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#331
Sun 18 July 2010, 23:21
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Ken, I would recommend that you fill the whole thing with undiluted coolant (automotive works well). The reason is because things had a tendency to grow in my tank and clog things up. Finally, I got tired of changing out the coolant so I cut a corian top to keep all the dust and chips out of the coolant tank. Your pump looks exactly like mine. I used a glass aquarium so I could see it flowing without the need for a flow indicator. Also be watchful as this style of pump doesn't stop the coolant from reverse flowing when off leaving no coolant/rust protection in your line when the machine is off. Chinese spindles are made of steel and your investment will last longer if the anti-rust stuff was always in the spindle motor. You could add a check valve to correct this problem or put a manual valve in the return line; Just make sure to open it when you turn on the pump and shut it when you turn the pump off. Good luck!
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#332
Sun 18 July 2010, 23:33
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Thanks for the advice!
Ya, the pump is Taiwanese  I'm now playing with filter media choice, tinkering with some cotton roll, simple fabric, coffee filter bag & other filter paper to place in the strainer tray. Will take your advice to machine a cover for the opening. this will be great for securing the return tube too. Added the coolant already
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#333
Sun 25 July 2010, 00:15
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Got hold of an old P4 machine with a valid WIN2K licence so the natural thing to do is to try out MACH3 on my MM.
Went to the Artsoft site, sat through some video tutorial which are really helpful. Then downloaded the demo version, installed it & started to config the pinout according to my BOB, tune the motor to 70000mm/min, 1200mm/S2. Assigned soft limits, & off I went to jog the motor all over the table. Then I just draw a simple profile on my VCarve pro use MACH3 ARC mm post processor & save the cut file on a thumb drive to transfer to my newly installed P4 machine. Loaded the .txt into MACH3, set zero-touch off & clicked on the start button, the MACH3 asked me to change my tool & I just re-click the start button as I already has the tool on the spindle.then MM went on to do cut the profile on a single pass from a 4mm thk plywood dutifully. All went well. Then I continue to test multiple pass cut on a 24mm thk scrap plywood, drwn a ring & export from VCarve pro, loaded the .txt file in MACH3, set zero clicked on the start button, Mach3 asked me to change tool & I re-click the button &... the MM seem to have a mind of its own & can make decision on the Z-axis dept of cut by itself... the x-y axis contour went on well... When I re-click the start button again, the tool path of x-y axis went back to the previously cut path but the Z-axis is totally different... & the z-axis coordinate never repeat itself every time I click the start button... I didn't hear any motor step lost & everything sounded just normal... What could had went wrong??? attached is a copy of my G-code
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#334
Sun 25 July 2010, 00:45
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Did you clean out that old P4 machine to make sure that it isn't running extra stuff inside....like looking for a LAN connection, looking for updates to iTunes and other timewasting stuff like that?
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#335
Sun 25 July 2010, 02:22
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Thanks Big G!
Uninstalled everything (including window explorer  ) which I don't seem to know & run a registry check with CCleaner.Restarted MACH3 & everything just went on seamlessly! What a relief... Thanks for the heads up!!! Again...  Next, I'll play with the touch off when I could find the time...
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#336
Tue 27 July 2010, 01:15
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Hi Ken,
Nice to see your machine is nearing completion. I'm putting mine on hold. Can see that you still haven't got a spring. Check this out, how to make your own spring : http://home.earthlink.net/~bazillion/extension.html
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#337
Tue 27 July 2010, 03:54
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It is operational & started to generate some small but sustainable income already
but I'll never consider it ever completed; There are still so many alternative options, "upgrades" such as the gear reduction & a 4th-axis to play with The link is cool! but for a few ringgit, I can get them off any local hardware shops, It will be real handy if we can build our own gas spring or a balance...
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#338
Tue 27 July 2010, 04:27
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The Z-touch off plate is easier than I had expected!
