I am little bit confused...and that is easily achieved.:confused:.
For about 2 day's I am fighting to get my DESIGNS into Mach3 to 'cut'.

I have Mach3 version R2.63 and on the FILE menu only have ...LOAD G-Code
......LazyCAM
......Close File
......Exit

BUT....If I read the MACH3 MILL manual they talk about Importing DXF, HPGL, BMP and JPG directly from MACH3 FILE menu.

I know that I can IMPORT them into LazyCam, but me and LazyCam is not seeing eye to eye at the moment and I cannot get my design situated on the correct start point etc etc.

Anybody with more experience please fell free to help me...I NEED to make dust this weekend and time is running out.
Thanks in advance

Have you tried the Lazycam forum? Probably part of www.machsupport.com?

An economical product that is well accepted is www.sheetcam.com. I am convinced the free trial version will have you going by the weekend.

This product's trial will also have you cutting soon:
http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectr.../c2d_index.htm

Both of the suggested products are UK-based (our time zone) and have excellent forums. I was honoured to meet the writers of both programs in England 3 years ago and they are extremely approachable, helpful people.

Thanks Gerald, Sheetcam and c2d will be tried. I got home last night DETERMINED to get it right with LazyCam. With all new programs you go through this learning curve...sometime its easy, sometimes its more difficult. LazyCam interface is not like all windows programs where you click, drag and presto you resize your work. Some actions can be mouse driven, but others needs a manual typed input to change something.

I also found out that if I do my design in CoreDraw..which I have used for years now...and export to DXF, I get funnies in LazyCam/ Mach3. But if I export it to WMF format, it works well in LazyCam and Mach3.

I tried to use Lazycam but gave up because of the lack of help within the program. I am using Sheetcam with good results because of 2 reasons, 1st ... Marc helped me a lot and 2nd Sheetcam has excellent help within the program. My vote goes for Sheetcam. Marc and I have talked to Les (the developer?) and he is very willing to listen and make things work better for CNC Routers. I think the program has been used a lot more for plasma cutters than routers. Just think about all the extra control you need for a router. Anyway just my 2 cents worth.

Thanks JR, was wondering WHY I cannot get it right with LazyCam straight away...not as user friendly as I would have expected it to be. Will give it another go tonight, and then on to Sheetcam....there goes my budget again.

There are some other budget CAM programs listed here:

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Kobus,

I'm using the VCarve Pro programs. Very easy and intutive. I was carving wood within 1 hour of opening the program.

+1 on the vectric products. I wound up picking the vcarve pro also.

I downloaded a free trial of sheetcam and tried to figure out both lazy cam and sheet cam, IMHO both were very complicated compared to vcarve. There is a forum for vcarve with help and support also. $$ for vcarve pro is more than sheetcam but I think that they have a lower priced 2D software now that is avaliable and I think you can upgrade the 2D later to vcarve pro without having to pay the full price of the vcarve pro. I would still perfer the vectric 2D over sheetcam.

Not that I am advertising for or pushing any peticular software, all seem overpriced to me except for Mach 3, just echoing an opinion that the vectric is pretty simple and works well, even for thick headed guys like me:D

The CAM discussion has been copied here:
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=854

Between FIGHTING to get the software sorted, I did my router bracket last night...yes in the cold.... Don't worry I decided to replace the main bearing while I am busy putting it on the BBB. This little Makita router served me well for many years and is still going strong, so the least I can do is fit a new bearing before it starts it life as a CNC router.

Attachment 1636

Attachment 1637

I like a man with good morals. :)

That bracket looks quite nice in real life. :)

Are you using the 1bolt+2dowels attachment at the back? That hasn't been spoken about for ages, and I guess most people don't realise why there are those odd holes in the z-slide. More pics of this would be appreciated - if applicable.

Thats right just like you designed it boss...one bolt from he back to take it apart. The 2 dowels are actually two M6 x 10 C/S grub screws...countersunk from the front. Sorry my cellphone camera is not the right tool for more detail.

