Member postings for Jenny Davidson

I’m all hooked up now, and I’ve updated the controller to map step sizes, speeds etc so that they match the mill’s capability. I’ve started to explore F360 too, through tutorials and plenty of mistakes, so progress is taking place, slowly.

Jenny

Thanks Martin,

Yes I did understand that the purpose of the files that you sent me was to test out machine motion.

I’m not at a point yet, where I’m knowledgable enough to use them, in fact I’ve not yet connected my computer to the controller, although everything is in place to do so. It’ll all happen in time - which is, as ever, in short supply.

Jenny

Thank you Phil,

I’ve downloaded and installed F360 and was planning to follow through a Utube tutorial today. I’m slightly put off by F360’s ‘family’ stuff. Nothing serious, but why? However, if I don’t make a start somewhere, I’ll never reach the destination. Is Vectric so good that I should switch before I get started with F360? or is it a matter of personal preference? Having looked at Vectric on line, it seems appealing.

Jenny

Thank you Martin. For now it looks like code from the enigma machine to me, but let me sit on it for a bit and I’ll come back to it.

Jenny

Thank so many of you for taking to time to help. I just can’t keep up. Jason, I watched the link which you sent me, which makes the process of building a 3D model using F360 very clear. John too, you explanation of the relationship between stages is enlightening. I can’t keep up.

I’ve had a busy day including prepping a venison casserole along with allotment rhubarb with orange and ginger for desert/dinner. That’s life I’m afraid, hobbies when time allows.

For those of you who are reassuring me that I don’t need to write code - yippee. I was involved in computer prototyping in the 1970s. Back then machine code was needed, then assembler, then higher level languages, so I’ve served my time and I don’t want to wind the clock back.

to answer your question Re 2 or 3D. The answer is that I don’t know. As with all technology, once we get started, we can start to see new opportunities. My husband runs a pétanque team, with a monochrome eagle’s head as their emblem. It comprises of several elements, not just an outline so I might try engraving it onto a two layer laminate as a first project. But what about a three layer form from solid stock! How about engraving seed types on slate markers, then 3D vegetable markers in hardwood to mark full size crops. I’ve tinkered with a stainless steel contemporary tree to hang our bird feeders from. Suppose I engrave motives to tack weld onto the curved branches - stainless steel = v hard, yes I know.

A friend gave me some small pieces of exotic hardwoods a while ago, lignum vite, ebony etc, which I cut into facets for decorative key fobs. How would a 3D tree cut into ebony look? Or a church into Yew, or as an advanced project, a pair of holly leaves with berry’s in 3D because our house name is Holly Corner.

There’s a model steam engine (stationary) in our workshop, just started, so there must be a CNC opportunity there somewhere.

Overall, I’d like the flexibility to move onto more sophisticated designs, once I’ve learned the basics. As ever, current capabilities limit what we can do - a fourth axis beckons. But for now ** when I find the time.

Thanks again

Jenny

Thank you Nigel, I’ll have to be more careful about my wording. I don’t want or need a machine to ‘design’ for me, I’m naturally creative, which leads towards my making unique things, which in turn gives rise to my use of diverse ‘tools’ to turn my ideas into reality. My husband teases me over my versatility in meeting the demands of my originality. Aside from engineering, I’m happy working with modelling clay, fabrics, wood, paint, concrete, glass fibre etc. I won’t claim to be an expert in any area, just a happy amateur. In that sense, I only need to know enough about CNC to get the job done, the outcome being the goal. But I must admit that the learning journey in any area is good fun too.

Thank you Jason,

I followed your link and read the explanation, which refers to ARDUINO which is embedded in our controller, so I’ll download F360, when I get up. I’m writing this on my iPad, so I need to wait until I’m sitting in front of a laptop - probably indoors, with the mill etc connected, because it’s a bit cold outside. Next stop, watch the video.

Jenny

Just to clarify.

We’ve already bought and bolted on three Nema 23 stepper motors. We’ve wired them onto a

CNC shield with stepper motor drivers. The controller is already running GRBL firmware. So we don’t really want to start changing any of the items already bought and paid for.

So Tom, have I made a mistake in asking for advice on which gcode program to buy?

I understand the need to set up hardware parameters so that the software knows what it’s dealing with, size of steps, distance moved per step etc and I’m assuming that the program which you recommend will incorporate that setup capability?

A common name found during my searches is Fusion360 for both CAD & CAM programming - shall I just download it and have a look at the setup part first, then turning a visualised shape into a real object. For that I need CAD CAM for Dummies, which doesn’t get many stars on review- so which next?

Jenny.

Thank you both, and especially for being so prompt in replying, I can’t keep up.

I’ll follow up on your advice and lt you know how I get on. I’m afraid that the priority right now, is making dinner - BBQ.

The workshop job of the day was making a clamp to attach a dial gauge to our lathe tool post, because there are times when stock doesn’t seem to have centred well. The hardware and controller for our mill is all in place, so it’s software next, if tending the allotment doesn’t make first claim!

So much for a lazy retirement.

thanks again.

Jenny

Hi, I’m brand new on this forum, so please tolerate my ignorance. I’ve always been practical and able to use most machinery intuitively, but there are limits to that level of self help. We/ have a tiny milling machine, a Proxon MF 70, to which I’ve attached CNC stepper motors and a controller, which has a USB port for a computer. We have both Mac and a PC laptop available, though I was intending to use a PC laptop for CNC work. So here’s where I need your advice and experience; I seem to need a GCode programme to create designs. Can you advise me on which one to use, please. After I’ve installed it, I don’t know how to program it, so a really good ‘back to basics’ beginners book will help. Can you help with a recommendation? Also, some ready made programs will help because I can use their coding as worked examples. Being naive, I thought that there would be smart software available, which would convert a line drawing to the control instructions in one easy hop - if so, I haven’t found the software yet. My efforts will be exclusively amateur because I’m retired and anyway, my time is shared between too many activities to list. Thank you in advance for your help.