Bruce

How about a linuxCnc tutorial. I would have no idea where to start.

Ed

Ed, start with the LiveCD at linuxcnc to test your computer first and check out the software.

Ed, Pete has good idea's :) Yup, start with the live CD and see how your computer performs.The latency test is a good start.

I would gladly tell what I know so far once I get to grips with the software. I have been cutting a few things with it this weekend including a new vcarved business logo in some exotic timber from an old set of drawers. I'll post some pics soon of the work. That has been a good test for LinuxCNC and so far I am loving it.

I currently run with a PMDX-126 but later this month I will be changing to Mesa boards, namely the 5i25 and the 7i76. LinuxCNC works great with these boards by all accounts and they offer a stack of inputs and outputs that even dual parallel ports don't offer. At around $350.00 AUD for the 2 it is cheaper than a 126 along with an ethernet smoothstepper. My smoothstepper is currently redundant and I am deciding what do with it.

Thanks

I'll have a look. Will Linux work with a Gecko 540?

Ed

Linux is a software controller just like Mach. It will send pulses that your driver will interpret.

Ed, there are quite a few installs using the G540, a search of the LinuxCNC forum reveals all sorts of things.

You can get a feel for LCNC by using one of the simulation installs, with that you can play around with all sorts of things without a machine connected.

More success with LCNC.... I have my poor mans toolchanger working. Just like the multi change process in the 2010 screenset for Mach, mine will ask for a tool by moving to the toolchange position and after that moves to the fixed plate and measures the tool in the spindle. From there it goes back to the origin and starts cutting! Absolutely rapt!

I have been working with LinuxCNC for a little while now when I found out that Tormach uses it for their mills & lathes, its called PathPilot. I very much liked the interface, made me fell more at home leaving Mach 3 behind.

Today I managed to get PathPilot running my Mechmate via the parallel port. Alot of help from the guys at the LinuxCNC forum. I have yet to modify the tool change routines from standard PathPilot to my custom versions but so far so good.

https://youtu.be/ZgU57Zdec9I

That is great to hear.

Did you buy the PathPilot from Tormach or did it come directly from the LinuxCNC source?

Hi Alan

Its a PathPilot restore disk from Tormach, about US35.00 plus post. These are guys on cnczone that are entertaining the GPL aspect of LinuxCNC and getting it for nothing. Apparently they are going to share the DVD iso around as well...

Been playing with Fusion 360 lately and slowly figuring things out. Just about to try out the CAM side of things on my new belt drives. Interface is a little strange to me having never used a 3D system before but getting there. Best of all it is free :)

What happens when you don't double check tool paths..... the round hole should be a 6mm deep counterbore, not a through hole. And I was so sure I checked that toolpath.

One piece of scrap 12mm x 100mm x 180mm aluminium :(

Yeah, that sucks. I had my z zero set wrong and milled out the spoilboard straight through once. Hardest the spindle ever had to work.

Yep, been there done that. But why is always the last bit of machining, you have that perfect piece of work then watch as the mayhem unfolds and product becomes scrap.

Tell me about it..... while it is happily boring away I'm thinking "that seems to be taking too long for 6mm deep....."

Robert Burns wrote something about the best laid plans of men and mice going astray.
It is also covered by Murphys Law, a.k.a. Sods Law.

Hi racedirector I see your video nice work I like to now if you can share the configuration file anD the modification to make it work I order the DVD I like to learning to make it work
Techsavvy CNC on youtube share the files but it use the 5i25 I/O and the PMDX-126
But to learn to mod the pp will be great I am new on linuxcnc the paralleport option is good start point

Thanks for you time and keep you good work :) :)

Been a while since I did anything on the MM and I haven't been happy with my construction of the beast for a while now.

I spent alot of time tuning the motors and now have them performing like never before. The software that came with the AM882's I have is brilliant, the motors really purr now at all speeds.

To aid in making them better I abandoned my self cut belt drives and went to the local engineering firm to get a set of SurfCNC's drive plates cut. A$150 later and I now have 4:1 drives on all axis. Sooooo much better and smoother. Thanks Ross for the drawings!

I am running 30T pinions at the moment, I may get the 24T pinions I have bored to 1/2" and try them out or grab some 25's and do the same. I had the max speed set at 25,400 mm/pm but it is too scary at that. My rapids are now set to around 16,000 mm/pm.

