Fusion 360, Mach4 and first test of cnc router

[geoff adamsParticipant @geoffadams14047]

Hi Martin yes you are right been into the workshop my bench top mill has an option to inhibit z very small and hard to see to the right of the reset button

cant find it on my tormach screen totally different screen but do find more user friendly

Geoff

[Steve PaveyParticipant @stevepavey65865]

I use a Mac for the F360 work and PP, then stick the g code on a thumb drive, leg it to the workshop and stick it on the Win10 machine running Mach4.

I connected the steppers this morning and ran the code – everything seemed ok so I stuck a bit in and tried it with the Z height set about 50mm higher than the work, to check again. I had already turned all the feeds down to a manageable level, and I have 3 e-stops fitted at various points. I tried it for real on a piece of MDF this afternoon with no real problems, though I did pick up on the points you raise about moving to the work zero without a lead-in and not starting the spindle soon enough. I think I can sort that out in Fusion 360 for the next test piece, and as Geoff suggests, moving X and Y first before the plunge down to the work. I’ll have a look for the Z inhibit that Martin has suggested.

Right from the moment I first ran the steppers I realised just how powerful they are, so I’ve been really careful throughout. Home, limits and e-stops have all been fitted and tested, But I appreciate the warnings, thanks.

[Steve PaveyParticipant @stevepavey65865]

Geoff – "i would put g54 on its own line then g0x0y0# z5# g1f300z1# if you want the machine to go to zero before cutting in my opinion a move not needed if you have a g0 command before its going to rapid all three axis."

OK, so if I understand it the G54 command doesn't need to be followed by an argument then – it just tells Mach4 to look for the X Y and Z values that I've set and which are already in the offsets table, and then reference all its subsequent movements from those three datums?

What woulld happen if I omitted the G54 completely? Would Mach4 still interpret the F360 G Code and also recognise where the workpiece is from the G54 entry in the the offsets table? Or does every job require manual editing of the g code to do this?

Edited By Steve Pavey on 21/01/2021 09:14:35

[geoff adamsParticipant @geoffadams14047]

morning Steve you need a g54 command for the machine to know where you part is on the table dont no what would happen if you omit it it might use the machine zero the whole idea of g54 g55 g56 g57 g58 g59 offsets is you can have six different parts on the table say you have two vices on the machine machine first side g54 flip over in other vice g55 to machine other side

fusion should give a g54 code i also use cambam to produce my code i have to manually enter g54 and g43 i could alter some of the setting i think bot not that clever if it works dont fix it glad you have now cut your part

Geoff

[Steve PaveyParticipant @stevepavey65865]

Thanks Geoff. I’ll do some more research into F360 and how it handles work offsets. Until then it’s no trouble to add the relevant instruction manually. Thanks for your help – I’m getting there slowly!

All I have left to do is sort out the spindle speed – possibly something to do with vfd settings, but it doesn’t seem to give me the speed that an M3 Snnnn specifies. I may have to start another thread in a couple of days time!

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