My adventure with CNC

[DaveH]

It all started a few years back when I bought a Sherline CNC mill.
I know it is small but it does have a big heart ........ just like me


DaveH

[DaveH]

So after getting it home and setting it all up, cleaning and polishing it and just looking at it for a few days I thought it was time to play.

After a few months (I'm a slow learner ) and trying to understand what was happening, eventually I felt comfortable to do something with it.
Milled a few pieces of aluminium - not using the cnc, cranking the handles by hand (I wasn't that comfortable with it yet).

Then there was this programme call EMC2 all this did was to translate the Gcode into machine movement. Boy oh boy oh boy I just could just get to grips with EMC2 so I changed to Mach3 and things started to look up. Mach3 and EMC2 both do the same thing, it's strange one seems easier to learn than the other.

I really wanted to make something but not sure what.

DaveH

[Mayhem]

Dave - CNC means video is mandatory. Pictures just don't cut it for CNC

[wrustle]

Dave,

Get yourself a block/slab of paraffin and practice with that first. Any mistakes you make programming (unless rapiding in to the table) will be VERY forgiving with that material versus anything else.

Have fun! Nice little machine!

Russ

[DaveH]

Darren,
I don't have any videos only stills but I still have all the Gcodes so I can set something up and make a few videos.
Most of the time I spent 'cutting' fresh air (with one finger on the stop button) making sure nothing unexpected happened. Scarey stuff but quite fascinating to watch.

So what to make? now at the same time I bought the CNC Mill I also bought a Sherline lathe (not a CNC one). I know,............. I will design and make a small oscillating engine and I would make it only using the Sherline lathe and mill.

DaveH

[DaveH]

(11-10-2013, 08:00 AM)wrustle Wrote: Dave,
Get yourself a block/slab of paraffin and practice with that first. Any mistakes you make programming (unless rapiding in to the table) will be VERY forgiving with that material versus anything else.
Have fun! Nice little machine!
Russ

Good advice Russ, I did get some (I was given a chunk) what the guy here called "milling wax" I also put some 1/2 MDF board on the bed - just in case. Still kept my finger on the stop button.

DaveH

[DaveH]

I have the CNC mill, I know what I'm going to make the design of the oscillating engine is more or less finished and drawn up. Now what?
I have to get the drawing of the item I wish to make on the CNC mill and translate that drawing item into Gcode then put the Gcode into Mach3 so that the mill can make it.
Gee whiz never knew it was going to be this complicated, well I soon gave up writing the Gcode manually - my remaining life span just wasn't going to be long enough.

I need something that will take the drawing of the item and translate it into Gcode, so along came Cut2d. Something else I now have to learn never ending this.

I normally do my drawings in TurboCad mainly working drawings for me, so they can be somewhat odd. Done in 1st angle, 3rd angle and DaveH angle all on the same page sometimes using a mixture of metric and imperial dimensions really very bad drawings

DaveH

[Mayhem]

Please excuse my ignorance Dave, but where do the batteries go?

[EdK]

(11-10-2013, 09:06 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Please excuse my ignorance Dave, but where do the batteries go?

[DaveH]

It uses proper electricity - the stuff that comes out of the wall sockets
Batteries indeed

DaveH