Between some house and garden work I did manage to play with old BBB today. Main thing was to get the table straight....this was done with a 25mm bit...two passes and it was FLAT.

Then I tried various programs and ended up with V-Carve 2D....found this by far the easiest to understand. Late in the afternoon I did the Gear example that comes with the program. I was amazed by the fine detail that I was able to cut...that small gear is about 22mm in diameter..clean as a whistle....done on 3mm MDF.

Also found a easy way to FACE a rough block of wood that I have cut from a tree a while back....this thing was as skew as ...I don't know what.

It's nice to see all the wood chips in the workshop...THANKS Gerald and fellow forum friends.:)

Attachment 1651

Attachment 1652

Attachment 1653

Attachment 1654

Good to see your machine christened with dust - goed gedaan.

ps you are a day late :D ref Monday post #134

Kobus,

Congratulations !!!

It's a good feeling, isn't it. :)

That's the first report we have of direct drive Motion King motors cutting wood. Watching these "affordable" motors very closely . . . .

Nice Kobus!

Did you surface the table with a filler applied to the mdf?and if so what did you use?

Congratulations Kobus,
Those gears look great. Keep us informed on how those inexpensive motors are working for you. Are there any plans for using JRs belt reduction scheme? :)

Congraltulations.
The machine seems to run smoothly.

Hi there all, thanks for reading my progress. Every day I learn more and more and it is such a GOOD feeling.

Hennie, my base is a 19mm plywood. I just got my 25mm bit into the router...set it up on the left hand side... jog down to touch the board and rode the gantry up and down, up and down to the right hand side.. dropped the z-axis a bit and jogged it back up and down the length of the table to the left hand side again....Suppose I could have done a little g-code to do it, but doing it manually, i could SKIM it bit for bit until it was flat.

Heath: The idea is to cut out the parts for a reduction system with old BBB if...I say If I need it. At the moment I am still getting to grips with a lot of theory and practice on the machine. Cutting so far is not bad...pretty good even if I say so myself..but as I learn more and more, I might just add the reduction.

Johan, Thanks for the help the other day. I am amazed by the fine detail that you can do with such a BIG machine. I think that if your cut / feedrate is correct, you can get very good work done.

Things that I am learning....

I tried to cut a pocket on a slab of wood. Set up a nice rectangle, told it to cut it out 2 mm deep. Started up and WHAT !!...this thing did not cut on my lines. CAM show rectangle, Mach show rectangle, but on MACH the actual cut is more like an old propeller...see the photo. After supper went back to tame the beast and realised that my acceleration and velocity settings could be wrong. When jogging from the keyboard this thing would take off build up some speed...when you let the arrow on the keyboard go it took time for the mass to come to a standstill, and this is what was wrong. I adjusted the acc. and velocity setup's and now I get a perfect rectangle.
Other people with non gearbox steppers ....what are your setting on the acceleration and velocity ?

The second picture is playing around with cutters en pictures. For small engraving things like this I really need smaller / finer cutters.

Attachment 1706

Attachment 1707

and

Actually you really need much smaller table with ballscrews and fine reductions. You are trying to use a tractor as a bridal car! :D

Well this TRACTOR is a joy to have. I am only playing on small pieces to LEARN the ropes. If I understand everything it will be let out of it's cage to go and cut the BIG things...Front doors, room dividers big signs etc.

Een MM te koop dalk?:)

Nee, 'n tweede kleiner een om te bou!

Ja, as ek dit nie verkeerd het nie maak `n boer `n plan.Kobus geniet jou breek lyk my dit is nodig.

How does those Motion kings holding up!
Sing hulle soprano:)
It looks like that I will be going that route as well.:cool:
It was a pleasure helping you with that small dxf. Shout if there is anything else.

Johan wat gaan jy gebruik Motion king of Fulling?

Ek trek sy been oor 'n tweede masjien

I am happy with what I have...and PROUD.... you have to kill me to take it away from me. Steppers are doing what they should .... as good as my Chinese GWM bakkie.