Anybody out there that can help me please feel free to do so. As I am not very good with CAD programs and visualizing 3d stuff I am batteling a bit over here.

I have loads of DXF fils with nice turned legs, but how to MAKE THEM FLAT is another story. These gadgets in V-Carve Pro takes a flat design and wrap it around either the X or Y Axis.

So somehow I need to get this DXF file spread open and do my cutting paths from there.

Something like this

Attachment 8298

From a tutorial on the gadgets, this picture is what it should do, but how do I do the 2D from the DXF file

Attachment 8297

Attachment 8299

Is this what you are looking for?

Attachment 8300

In my software for a wrap I draw my length then I take my Dia time 3.1415 using the largest one to get my width , the smaller will lap over and blend. Then from a side view or end view extrude the profile you want. Your software may also be able to run a solid moldel . I can send you this file in an STL if you would like. If you draw your own design you would just use the flat layout and cut or raise profiles to make a design .

Thank's Leo. Will look at this in more detail tonight.
But in the meantime during my sleep last night I thought of the following. With the indexer / flat / wrapping turning a thing like this will take some time.
Because I have the electric motor on, I can spin my wood at a constant speed.
All I need is to tell Mach3 to move in the Y-Direction and as it moves, it must plunge the Z-Axis to create those shapes.

Any idea how to draw the picture to do this?

Thank's Gerald, that is the same as in my first picture, but I don't know how to translate this to Z-Movement...will have to figure this out.

Kobus since you do have a regular motor also , you could turn this. You should by able to change to a side view then draw the profile, you would then select this line as a contour to cut, You can check your G code to see if it out puts the right way with Y and Z only, You will have to play with your feed as and end mill will not remove the material as fast as a lathe tool will .I would start with a very slow feed and work my way up , a feed for a lathe would be around .008" per rev of coarse that is for cutting steel,so be careful if you try this. If your software can transform tool planes you could draw it from the top view and then tranform it to Z or rotate to the proper plane. You would be using the software like it was a CNC lathe to profile the part. It would be fast for cutting profiles, then you could come back with the indexer and add flutes or other designs. We have a lathe at work with live tooling and a C & Y axis that we use like this.

See if you can open this. If you can go to a side or end view and see if you can edit the profile , If you can this will be the view you will need to work in , to draw a Z profile.From the top it should look like a straight line.

You may need to scale it up some.

Thanks Leo, What I will try tonight.

Draw the profile leg as Gerald also gave me, but without the line at the back....only the profile part.

Lay out the part so that the Y-axis will go North - South.
and the profile on the X-Axis...East West.

Then go to Mach3 and re-configure the pins and ports so that the X-Axis signals are outputted to my Z-Axis

Now The Z-axis should use that profile that was on the X-Axis to plunge the router up and down to create the profile and the Y-axis wil take it up and down the piece of wood.

Nothing to loose ALL to gain.

Kobus, you should be able to do it with just the y and Z .CNC Lathes use X and Z . What would help some ,is if you could find some free lathe software that had a cad package with it , to draw your profiles in.

Kobus, realise that your cutter's tip is going to be expected to work some miracles; sharp left AND right corners, plus convex and concave surfaces. A square tipped cutter following that profile is going to supply some surprises.

Save your current Mach3Mill.xml file as MechMate.xml, and make another copy of it as Indexer.xml.

When you run Mach3.exe, it will ask you which "profile" you want and it will list MechMate and Indexer as options.

Might as well make a BackUpJan2010.xml while you are about it....

Thank's guys,

I made a new profile in Mach called Y Z Lathe. Did the new configurations....The X-setup I used the Z-pins. Left Y- as is and disabled Z.
Loaded my leg PROFILE in V-Carve Pro.somewhere to the left of the page.
Did the toolpath....used a ballnose cutter
Loaded the g-code into Mach, raised my Z-axis high, closed my eyes and hit START.

Well, it moved along the Y-axis and Z- did some up and downs.
Brought Z- to Zero and did it again.
Y- axix moved up and down the wood but Z-axis still cut air.
I now have to play with WHERE to put the profile in my X-Axis in the program so that it will cut into the wood. Maybe invert the profile to look in the other direction.

Will play again tomorrow or the weekend.

ok week end is almost over here - can we see more pictures :D

want to know how the toys were put to use

Still fighting with the turning of the PROFILED legs...Asked Vectric a question on it and the response back was.....Sorry only with Aspire.....I don't agree and will investigate further even if it means learning G-code...cannot be that difficult...All I need is to move along the Y-axis, plunge to depth -Z, pull up, go to position New Y and plunge a little deeper etc. G-Code must be able to give an ARC as well to make that HOLLOW part.

Maybe somebody with Aspire can do one and forward me the G-Code for investigation.:rolleyes:

Finished some taper flute legs this afternoon after coming back from the dam.

Attachment 8389

Today after lunch we tried to go to the Vaaldam to see the water....14 gates are open they say.....but it looked as though everybody in Gauteng had the same idea. After 2 hours in traffic jams, turned back.....to come and play on old BBB.:p

Attachment 8387

Attachment 8388

Kobus,

Those are nice looking legs

Dam duiker!:DJy kom reg met daai draaiwerk.Hoe lank het dit jou gevat om een te draai?

Today I had a visit from Brad...also building a MM in Johannesburg.

He helped me out with some software...THANKS BRAD...

He did a table leg, saved it as a 4th axis -G-Code. I took the file stripped all the extra lines out...substituted the X position with Y-positions and look at the results.