I then set my ends stops exactly the same and got my gantry hitting both stops in tandem by tweaking the shims in the front 2 v bearings. Doing this highlighted another issue with my inadequate construction techniques, the frame is not square.

To continue to making things better I trashed the old spoil board and base and am currently installing new ones. The pic shows the bare topped machine. Getting the new base board dead centre of the Y threw up the problem I had identified during the gantry tweaking, the frame is a parallelogram with one side being 2.5mm out. In my books that is not good enough so I am trying to figure out how to get the frame square again so I can continue to attached the new base & spoil boards. Having an autumn head cold is not helping matters much, much sitting staring at the machine and not much action :)

...... "Doing this highlighted another issue with my inadequate construction techniques, the frame is not square."....

Bruce, did you follow Gerald technique ??... "see this link " :cool:
All the best.... ;)

Hi Robert

Yup, saw that and implemented it. Now 0.375mm out of square. Once the new base and spoils are down I'll do the famous 2x 6mm sheets and readjust the gantry :)

Well it seems I am sucker for punishment.....

I have never been happy with my X rails and I am sure they are one of the causes of my frustration. So today I stripped the old ones off in preparation for replacements. Will grab some more 65x50x6 angle (A$90 for 9m) and go through the whole cutting and grinding once again. Not really looking forward to it but in my mind it has to be done. This time it will be so much measure twice and cut once it won't be funny... ho hum.

Pics as I go for posterity :)

It is always easier the second time. I redid my y rails once during the build.

Tricks to make it go quicker if you didn't do this before.

1) cut to height with a narrow kerf cutting disk and use flat washers in the cut to support the drop to keep the weight off the cutting wheel. (it goes faster)
2) Use a 36 - 60 Grit sanding disk supported by a REAL grinding disk to set refrerence grind flat
3) when using the skate, use the 36 grit sanding disk to knock down the 45 degree chamfer about 90% of the way, then use the grinding disk for the last few passes (or 80 grit sanding disk supported) for final finish.

I did the whole machine over in a day.

GOod luck
Sean

Thanks Sean, good tips. I have some 125mm 1mm flexovit cuttings disks left over from last time, they cut steel like butter. My biggest struggle last time was with the skate, will make sure this time I have it nicely free flowing and tight on the angle. Next problem will be finding somewhere to do it, I used the machine base last time but now there is a gantry in the way... such first world problems! :)

Your gantry is easy to lift higher supported by some wood blocks, already did it once for transport. One man job.
Its also easy to put on the table itself, parallel to one of your main beams, if you have some spare hands.


On my table I only undid the gearboxes, locked the cart with some straps and up and 90 degrew around she went.
20 minute job for two. Then you have full play on half of your table surface.

Thanks Fox

I did raise the gantry with axel stands but still could not get it high enough to get my AEG 125mm grinder underneath safely and cannot put the gantry sideways on the table due to my cable track. I have found a solution though.

While looking for cutting blades I came across an Australians company selling rotary hacksaw blades, these fit in a circular saw basically turning it into a metal cutting cold saw. I have one of these blades on order and will basically set the angle up on a couple of saw horses and modify my old circ saw with guides to cut the 28mm leg. From what I have seen of these blades is pretty impressive. The company is AustSaw and their range of blades can be seen here: http://www.austsaw.com.au/saw-blade-...rotary-hacksaw

Got my new blade today.... and promptly tired it out. It does cut steel incredibly easy as it does for fingers...... somehow I managed to get my left index finger in the way and came close to taking the complete top off it. It now has a 3mm wide gash in it, down to the bone, that is causing me to visit another hospital tomorrow for a plastic surgeon to take a look at. That was after visiting a medical facility first, then the emergency room of the local hospital only to be told it will probably need surgery. Such is the fun of working with power tools :)

Very sorry to hear that, Bruce. Glad that it is minor compared to what it might have been. We all get these little reminders on occasion that we should slow down and double check our safety. I've got a collection of scars, and a fresh slash on my arm from a garden irrigation fitting that snapped while I was trying to brute force it off without the proper tool. Even a completely rounded plastic elbow can bite you if you give it a chance.

Another....scary close call !!
Glad too to read it's only minor.....we've all red horror stories about cutting blades !!....I too know own a few reminders ( or should say missing)
All the best ;)

I have a friend that passed last year. Years ago (while teaching shop in a high school I think) made a nice clean cut that took a line that took off 3 finger tips back to the middle knuckle on one hand. He didn't talk about it, but safety was his main stay for the time I knew him!

