Need Help!- bought used cnc router

[cwpeters]

I bought a used Digital Tool cnc router. I got a great deal on it, but I cant find out any information on it. My problem is this Anaheim Automation driver pack. The company I bought it from used it for grooving and drilling wood for chairs and tables. I want to use to make signs, engravings and carvings. I don't think this old machine will be very accurate. Does anybody know what kind of controller or breakout board I can use to get more precision? I have two Z heads so I have four motors. Alot of the controller boards I've seen only have three axis. I attached some pictures of the cnc so that you guys can see what I'm talking about. Ive called anaheim automation about ten times now and they cant help me at all. Should I replace the driver pack and start over? Can I use the Brain controller I've seen? Any advise would help me out alot. I bought Bobcam software and I'm going to buy Mach3 too.
chris

[TOTALLYRC]

Originally Posted by cwpeters I bought a used Digital Tool cnc router. I got a great deal on it, but I cant find out any information on it. My problem is this Anaheim Automation driver pack. The company I bought it from used it for grooving and drilling wood for chairs and tables. I want to use to make signs, engravings and carvings. I don't think this old machine will be very accurate. Does anybody know what kind of controller or breakout board I can use to get more precision? I have two Z heads so I have four motors. Alot of the controller boards I've seen only have three axis. I attached some pictures of the cnc so that you guys can see what I'm talking about. Ive called anaheim automation about ten times now and they cant help me at all. Should I replace the driver pack and start over? Can I use the Brain controller I've seen? Any advise would help me out alot. I bought Bobcam software and I'm going to buy Mach3 too. chris

Hi Chris,
Here come the questions.
1. Steppers or sevo's.
2. What is the dc power supply voltage and amperage.
3. Is it X and Y for the table and 2 Z axis spindles
4. What is the input power 120 or 240?
5. What is your budget for the retrofit?
The answers will help determine what your options are.

Mike

[apache405]

Also, what kind of accuracy do you expect/need?

[kamodels]

I have the same machine, you can contact Keith at email : gkbedil@aol.com. He is in the Pittsburgh area where I am located. He used to work for Digital Tool.He is very informative, and has helped me many times. Also his business phone is 412-821-2284. Hope this helps.
Ken

[thaswell]

I have a machine that looks like a twin to yours. Before you get too excited about changing controllers try the machine the way it is and give it a chance. I have done some wood working with mine as well as engraving in brass and aluminum. All the projects turned out quite well. In my shop I am currently working on some curved top shutters with designs carved into them all done on the CNC. I live near Toledo Ohio and would be glad to help in any way I can. Good Luck !!!!!

thaswell@amplex.net

[jincerto]

Chris, I purchased a used digital tool router last year. It was in rough shape and I had no experience in routing machines or software to run them. I made some mechanical repairs on the sprocket gears and alignment wheels. Set the machine back up in my garage. The software I had to run it was Wincnc. I called them and they helped me upgrade the software and taught me how to run it. I had to pay a technical fee but it well worth it. I bought vectric "v" carve software to use. I also use the machine for signs. Great software. My machine is very accurate for signmaking and a very robust machine at that.
I think you will be surprised at the accuracy of the anahiem controller.

[cwpeters]

jincerto
good, I wasn't sure if this driver pack had a build in controller or if was just a driver for the motor. I'm having alittle problem getting it all set up with the computer. I havent been out to work on it for a month. Took time to read the manual for mach3 and bobcad software. I bought a rotoZip router for one of the z heads and I'm going to use a 3 horse bosch router in the other. Ive bought eight different endmills, bullnose, flat, core box, v/groove ect. I do want to get the v-carve software. Great, I'm glad I asked you guys. I'll mess with this router to see how accurate it is before I change anything else.
chris

[plasticproducts]

We have an old Digital Tool with Z & W heads and we cut 60" circles to .01. We use this cnc every day to cut small runs in mdf, aluminum sheet, and all plastics. Anaheim Automation has provided several board replacements with no problems. The thing I like about this cnc is everything is off the shelf. Anyone can fix anything on it.
I use Bobcad most of the time because I can draw quickly. We use Wincnc on almost all of our cnc's, they have been great to asist on any problem.

[roonster71]

HEY I USED TO HAVE THAT SAME MACHINE!!! I USED A SOUND LOGIC BREAK OUT BOARD AND MACH3, THE PINOUTS WERE A PAIN TO FIGURE OUT, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THEM FOR YOU FROM THE GUY I SOLD IT TOO..... IF I CAN FIND HIS NUMBER .
ANYWAY HERE IS A LINKTO THE VIDEO OF THE MACHINE WORKING WITH MACH3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbdBymPnFY

[cwpeters]

hey can you help me get bobcad dialed in? ive talked with two techs there. the last one i hung up on because he was a jerk. they are no help at all. If you have any information that can help me, id love to get it. are you still using the same blue driver box?
chris

[roonster71]

Originally Posted by cwpeters hey can you help me get bobcad dialed in? ive talked with two techs there. the last one i hung up on because he was a jerk. they are no help at all. If you have any information that can help me, id love to get it. are you still using the same blue driver box? chris

ive never used bobcad sorry. but yes i used the blue driver box along with a bob cambell breakout board to send the step and direction pulses to the blue driver box. the driver box needs a full 5volt pulses, some computers dont put out a full 5v from the printer port so i hade to use a breakout board. i have sold the machine a while ago but i remember finding out whitch pins to use on the two sides of the driver was a pain i sent a email to anaheim automation and they didnt have any info on the driver box but they sent an email on how to figure out which pins, i wish i had the info for you but i gave all the info to the guy i sold the router to. i think they called step and direction, clock and direction and also i remember the grnd wire between the db25 ports of the driver and break out board needs to be there for the router to run smooth... hope this helps

IF i can find the phone# of the guy i sold the router to, im sure he could send me the info
cross your fingers!

[cwpeters]

Will the bob cambell breakout board work with other software? I thought I read somewhere on their website that it only works with Mach3
chris