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Recent conversions of Warco WM18 to CNC?

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Simon036203/04/2020 14:51:30
279 forum posts
91 photos

Posted by Bandersnatch on 28/03/2020 15:34:09:

OK, I'll ask the question ... how do people "machine the table". Second mill? Take it to a friend?

This is how I did it 10 years ago - from (distant) memory, the big clamps were not the only means of holding the mill table to the lathe's vertical slide

BR
Simon

dsc06806 small.jpg

dsc06807 small.jpg

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and the result looks like this:

dsc06810 small.jpg

John Haine03/04/2020 15:11:02
5563 forum posts
322 photos
Posted by Martin Connelly on 02/04/2020 23:58:02:

Jack M, Mach3 has manual data input (MDI), no programming required, so you can get started with a converted mill before you progress to programs and CAD/CAM. You just need to know a few gcode commands to make the mill do what you do manually such as move the x axis 20mm to the left (or right) or the y axis away or towards you. Read through this to get an idea of using MDI. A mini wireless usb keyboard is useful as well for jogging the machine around.

Using MDI

Martin C

You can use the MDI but the only thing I use it for is parting on the lathe. Much more useful on both lathe and mill are the suite of Wizards provided by Mach to do a wide range of common machining tasks.

Jack M03/04/2020 15:14:37
24 forum posts
Posted by John Haine on 03/04/2020 15:11:02:
Posted by Martin Connelly on 02/04/2020 23:58:02:

Jack M, Mach3 has manual data input (MDI), no programming required, so you can get started with a converted mill before you progress to programs and CAD/CAM. You just need to know a few gcode commands to make the mill do what you do manually such as move the x axis 20mm to the left (or right) or the y axis away or towards you. Read through this to get an idea of using MDI. A mini wireless usb keyboard is useful as well for jogging the machine around.

Using MDI

Martin C

You can use the MDI but the only thing I use it for is parting on the lathe. Much more useful on both lathe and mill are the suite of Wizards provided by Mach to do a wide range of common machining tasks.

I surpose the only way the learn and make mistakes it to build it use it try it all myself unless someone would be so kind to show me there mill in use show me bit of use and set up in person would give me a better idea

I have seen they do have few wizards on there but some not good for what id do some will be

Thanks

Jack M03/04/2020 15:16:52
24 forum posts

This is not a cheap option i dont think but looks a easy way out of machining your mill

mill https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124139065419

might help some of you been looking at this myself as its the last bits i need to convert mine too

Thanks

John Haine03/04/2020 15:52:31
5563 forum posts
322 photos

What do you want to make that the wizards would not do, out of interest? I'm not saying that they will do everything but many common "manual" milling jobs can be done. Also each wizard generates G code that you can copy and use to piece together more complex programs. To go beyond the wizards there are some simple and in some cases free CAM tools which generate gcode for more complex jobs. Once you start with wizards and simple CAM and start to see G code in action you might want to start writing your own but I suspect that many CNC machinists never work at the G code level.

Jack M03/04/2020 19:43:22
24 forum posts
Posted by John Haine on 03/04/2020 15:52:31:

What do you want to make that the wizards would not do, out of interest? I'm not saying that they will do everything but many common "manual" milling jobs can be done. Also each wizard generates G code that you can copy and use to piece together more complex programs. To go beyond the wizards there are some simple and in some cases free CAM tools which generate gcode for more complex jobs. Once you start with wizards and simple CAM and start to see G code in action you might want to start writing your own but I suspect that many CNC machinists never work at the G code level.

Sounds like you know alot more about mach3 cnc than me looking at it more to do one of the jobs i said wizards wouldnt do i would need a 4th axis anyway for it to run and do it all so the wizards will probaly do most things like you said im doing manual now

Can you set up on wizards too do do straight line drilling multiple spaces apart? I would say you could but I'll ask

Thanks

John Haine04/04/2020 10:14:50
5563 forum posts
322 photos

I've taken a few screen photos of Mach3 to show the wizards. First 3 is the full list.

img_20200404_095309016.jpg

img_20200404_095316809_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095258041_hdr.jpg

Then 3 of the config forms for the bolt patterns.

img_20200404_095154116_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095113916_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095023752.jpg

BUT - if you are just planning a mill conversion I suggest that you DON'T use Mach 3!! This is because its development stopped years ago, NFS no longer support it and bugs only get fixed by courtesy of users. The availability of surplus PCs that can drive the parallel port is drying up, and even if you use a separate motion controller that probably isn't supported in M3 if it (the controller) gets updated, and there's a stream of issues with Windows releases that create new incompatibilities.