Now I can modify this G-code file to my liking and don't even have to use expensive programs.

Attachment 8476

Attachment 8477

I did it MY WAY....
 

Well I could not wait any longer and had no time to learn the new software....will do later...
I just had to turn a leg...show a leg..:rolleyes:.so this is how I did it.

I imported a leg file into V-Carve pro. Moved it so that it is below the material size border. This gives me a 0,0 point.
I then move my cursor along the outline and record the X and Y values.
I make a G-Code file and substitute the X with a Y....because this is how my indexer is setup....
The Y is substituted with a Z.

Attachment 8480

Save the G-Code file.

Go and make a 46mm piece of wood a little ROUND with the gadgets in V-Carve Pro.....about 6 minutes on this big piece.

Then disconnect my stepper, start the lathe electric motor and watch the magic.

I started with a 3mm bit, but it only got halfway. Changed to a 9.5mm straight bit and finished the piece...about 8 minutes with the toolchange.

Attachment 8478


Here is the G-Code file.....this took me about 35 minutes to generate manually.

Attachment 8479

Watch the Video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSh06ge-pXA

Nicely Done Kobus! This is very interesting all th work you are doing with the indexer and lathe. This is definitely one area I would like to explore with my table.

Kobus I like what you are doing.The market for turned legs where I am is anything from R 150-R 280. start manufacturing and sell it to small furniture manufacturing company`s bet you will recover your layout cost chop chop.Geniet dit ek het net nie nou tyd om aan my draaibank te werk nie ek is besig met iets wat my masjien laat oortyd werk presies waarvoor hy gemaak is

Eventually
 

After playing and trying different things on old BBB, I finally can say that I think I have tried all the options that I want out of this wonderful machine. Old BBB can do anything as long as the operator has the correct software and a bit of understanding as to what he want to achieve.

The other day I started my computer and noticed a new Icon....I opend it up and found a nice looking CAM package hidden there. .....thanks little Fairy .....This thing can do STL files and thus my 3D work can now be cut on old BBB.

Below is a piece that I used for a TEST DRIVE. Size 800mm x 100mm
Took 20 minutes with the rough cut 9.35 mm cutter
And 53 minute Finishing with a 3mm ballnose. I could have done the overlap a bit smaller...had it at 30% therefore quicker cut time, but some line on piece.

Overall a happy chappie.

Look at the video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42hYiC0AWy8

Attachment 8536

First we have Durban surfer impressing us, and now an Eskom bloke from Boksburg. This country is going downhill fast!

Very Nice Kobus! Where did you find the 3D relief file, did it come with the package?

Gerald, Gerald, Gerald....you are losing it... I am not from DOOSBERG.....I am from the Far East... BRAKPAN.... When do you change my heading ?

Heath, I Google FREE STL file and got to a site....did not bookmark it, but here is another.... http://cnc3dart.narod.ru/free.html a bit slow from over here.

Boksburg, Brakpan, Benoni, alles dieselfe.

Is that what BBB stands for ????:confused:

Remind me again , , , , was it Big Blue Beast?:confused:

Boksburg, Brakpan, Benoni,
Big Blue Beast
Big Blue Brakpan
Beloved Blue Beauty

Call it what you like.... this thing is MAGIC.....:p

BallasBakBabbalas?

Now that I am comfortable with the 3D setup, I decided it's time to use REAL wood. This piece will be part of a stepped front of a hall table.
Length 600mm
Width 110mm

Cutting time Rough 9.35mm straight cutter = 22 minutes
Cutting time Finish 3mm ballnose with 10% step = 52 minutes

I did change the Z-axis plunge acc. and velocity to be a bit quicker.

At the start it looks like nothing.

Attachment 8544

At the end with NO sanding...straight off old BBB and with a little bit of oil...

Attachment 8545

That really look great. It good to see you are mastering 3D software.You need to start turning this into a business.

Business....that sounds like work...;)..At the moment I enjoy every minute of it.

Kobus,
That is a fine piece. Your spoilboard, on the other hand could use a surfacing! :)

I know but for some reason cannot find the time

That is a nice problem to have these days for sure !!!

Kobus

You use VcarvePro, but do you also have Cut3D? I wonder what more can be done with Cut3d.


Dave

Hi Dave, I don't have Cut3d. The OTHER program that I now use I am not telling what it is as it is on LOAN....;)

Well I think we have some problems with our steppers from China. They are held captive in Customs. MotionKing quoted us a price that was paid via PayPal.
When South African Customs looked at it, they found an invoice far lower than what we paid. We did not ask for a modified invoice. Now customs want MotionKing to pay a R 3500.00 penalty for this. FedEx is trying to get them to pay up, but so far Mr MotionKing is VERY VERY quit. I was told by the lady at FedEx that if he does not pay up, we will not see our steppers... I have send all the info that I had with MotionKing to FedEx and proved that we did not ask for the invoices to be changed, and therefore have no hand in the matter. Any suggestions ??

Kobus,

motionking should beable to issue a correct invoice with the correct price and you should beable to hand this over to customs.

I has similar problems with customs here where some part code was incorrect code and the items where held back, after 6 weeks of talking and sending mails, paying Fedup a additional price AND 50% taxes over the goods I got my parts.

Kobus, you ned to handle as fast as possible because Fedex might charge you 'storage' cost during the time your parts lay in customs.

Ries

Thanks, Ries, I have also send a request to PayPal to see if they can put some pressure on them or pay my money back.