Bruce ... ouch !!
Take it slow and heal up properly.

You showed great ingenuity using the bolts and nuts to hold the belt drive plates apart.
The two lower ones on the drive can be drilled out to fit and M8 bolt.
This reduces further any chance of misalignment between the plates as they are so stout.

Cheers
Ross

Thanks for the comments guys. Surgery yesterday apparently cleaned things up somewhat. They had to reopen the wound to get the bone fragments out and remove the finger nail to rebuild the nail base where the blade went through before replacing the fingernail. Lots of pain meds and antibiotics to chug down. With my arm in a sling to keep the finger elevated I am pretty stuffed in doing anything. Back to the hospital Monday for the first checkup.

Ross: I used the bolts and nuts to avoid having to get all the spacers exactly the same height without a lathe. Using the nuts turned out pretty good in being able to adjust each stud to exactly the same height. They are all locked in place with a final lock nut. I might still use your suggestion of using M8's on the bottoms for a little more strength though.

Ouch !! Sorry to here about your finger!! Hope all goes well to get you back to 100% !!

Bruce, I have cut my self but not what you did. I hope you heal quickly and you are able to use every thing.

Due to Metalheads shout out I thought I would say something so it isn't so quiet around here.

The finger is slowly getting there, still can't put any pressure on it so I am taking a different track with my machine. Rather than keep it down waiting for the new X & Y rails I will start, this weekend, to put it back together with the old ones but this time do a bit more tuning while I am at it. That way I can get back to cutting stuff instead of having a great hunk of useless steel sitting in the garage.

I got inspired by a talk a long lost friend made about business including his own, Booktopia. After making alot of sense he inspired me to get off my butt and do something.

Hopefully within a week I can can report the ole girl is cutting again!

Wow Bruce, this is the first email notification from your thread I have seen in a while. Sorry to hear about the digit. Hope it heals nicely. I got my index finger tip into an end mill 7/8" once. Removed the nail, carved the bone out in a nice half moon fillet and split it length wise. I feel for ya. Finger injuries take a little commitment to regain feeling, sensitivity and usability but it comes. Hope you are better soon.

Wishing you a complete recovery.
Yes it has been quiet on here recently.
I will make a dummy video camera and microphone today
for the kids at school to use in an English lesson.
A job for the bandsaw methinks, no need to involve a sophisticated
piece of machinery.
Keep safe.

Thanks guys.

Pete, that encounter with an end mill sounds so much worse than my encounter! Serious pain right there. Good to hear things have come right.

Al, good luck with your things for the kids, hope it all works/worked out ok. Gotta love making stuff for the kids :)

I found a couple of stitches that should have been gone, one in the main gash and other that looks to be holding the nail on. Pulled the nail one thinking it was a dog hair, bad move I can tell ya! Back to the docs this week to have them gone....wondered why the damn thing still hurt in places.

On the MM front... while going through my steel pile I found 2 main rails that I originally made and rejected. I have no idea why I did that as they seem to be better made than the ones I used on the machine. So today I fitted those and am currently resetting my distances apart to have my gantry in the right place. Not sure now if I will actually redo the X rails, will see how the machine performs before decided what to do with 7 meters of 65x50x6 angle......

Bruce, when I had my grafts from the fire they used staples to attach the new skin. When they took them out the deadened the hands. Only problem is the missed a couple. When I went back in the doc found them and removed them live. NOT FUN.

Question. Why were you changing your rails?

Sorry Pete, missed this.

That sound painful, far worse than my finger. Hope things are better now.

Why am I replacing? Well, firstly I am a perfectionist, a downfall at times. Wasn't happy with the rails I had on it and I wanted to make them better. I had installed a new base & spoilboards and was trimming the edges when the bit plowed through the steel crossbeam on one end only while missing the others which told me that I had screwed up somewhere.

The new rails I have now (well new old ones previously rejected) seem better. Yes the machine is back together again and traversing all axis. Can't run it yet, am replacing the spindle cooling as well cause again I wasn't happy with my first try. Have a new 24V pump on its way, 6M head so it should be enough and am building a coolant holding tank like I have seen here. It will include a flow meter and an arduino powered flow display so I can see if it is actually working as well as John Guest tubing and fittings. I have the control box part done and responding to M8 (flow coolant on) and M9 (coolant off) in Pathpilot, one of the relays on the PMDX-126 switching 24V on and off with those M commands and the wiring from the box to the pump waiting to be connected.