If you stick with Mach, go to Mach 4, you will then really need a separate motion controller. I'm not familiar with M4 but I'm sure it has a similar range of wizards. Or there are a number of other systems out there.

Jack M06/04/2020 21:45:27
24 forum posts
Posted by John Haine on 04/04/2020 10:14:50:

I've taken a few screen photos of Mach3 to show the wizards. First 3 is the full list.

img_20200404_095309016.jpg

img_20200404_095316809_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095258041_hdr.jpg

Then 3 of the config forms for the bolt patterns.

img_20200404_095154116_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095113916_hdr.jpg

img_20200404_095023752.jpg

BUT - if you are just planning a mill conversion I suggest that you DON'T use Mach 3!! This is because its development stopped years ago, NFS no longer support it and bugs only get fixed by courtesy of users. The availability of surplus PCs that can drive the parallel port is drying up, and even if you use a separate motion controller that probably isn't supported in M3 if it (the controller) gets updated, and there's a stream of issues with Windows releases that create new incompatibilities.

If you stick with Mach, go to Mach 4, you will then really need a separate motion controller. I'm not familiar with M4 but I'm sure it has a similar range of wizards. Or there are a number of other systems out there.

Thanks for all that great info I do already have a pc with mach3 on it but never used or run it had it sat there for a year i got it all when getting all my conversion parts looks like i may have to change or upgrade it now

Thanks

John Haine06/04/2020 22:13:02
5563 forum posts
322 photos

I suggest that you fire up M3 in simulation mode at least and play with the screens and wizards as a way to build up familiarity. You may as well use what you have. I've used M3 for ~10 years and have a lot of learning invested as some custom macros and things, so I'm not going to change until the PC driving it gives out because there would be a lot of re-work to do, but if I didn't have that old PC I would start differently now.

Jack M11/04/2020 09:27:37
24 forum posts
Posted by John Haine on 06/04/2020 22:13:02:

I suggest that you fire up M3 in simulation mode at least and play with the screens and wizards as a way to build up familiarity. You may as well use what you have. I've used M3 for ~10 years and have a lot of learning invested as some custom macros and things, so I'm not going to change until the PC driving it gives out because there would be a lot of re-work to do, but if I didn't have that old PC I would start differently now.

Hi John Yes that sounds a good idea been sat there a while too not turned on need to see if it's still working running i will have a play around with it see what its all about

Derek Greenhalgh02/05/2020 18:45:19
26 forum posts
4 photos

There is a guy on youtube that has both the grizzly g704 and a the newer copy of it the pm25mv, both machines are basically the same, one old one newer model of the same castings, when he converted the first one he had to remove a few mm in a square spot under the table, he did it with an angle grinder, when he then did the pm25mv he was happy that he had a mill working so as to be able to mill the underside rather than grind it. In the end he did not need to do anything to the newer model as 1605 ballscrews and nut carrier fit no problem. The pm25mv is similar to the wm16 and the hbm bf25, and many more, my hbm bf28 is also similar but has bigger motor and a few other bits and bobs, the next size up is the hbm bf30 which has the same dimentions as the wm18 and i have seen a few peoples conversions on spanish forums that fit both 1605 and the next size up, i think 2005 if i remember correctly without having to modify the underside of the table in any way, I suppose it depends on who designs the nut carrier to the available space.

I'm in contact with David that makes the Arizona conversions and the new pm25mv acomadates a dobleball nut with no modification so you should be good with the wm18.

Just out of interest, which motors have you selected for X and Y, nema 34 or 23

Derek

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