Further Adventures with the Sieg KX3 & KX1

[Paul H 1Participant @paulh1]

Jason, regarding older computers and parallel ports. Parallel port cards are available and not expensive. Older computers can be refurbished to keep them going for many years more. In my experience the main problems are the electrolytic capacitors. These can be readily changed, but do use quality top tier makes with low ESR (Badcaps forum has loads of info and help). I change the caps on both the motherboard and the power supply. I have done this precisely because I want to have older pcs with parallel ports available for some cnc experimentation and or with very specific software. I realise not everybody wishes to get into component level electronics (and switch mode power supplies can be quite a rabbit hole to go down) or has the equipment but it is a way that works for me.

Paul

[Andrew EvansParticipant @andrewevans67134]

Owain – Have a look at PlanetCNC, I am really impressed so far on my Orac conversion and will move my KX3 to use it in due course.

[Owain SamuelParticipant @owainsamuel55325]

Right, the UC100 has landed! Just need some time and to find the WiFi dongle to allow the pc to be (briefly) connected to the internet and we’re away. Andrew, thanks for the recommendation, if anyone else has suggestions for suitable that they’ve used (ideally on the KX3) then feel free to shout. I’m not wedded to Mach3, it’s just what I know and at the moment the major issue is recommissioning the machine and getting it to talk to the computer.

Owain

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

It would appear that the 'Steep and Shallow' 3d machining strategy in Fusion 360 is no longer free.

 

Martin.

Edited By blowlamp on 29/07/2020 22:11:13

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I managed to get it OK

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I notice that the Axminster versions of the KX1 and KX3 have Ethernet interfaces, I guess that is yet another version of controller board. Anyone know which one?

Regards

Steve

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

They have the Siemans control systems, hence the S at the end of the name.

[Owain SamuelParticipant @owainsamuel55325]

We have progress! For anyone who has one of the older parallel port connection machines and doesn’t want to spend time resurecting old pc’s, having downloaded the driver (link on the CNC4You website, also where I purchased the UC100 from, on the basis of a) a UK supplier and b) a very prompt reply to emails) I’ve got the beast moving in all three axes on command in the correct directions via USB onto a PC running windows 8. Had to go through the ports and pins menu in Mach3 and reset them as per the settings in the KX3 manual, but apart from that, no issues to report.

Owain

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I had originally said that I would draw up the flywheel for Graham Corry's 1/3rd scale Brayton Readymotor with the intent that he would get patterns 3D printed but costings were coming in quite high and he did not get much joy looking for someone who could do a one use CNC router cut foam pattern. So I said leave it with me and I will see what I can do.

At just under 400mm diameter I would not stand a chance of cutting it in one on the KX3 but did think about cutting the spoke area within the rim which would still have entailed doing it in 3 sections but not easy to accurately reposition between cuts. Another option was to make individual half spokes that could be built into a separate rim and that is what I went with.

First most of the pattern was cut away in Alibre to leave a single spoke with a 60degree segment of the hub and the fillets where the spoke joins the rim.

I used F360 to do the CAM and this was the first time I had drawn the stock rather than just letting the program suggest a cube it would fit into which allowed me to orientate the stock to the best position to suit the spoke shape and keep the overall size as small as possible to save machining time.

The stock was glued to a piece of MDF which in turn was held in the vice. I put a layer of copy paper between the two glued surfaces which makes it quite easy to separate the two as the paper just delaminates with a tap of a chisel on the joint line. This is the job straight off the machine

And after separating from the holding block. really happy with the finish which hardly needs any sanding, I set a small amount of backlash compensation to the Z=axis and that seems to have cured the marks I was getting in the previous parts cut using "steep and Shallow"

Video first showing the adaptive clearing (roughing out) and then the finish 3D cuts.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Before cleaning up the machine from cutting the 11 remaining spokes there was one other little item that I have had drawn out for a while. Originally intended to cut from some wood grain UPVC facia so that the lettering showed up white on the darker material but did not have any off cuts wide enough so I decided to make it from some 6mm melamine coated MDF.

Pleased with how it turned out particularly the engraving as it was the first time I had tried that and pleased with the "square" ends to the numbers rather than rounded that you often see, F360 works out the magic and lifts the 90deg vee tool at the ends though it did have a strange way of doing the rounded parts of the numbers such as 6 & 9 first?

I actually mucked up the first one having also entered the 5000rpm spindle speed as the feed rate giving 5000mm/min so the order of cutting is not really right. It should have been hole with the 6mm cutter then engrave and chamfer with the 90deg chamfer mill. Now I can get rid of the wooden rack the original 1-10 set cam in and the boxes from the ARC half mm and imperial ones.

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Very neat Jason, I can see you will be doing brass engine nameplates next, should be good for that shouldn't it.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yes it's a possibility though that would tend to mostly be raised letters and a lot smaller font than I used on the rack which need small dia (at the end) cutters and ideally a faster spindle if the job is not going to take ages to do.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I made these for a Tich for a member here (though he painted them). They are about 75 x 25 mm, with a 1mm cutter at 5000 rpm in brass. I didn't break a single cutter, but it did take a long time! (Photo by the loco owner.)

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by JasonB on 12/08/2020 17:24:00:

Before cleaning up the machine from cutting the 11 remaining spokes there was one other little item that I have had drawn out for a while. Originally intended to cut from some wood grain UPVC facia so that the lettering showed up white on the darker material but did not have any off cuts wide enough so I decided to make it from some 6mm melamine coated MDF.

