Creating accurate toolpaths for 4th axis

[pinky19]

Thank you for reading! Still having trouble answering these questions after reading all guides and watching all the very helpful videos posted:

1) Should I be zero'ing the Machine Co-Ords above the material, with Z-axis touching material to be milled?
2) Every code generated appears to, at line 3 (I believe) send my z axis up a variable amount, almost always more than my physical limit.
3) Importing the .STL into DeskProto also seemed to have shrank it by a factor of 5 I believe. Not sure how, but noticed my part was only about 2mm rather than 10mm after import.


I am attempting to use a 25mm rectangular prism as a material, and an .STL of a small cylinder with a 10mm diameter.

End result continues to either :
plunge directly into material, and then I e-stop
or
It climbs the variable amount in the Z axis, and then does not lower back to material height.

I believe I am having an issue setting and differentiating between the machine vs work co-ords in mach3, and am likely missing something in DeskProto. I think I am not properly setting my Z max height of the material? Attempts at this even did not fully give me fully what I expected however, so I am not sure what else I could be messing up on.


If anyone has some suggestions, or links to material non-Venus related I could use as examples it would be greatly appreciated!


*********
was also curious if my issue is that I am using mach3 Mill rather than Mach3 Turn. Still quite new to all of this, thank you!

Similar Threads:

• y axis not accurate - partner 5
• Creating elliptical surfaces/toolpaths
• can anyone with cut3d help please? I need a couple of toolpaths creating
• Trouble creating toolpaths for Crown
• Creating Toolpaths for IGS

[MarcusWolschon]

Factor of 5 sounds like you didn't use metric coordinates.
As for Z, check the free movement height.

Gesendet von meinem Galaxy Nexus mit Tapatalk

[awerby]

Thank you for reading! Still having trouble answering these questions after reading all guides and watching all the very helpful videos posted:

1) Should I be zero'ing the Machine Co-Ords above the material, with Z-axis touching material to be milled?

[The machine coordinates are zeroed where your automatic homing routine sends it at start-up. If your machine doesn't do a homing routine, you can ignore them.]

2) Every code generated appears to, at line 3 (I believe) send my z axis up a variable amount, almost always more than my physical limit.

[It sounds like you're setting your floating Z zero too high. What you need to do is set it at the center of the rotary axis, not at the top of wherever your material is. ]

3) Importing the .STL into DeskProto also seemed to have shrank it by a factor of 5 I believe. Not sure how, but noticed my part was only about 2mm rather than 10mm after import.

[Check to make sure all your units are millimeters, in DeskProto, Mach3, and whatever CAD program you're using.]


I am attempting to use a 25mm rectangular prism as a material, and an .STL of a small cylinder with a 10mm diameter.

End result continues to either :
plunge directly into material, and then I e-stop
or
It climbs the variable amount in the Z axis, and then does not lower back to material height.

[You need to get the zeros and sizes right before trying to cut anything. It sounds like it's pretty confused right now. How are you defining your material? Does it show the cylinder in the middle of the prism, or somewhere else?]

I believe I am having an issue setting and differentiating between the machine vs work co-ords in mach3, and am likely missing something in DeskProto. I think I am not properly setting my Z max height of the material? Attempts at this even did not fully give me fully what I expected however, so I am not sure what else I could be messing up on.

[Yes; you need to tackle these issues one at a time, and get them all sorted out before you ruin a lot of material and break a bunch of bits.]


If anyone has some suggestions, or links to material non-Venus related I could use as examples it would be greatly appreciated!

[Sorry, all my material is in a cloud on Venus. But did you try reading the Deskproto manual DeskProto >> download >> downloadable manuals ?]


*********
was also curious if my issue is that I am using mach3 Mill rather than Mach3 Turn. Still quite new to all of this, thank you!

[No, you don't want to be using the Turn function; that's for lathes not mills. But Mach3Mill is a generic XML file. Are you sure you don't have a customized profile set up for your specific machine (which is usually called something else)? In general, I'd suggest mastering 3-axis milling before attempting 4 axes, since it's simpler and there are fewer issues to deal with. Once you've got that working, then go ahead and try 4-axis parts. ]

[pinky19]

Factor of 5 sounds like you didn't use metric coordinates.
As for Z, check the free movement height.

Gesendet von meinem Galaxy Nexus mit Tapatalk

I think you may have been correct. Not having issues with new models, but deleted that one so couldnt check.

[No, you don't want to be using the Turn function; that's for lathes not mills... Once you've got that working, then go ahead and try 4-axis parts. ]

Perhaps I have never created or renamed a profile, but my motor tuning, etc, all are what I went and set them up as initially.

I got the CNC because I make plugs and tunnels(ear jewelry) with a lathe currently, so was hoping to be able to quite quickly run over the 3d model in, and press "start" and have this happen haha. So far I have largely mastered engravings, and have gotten accustomed to how Deskproto translates pictures to code. Really enjoying that feature so far.

Still yet, I cant grasp how simply turning a block to a dowel is going to happen from deskproto. I am unsure if its not working because of wrong strategy, or what. Will familiarize myself with 3 axis more tomorrow.

No awesome 4th axis tutorials outside of the venus, I assume? Im really trying hard to google but not seeing much. I have honestly spent 15+hrs searching anything through every help file, tutorial, and google pages to find something and just can't beyond everything contained in a convenient YouTube playlist entitled Deskproto. So far, despite not understanding the 4th axis, I have largely loved Deskproto and will likely buy it in another 20 days or so if I can only master this.

Thank you both greatly for your time!

[Lennings]

A next useful source of information is the DeskProto Tutorial book, available at the website as PDF.
One chapter is completely about rotation axis machining.