help with 1st run

[tempgp]

hey, i just got my CNC off ebay, 1040T it came with March 3, now im tryin to figure out how to use teh machine. So far i did all the setinngs and i can nontroll the machine in manual mode. However when i try to set it to cut something something gets messed up. The CD has sample file calming to have mored for 7x7cm. When i try to align the router to starting point and move it to over the size of the path it semas that model is bigger then my working diatnce... also for some reason i can not turn on soft limits Can some one guide me here? I would really appreciate that! Thank you!

[tempgp]

ok i guess im making progress
i was able to engrave a letter, now question how to i set soft limits?

[ger21]

Go to Config > Homing/Limits and set up the locations, then turn them on with the button. You might want to watch the videos at ArtSoft USA - Home of Mach3 and LazyCam

[tempgp]

tnx for reply!
thats what i did but i got stopper error saying that location is outside the limits... maybe i set wrong limits?

I have

X: 0, 250
Y: 0, 350
Z: 0, 50

When spindle say at position 100,100,25 i press Soft limits button and im getting the error that spindle is outside limits or something like that

[ger21]

Notice that the max column is before the min, so if you're looking at the Home/Limits window, you should see:

X 250 0
Y 350 0
Z 0 -50

Note that Z zero is typically the top of travel, and should be the max. moving Z down is negative, so the bottom is minimum.

[tempgp]

ok let me try thos values. I watched tutorial video and now getting better with the machine hopefully in few days will be able to cut the shape i did in AutoCAD

I will reverse my Z axis.

Also i noticed that my eBay machine does not have home switches and tutorial say i need to use them.... i can add then myself to the enged, but how can i add controller for it? I have Phidgit i/o board, is possible to use it for switches? Technically i can write a plugin for Mach3 too

[ger21]

You don't need to have home switches to use Mach3.

[tempgp]

i guess i dont but how i set machine 0's (home coordinates?)

[ger21]

Just click the ref all button and it will set machine zero wherever the machine is.

Before I had home switches, I just jogged my machine into hard stops and ref'd there.