Pleased with how it turned out particularly the engraving as it was the first time I had tried that and pleased with the "square" ends to the numbers rather than rounded that you often see, F360 works out the magic and lifts the 90deg vee tool at the ends though it did have a strange way of doing the rounded parts of the numbers such as 6 & 9 first?

I actually mucked up the first one having also entered the 5000rpm spindle speed as the feed rate giving 5000mm/min so the order of cutting is not really right. It should have been hole with the 6mm cutter then engrave and chamfer with the 90deg chamfer mill. Now I can get rid of the wooden rack the original 1-10 set cam in and the boxes from the ARC half mm and imperial ones.

I've not tried engraving in Fusion 360, but it seems that you've VCarved the numbers. It's a very handy tool to have for making pro-looking nameplates & what have you.

Martin.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yes I think that s the name for it. Quick capture of the tool cutting the number "1" slowed right down and blown up a lot, you can see how the tool ramps into the job following one corner and then squares up the other before moving along to the next. The letters were drawn with straight sides cut 1mm deep so no need to taper them at the design stage.

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

I'm looking at a job that's just come in to make an embossing stamp to recreate an old "Leatheries" bicycle saddle.

I'll certainly need to use a VCarve strategy to give the right form to the letters and other shapes.

Martin.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just to conclude the pattern making session I thought I would add a couple of posts of the finished flywheel pattern.

The almost 400mm dia rim was too big to turn so I did it on the mill, the "s" shaped curve on the inner edge was cut using co-ordinates from Alibre . This is where a DRO on the Z is handy as often the step is very small and hard to do with handwheel graduations.

The spokes were then built into the rim and a disc of 6mm MRMDF added to the hub to both bring it upto thickness as well as add some strength to the spoke joints. The 2deg draft angle was cut by packing one side of the rotary table, same method for outside of the rim.

After a bit of filler and sanding it was done

All the patterns together

 

 

 

Edited By JasonB on 03/09/2020 14:14:50

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

With the possible loss of some of the F360 functions I thought I should get a few bits that I already had drawn out run through their CAM and knock them out.

First up were a couple of simple 2D contouring jobs being the timing bracket and a knob to lock it's position for the Thompson engine, couple of holes also done on the CNC for the bracket.

Then the rocker arm for the same engine from steel roughed out with 3D adaptive and then shaped with "steep & Shallow"

Finally the conrod, a rectangular blank was milled down from some round 2014 and the two holes reamed on the manual mill then these holes were used to hold the blank while the 3D adaptive and Steep & shallow did their thing.

[Nicola CasaliParticipant @nicolacasali98042]

What post processor are you using with Fusion 360? I've done all of my CNC'ing on the KX3 with Aspire. I'm now trying Fusion 360, but haven't a clue what post processing to use. In Aspire I just select "Mach2/3 Arcs (mm)". Is there a config file available I can import? Thanks!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I just use F360's PP, when you click the PP icon this box comes up and if you click the highlighted arrow a whole list of choices comes up, just select Mach3mill and it will default to that in future.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

With another stint of pattern making that I can't disclose at the moment out of the way it was time to get back to making metal swarf in the form of the external shaping of a crankcase for a small version of the 36cc Wall 2-stroke.

[Nicola CasaliParticipant @nicolacasali98042]

Posted by JasonB on 02/11/2020 16:59:27:

I just use F360's PP, when you click the PP icon this box comes up and if you click the highlighted arrow a whole list of choices comes up, just select Mach3mill and it will default to that in future.

I saw Mach3mill, but was not 100% certain this was the correct PP. Very helpful. Thank you. I can't wait to try it out.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I started this combined inlet and exhaust manifold for the Wall engine yesterday and completed the finish cut on teh second side this morning.

First side after adaptive clearing which was done with a 5mm 2-flute cutter for Aluminium from Arc's premium range. Run at 5000rpm, 300mm/min feed, 5mm high x 1mm deep cuts to remove most of the waste then it stepped up 1mm at a time to leave a part looking like this.

Then a "steep and shallow" finish pass with a 4mm dia 2-flute ball nose cutter for aluminium from APT as they do them with a 4mm shank which I needed to reach down the side of the rectangular flange. This was also run at 5000rpm and 300mm/min feed the scallop spacing was set at 0.25mm which takes a while but gives a nice finish.

Then it was basically do it all again for the other side but as the end flanges are different shapes a second setup was used in fusion with the bottom of the work now the top

As it will fit onto the side of the engine. Holes were drilled and tapped while it was still a rectangular block on the manual mill and I was happy that the drilled passages did not appear as the external shape was cut.

Edited By JasonB on 07/11/2020 16:39:20

[Ian Johnson 1Participant @ianjohnson1]

That turned out great Jason nice work. It looks like one of those jobs which will be awkward to fabricate or cast.

I use Vectric Vcarve on the KX1 which has some 3d ability but I'm not sure if it's as clever as fusion 360, i need to play around with it to test if it's any good.

IanJ

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks Ian, I did toy with the idea of making it as a brass fabrication, it was going to be split down the middle so that I could mill out half round curved passages and then soldered together adding the three separate flanges at the same time. However I really wanted to do it in Aluminium so used Alibre to section my drawn part and then plotted what angle and depth I needed to drill in from to get the holes to meet without going too far.

I'm very pleased with the finish, just a few minutes with a needle file to tidy the fillets where the pipe meets the flanges though I could claim I did some very fine TIG welding. I adjusted the Z=axis gib the other day making it slightly looser and now don't have to program in any backlash compensation as before there was obviously a bit of sticktion which was leaving a slight ridge where the 3D path went from up to down.

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