Software, Downloaded the MachBlue_by_Big-Tex zip file, & double-click the MachBlue_by_Big-Tex.msi, start-up Mach3 & load the screen in Mach3. assign probe to a pin & set it to active low status. Hardware, Solder a wire onto a blank PCB & connect to one of the BOB input terminals, the ground connection was left unconnected as we are using the machine as the ground connection. This is also the opportunity for me to check if my mm is properly grounded. One small glitch, the Mach Blue screen keep showing "Z-plate is grounded, check connection & try" when ever I repeat the "Initial Zero setup" button. Is this normal?
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#339
Tue 27 July 2010, 05:24
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Ran straight into a brick wall when I tried to put up this nice Joystick to play games with my MM...
DSC00621.JPG the Readme file says this "Bugs and known problems: Windows 2000 command prompt windows intercept keyboard messages before they reach KeyGrabber. If you have a command prompt window or a DOS application in the foreground then KeyGrabber will not work from the keyboard. At the moment KeyGrabber cannot use the <ALT>, <CTRL> and <SHIFT> key modifiers. For instance there is no way of sending <ALT> R." I'm real idiot when it come to this.... What should I do?
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#340
Tue 27 July 2010, 08:26
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Ken,
I believe that EMC2 has a hal component to use once of these as a pedant. Or are you switching to Mach3??
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#341
Tue 27 July 2010, 21:34
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I'm yet to decide on which to choose from.
There has always a big question of what is the difference between EMC2 & Mach3 even since the beginning of this journey. but really nobody can tell which has an edge over the other, so the best way to find out the differences, its best to try both of them & select one. I started with EMC2 because its free... & now that I got hold of an old PC win Win2k in it, might as well try out the trial version of Mach3 while I'm at it... So far, I find Mach3 is easy to install, I can find a lot of SOP to do stuff & it has nice wizard to do some cutting on Mach3 itself but the down side is that the screen is more conjested... Everything is display on the screen even those that we don't use... Whereas, EMC2 is take more reading to learn & install. Customisation is necessary if one wish to do more the the basic stuff... this is a challange to me & the screen is free from conjestion...
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#342
Wed 28 July 2010, 07:54
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Ken,
I see what you are doing now Both EMC and Mach3 can do the job. Since I am a cheapskate with software, I try to use FOSS wherever I can. EMC does a good job for me, it has auto Z, auto-homing, soft-limits, e-stop configurations and various methods to connect to the real world using HAL and it's build in real-time 'PLC' module. The screen looks not as fancy as with Mach3, but I believe you can simplify Mach3 to your needs. EMC is a bit harder, but it is simple to add new controls to EMC2 if you want. see here EMC screen The only real difference between Mach3 and EMC from a technical point of view, is that EMC runs on a RTOS (real Time OS) while Mach3 tries to bit-bang has hard as it can to give a steady pulse. I have read on the net that some people hear the difference between Mach3 and EMC, where EMC sounds more smooth. I doubt you can see that in cut-quality in wood. What I also like, is that that I don't have to worry about virus on my controller. I remember when I came with my USB stick to my plasma cutter, the first question he asked was 'Did you scan your USB for any virus??' he used Windows, but not Mach3 to control his plasma cutter.... Best suggestion, and you are doing already... just try and see what you like best
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#343
Wed 28 July 2010, 18:46
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Ken
Keygrabber is one key mapping application but not the only one. Ross
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#344
Wed 28 July 2010, 22:30
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Ross, sounds like you have something up your sleeves, care to enlighten me?
Ries, You are right to point out the characteristics of the two, the best way to find out which is best for my use is non other than trying both. BTW, MM sounded a bit "rough" with Mach3 & I though it is me hallucinating .
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#345
Wed 28 July 2010, 23:21
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Quote:
for the gas strut, maybe could use service from company like myus.com or vshub.com to buy stuffs from mcmaster carr (if it doesn't ship internationally). or maybe some clever linkage + spring design could help... just idea. Last edited by Nikonauts; Wed 28 July 2010 at 23:50..
