut everything in the beginning, i have made so many mistakes and it is usually because there are so many components to operation, i have absolutly got to remember to turn on the vaccum!!

i am glad to see you posting i saw were a 28 year old was areasted for wielding weapons in fargo, hope everyone is paying!!

lets get to carving jim

ps i have seen your file work and it is good, i am sure your gonna have a lot less trouble than some of us at this

[SCRAPWOTSCRAP]

While the myriad of questions is running thru your mind, I'd like to offer one small suggestion (the advice you're getting here is awsome as usual), draw a template of your machine in your cadcam software, once it's up and running and you've know where it homes and whether you set a different "soft-home" to better handle your specific needs. I have two templates drawn for each of my machines, one with machine boundaries, one with exact locations of the vacuum channels. Once this is done, locating the workpieces on your machine is a snap. I draw new templates for each new machine and each established "soft-home". Templates are grouped as an entity, so they can be deleted in one click. Locating small workpieces strategically over vacuum channels is extremely simple this way, then delete vacuum channel template (layer). Doing this as you start up might save some serious hindsight. As you add machines it becomes very simple to take drawing files an place them exactly where you need them.

Best of luck with your machine!!!
Tallyho!

[KustomKoncepts]

Bad news My machine was suppost to be on the truck at 1pm today but they waited until 5 now they said the roads are too Icie to make the trip. Translation I aing getting my machine tomorrow like I was promised more that once. I have had my delivery moved back and back for the past 2 weeks I have to say the least I am upset with SS right now.

There has been too many excucess made for delays I'm at a loss of words Jason did not even call me to tell me, that he had the Office Girl do it because I would not Cuss her out as bad as I wanted to rip into them. I had 6 guys, Electritions, and wholesale acount customers, fork lift, a trailer, and 15 jobs on the table all scheduled to be here ready tomorrow now it will take a hour of phone calls to tell everyone to forget it. if I can't get my machine on saturday and it may take a few cases of beer for the skeleton crew to get it of the dock saturday but I am going to kill someone pretty soon.

I have customers who flip out when I take a couple of weeks to make there $400 sign that they did not even put money down on how can I expect to pay 30K and wait 8.5 Weeks and not be a little upset.

[todd71]

I know the feeling. My machine was late as well. Which was scary at the time. I'm on the hook for a machine I ordered off the Internet from a company 1,800 miles way. Not to mention the idea of paying rent on my shop and no machine. It's a little late now to say this, but for other's out there, get a tracking number before you set up for the install. That way you know its on the truck. Even then you cant control the weather. Personally, I'd rather know my machine was waiting for the roads to clear than wonder if the truck ended up in a ditch somewhere. If your customers don't understand then screw them. Who needs that crap anyway. Once you get your machine it will all be worth it.
Hey, I got an idea yum

Don't sweat it,
Todd