Does anyone still use Mach 3 turn?

Just curious.

Whilst I am now running Linux on a test bed and am happy with the screw cutting and will stick with it for that, I am not getting on with customising it.

I am trying to get a lathe running that can be used like a manual lathe with some degree of conversational programming.

To this end I have started making a screenset. I'm not sure how long this will take but if there is interest I will make it available.

Regards.

David.

Me! Are you making a Mach or a Linux screenset? Presumably Mach. I'd be interested in conversational programming but I also have tool setting macros that are very useful. Happy to share?

Hi,

Yes I'm working with Mach.

The aim is to add extra screens to what is already there.

The extra screens will contain a number of the wizards which will hopefully use common DRO's (for example, at the moment X start is assigned a different user DRO number for each wizard). If I can standardise these, then it should be possible to use MPGs to move around and then be able to select a current position to be a start or end point of say a turning cycle.

Early indications are good! I have a screenset which includes a couple of the wizards and I seem to be able to copy and paste whole screens in and out of it. This means that in your case, it should be possible to get whatever I come up with and just add the extra screens if they are of use.

I would be interested in any enhancements and your tool setting macros do sound interesting.

Regards.

David.

Hi David, that sounds interesting. I described my tool setting method in a couple of replies on this thread - basically a way of accurately sensing when the tool tip touches the work on a slow probing move (despite the documentation, probing is supported in M3 Turn).

Then I have an "offsets" screen (which I'm modifying as there are a couple of subtleties I have only just discovered) where you mount a tool setter & sensor in the spindle, mount a tool in the toolpost, position the tool close to the setter (<2mm), then click a button to take 3 readings off the diameter, calculate their mean, and populate the appropriate position in the tool table.

On the "manual" screen there's a button to set the Z axis so that the tool touches the end of the work then withdraws 20 mm to get the sensor off; and 2 more buttons to set the tool to touch OD or ID. I find that the tool offsets will get me close enough so that if I home the X axis on startup I can get near enough for most purposes, but for best precision it can be better to get close then touch the tool on the work and dial in the measured diameter and go from there.

Hi David

I would be interested.

Above was my attempt using macros.

You enter the change points for the job and away it would go. I broke the lathe motor drive after fitting a new PC and didn't set all the parameters correctly so I don't think I actually got to cut metal with it.

It now sits at the back of the garage.

Cheers Michael.