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#346
Wed 28 July 2010, 23:26
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Ken
My comment was an encouragement you to look for something else but I can expand on it so you that you follow. Most windows game controllers will come with their own keyboard mapping software although it is not often called this. The Logitech controllers for example use an application called "Profiler" that will start many different games and map complex multiple keyboard strokes within each different game to a specific button or POV axis. This software is different to the device driver software that windows loads to give the controller some basic calibration for the axis and buttons in the device manager. As far as your "Cowboy" branded wired controller goes, not sure on that one. Everyone seems to use the game controllers with the basic shape you have chosen but equally a joystick would move the axis on the MM fine. Here is a link to a generic "profiler" app that runs all sorts of remotes, even ones for the xbox, Playstation and so forth http://pinnaclegameprofiler.com/. Note the term "Profiler" used for both the Logitech and the generic keymapper app is probably no accident -but who am I to say , hehe As far as the perfect free one that meets all your cost and performance requirements- thats what google is for but I suspect something would be available !! Regards Ross
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#347
Thu 29 July 2010, 01:03
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Quote:
As long as you are looking at the right directions... or equivalent substitutes... cheap too...Everything is available locally if you have a big enough budget... I import some of the components to reduce cost as I built with a shoe string budget...  FYI, I never need to buy anything from McMaster... The furthest I need to go other than local hardware stores is RS Components, they have a huge catalogue & they sell everything with a minimum 3 times local retail price.... Come & see for yourself! My invitation extends to all interested in the area. After which we can have a long teh tarik session. If you can find time. Ross, Thanks for the heads up, my immediate concern is to get the KeyGrabber program to execute... but I honestly don't understand what the Readme file is trying to tell me particularly. "Windows 2000 command prompt windows intercept keyboard messages before they reach KeyGrabber. If you have a command prompt window or a DOS application in the foreground then KeyGrabber will not work from the keyboard." How do I know if a command prompt window or a DOS application is in the foreground? Does it meant we can make the prompt to go into the background? What does "foreground" entails??? Thanks in advace.
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#348
Thu 29 July 2010, 02:00
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With the progress of Joystick installation grind to a squeeze halt. Muster enough energy to overcome procrastination & proceed with the long overdue Dust Collector installation.
Glue up the pipe support clamp cut with MM DSC00628.JPG Moke-up of the clamp & pipe DSC00627.JPG Screw up to the Z fixed-plate DSC00630.JPG Glue up a rectangular inlet nozzle in a hurry, attached to the end of the Suction Duct, won't know if this will work DSC00631.JPG Hung up the Flexible host DSC00633.JPG My Cooling host attachment DSC00632.JPG
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#349
Fri 06 August 2010, 04:26
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I know an ideal Dust Collecting system should consist of a cyclone to remove the wood chips & the dust filter bag is there to stop fine wood dust to enter my lungs & every gap in the shop...
In my previous attempt, I jury jig my dust collector up without a cyclone as I'm out of budget for a cyclone... With the temporary set-up, I can work without a face mask & puff away with my ciggy happily... BUT, the Dust collector filter bag is filling up real fast... And I find emptying the bag is too troublesome... So instead of waiting for my cyclone piggy bank to fill up, I will build a Thien Separator with near zero budget... I resorted to begging, cheating, threatening & violent act to rob a 200L HDPE barrel from (now) an ex-friend. Scrooges a short length of 3/8" screw stud, some nuts & washers. a 4" uPVC elbow & a flanged straight connector. a piece of 12mm plywood leftover. a few hours to search up the Thien Separator, some measurement , a quick cad drawing, a few minutes of MM running & half hour assembly & viola! Total damage? US3 from the pocket for the elbow... I hate myself for not doing this any sooner...
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#350
Fri 06 August 2010, 05:17
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Nice work Ken - the web is a wonderland of ideas and some of them actually work !!
