CNC router

[Keith Long 1Participant @keithlong1]

Hi My name is Keith and after 40+ years as a scientific instrument maker I have decided to make my own CNC machine for my retirement. I have made most of the mechanical bits. I have wired up nearly everything that needs wiring up. I have yet to get the software as I was going to get Mach 3 but have been told that it runs best on a windows 7 PC ( 32 bit ). has anyone used this software and if so what is your experience. I am also in the market for a Myford lathe ( or similar ) and a small mill.

[Keith Long 1Participant @keithlong1]

anyone out there use Mach 3 software

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Hello Keith. I've used Mach 3 for several years to run both lathe and mill and I'm reasonably familiar with it. It can run either as a complete controller in which case it outputs step and direction pulses to the stepper drivers; or can connect to a separate motion controller via USB or Ethernet. I have a Myford Super 7 converted to CNC and a Denford Novamill for which I built new electronics, both run from Mach 3 / parallel port.

In the first mode it requires a desktop 32 bit PC running Windows with a parallel port – these are rare these days unless you get a second hand one (which can be free). Win XP is perfectly fine, and I gather from posts on the Mach3 support forum that Win7 often gives problems when Microsoft distribute upgrades which break features that Mach relies on. As Mach3 is no longer supported in terms of upgrades this means that users are on their own fixing such issues. It means that you really have to have a stand-alone Win7 machine not connected to the internet so it can't get upgraded, and get a suitable version of Win7 that supports Mach3 in the first place – so may as well use XP since MS no longer support or upgrade it (a/k/a break it)! I use XP on an old Dell desktop. BTW you can't use anything like a USB to parallel adaptor as Mach3 takes over the PC at the "bare metal" level to generate real-time pulses – only a native parallel port will do.

Using a separate motion controller – such as Smoothstepper – you can use Mach3 on a laptop I believe, you have to install a special "plugin" so it send commands to the motion controller via USB or Ethernet. The motion controller does the stuff that Mach3 does "bare metal" if you used the parallel port. I'm not sure if the Win7 problems also apply in this mode or not.

Having said this, if you are just starting out then I seriously suggest that you don't use Mach 3 as it is no longer supported by NFS, either you use Mach 4 or a different package, and you avoid using the parallel port. I have invested a lot of time in Mach 3 and written some extensions for tool setting etc that would need re-writing in a different language for Mach 4 so I don't want to change as long as it does what I want. Mach 4 also doesn't fully support all its functions via the parallel port so really you need to use a motion controller.

Another option is to use a complete separate stand-alone CNC controller – there has been at least one thread here about this with links to suitable units available on eBay, they were highly recommended by e.g. John Stevenson – I'm sure someone can point you to the threads.

There have been a number of threads on here about various CNC applications so browse those. I also recommend these sites:

Mach3 support

CNC Zone

MyCNCUK

as sources of information and to seek help.

[ZanParticipant @zan]

I use mach3 with win 7 and no problems, but I couldn’t get any joy out of three parallel port cards, the addresses were all wrong. Problem solved with a motion controller, a uc100 it plugs directly into the breakout board and uses a usb in the computer. It’s no bigger than a parallel port plug, wish they cost the same though!. It uses its own dedicated version of Mach3 which is downloaded from the uc100 site.

There’s a series running in ME at the moment about converting a sx2plus to cnc.  I am informed the electronics and setting up will also be covered.

 

Edited By Zan on 29/11/2018 13:40:53

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Zan, that's useful, I've been looking at the UC100. Do you use it with a laptop? I need to replace my Win7 laptop soon for work and may use this one to replace the workshop computer. Do you use probing and is it supported on the UC100 please?

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember32069]

[This posting has been removed]

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Keith – Just preparing a small CNC fully enclosed router to sell. Running under Estlcam. Do`nt know If of any interest.

All up together and complete with PC on USB link. Can give run through on operations if required.

[ZanParticipant @zan]

Keith, it’s an old hp desktop, non internet perhaps 8-10 years old. I’m not sure, but i think iv seen details that laptops are not good with either Mach 3 or the uc100, I did a lot of investigation when researching my machine conversion. But. It was ignored as I was costing a new replacement computer fir the house into the build and no laptop involved. Problem with a laptop is they are all in one, I had a leak of coolant and it swamped the wireless keyboard, lucky that it still worked even then it often gets a covering of swarf. The base unit is well under the bench. A lap top is vulnerable as it’s integrated. My monitor is mounted on a gas strut wall mount so it’s the right height for both sitting and standing needed cos of varifiocal specs and it can be folded away

iv retired the power button so it can be pushed back. Transfer of files from the house is by stick to a usb extension socket Pre used computers are 10 a penny

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Keith;

There's many answers to your CNC question and each are right. (John Haine and Rod Ashton are two people who I make sure I read their posts – experienced people who always give good advice)

I've got 2 4-axis mills running something called LinuxCNC, and did have a little CNC'd Unimat lathe, running LinuxCNC, until I gave the lathe part away.

It all just runs. One mill runs a Gecko G540 stepper driver via a parallel port (this is the one used in my articles in Model Engineer) the other mill has a MESA 5i25 and 7i77 card set. I've got 2 other projects (CNC) on the go, and they'll use LinuxCNC.

You can try LinuxCNC from a USB stick, to see if you and it get along. LinuxCNC is free; if you try it and don't get along with it, you have learnt something for zero out-of-pocket costs.

I've also used it's engraving functionality to make nameplates from a jpg file; worked fine, especially for the price! All you need to do is to feed it an image file, and it'll ask some questions.

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