I made a similar (but not the same) type of separator but have been wondering if it might be best placed on the pressure side of the blower than the suction side. The reason for this being, that an over sized plastic bag can be loaded into the drum if it is on the pressure side and then removed, tied off at the top and disposed of. If the drum was to be loaded with a bag on the suction side it could potentially be sucked up into the slot on the separator blocking the primary storage area. I can forsee no difference in the performance of the system with the primary stage on the pressure side or the suction side, it just seems that people have used the suction side in the past. As both our systems currently stand you still need to clean out a drum of waste and that exposes you to the dust we were avoiding in the first place. I use a disposable bottom bag on the dust collector for the same reason, when it is full I gently remove the bag zip tie it off and replace it with a new one. The change in the plumbing for your system is minor to make these improvements - worth a thought. Regards Ross Last edited by Surfcnc; Fri 06 August 2010 at 05:20..
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#351
Fri 06 August 2010, 05:41
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Ross, the one nice advantage of the suction side is that heavy items - like lost screws - are removed from the airstream before they can smack into the impeller.
Also, depending on your dust collector design, using a disposable bag in the bottom can cut off part of your airflow if the lower bag is normally permeable - on my collector, the difference is noticeable. This is probably not an issue once you upgrade the top filter, but I haven't gotten to that yet. I gotta built me one of those cans soon, though!
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#352
Fri 06 August 2010, 06:32
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Brad beat me to it... Those were the exact reasons why I have my saperator on the suction side. Protecting the fan blade is one of the key functions.
I saw your system & I like your idea of placing a bag for the bottom bag to ease disposal... but like brad said, it will reduce air flow & increase flow resistance... to be exact, the flow resistance will be doubled in your case. but if you can find a larger top filter bag, it won't have that problem. I just found a friend who knows a guy who custom these bags... let me check if the price is good for me... Now that you had strirred my imagination... I will look for some gunny sack that is big enough to try it in the suction side... maybe it will be heavy enough to resist lift...
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#353
Fri 06 August 2010, 23:01
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Hi Ken and Brad
I see what you mean about making it easier on the blower by taking the big bits out first. I am very guilty of using the extractor for all sorts of things that probably should not have gone through it. The fan is quite thick steel and I have run nails, concrete cutter dust and small rubble through it. It has been jammed with large wooden blocks etc etc and it still is working. The sound that comes out of it as some of the big pieces bounce around in the blower for a while before clearing is definitely not good but it comes back for more. I have had to replace the pipe from the blower to the bags before because it has been holed by missiles flung from the fan !! The porous bottom bag does make the the extractor far more efficient as you say and unfortunately the fix for this is to use a very expensive pleated filter cartridge top bag replacement. My gut feel is a large pleated filter cartridge top replacement and a plastic bottom bag would probably match or exceed the airflow of the porous top and bottom bag system but provide for far superior dust removal. So thanks for the clarification on the system and why it is beneficial to have the primary filter on the suction side. I guess not everyone is as rough with these machines as I might be inclined to be. Regards Ross
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#354
Sat 07 August 2010, 01:05
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I can tolerate the cutting noise as I know there are no easy way out for this but the fan noise on top on it just crack my tolerance level...
One easy way out is to move the fan out of the building * the other is to house the fan in the toilet... I'm thinking of the 3rd solution, i.e. covering the fan with noise absorbing foam... I'm just wondering if the noise is from the fan or does it come from the exhaust. I put , my ear close to the fan & erxhaust, but I can't really tell the noise is from...
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#355
Sat 07 August 2010, 08:08
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Ken,
highly likely, most of the noise will come from the exhaust. Properly the best way to get rid of the noise is to use a baffler of some sort, or put it outside. Depending on where you life, putting it outside might not be appreciated by neighbors...
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#356
Sun 08 August 2010, 22:06
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Ries, Took time to locate the noise source during cutting & you are right, it's mainly from the exhaust...
After some though,a pair of ear muff will be the most cost effective way to protect my sanity... I really hate wearing any PPE while working, I'll just have to live with the lack of freedom...
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#357
Sun 08 August 2010, 22:42
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There is a standard exhaust muffler used on fans, in ventilation and kitchen extractor fans. For a length of about 4x the diameter, the exhaust pipe is made full of holes (sieve) and wrapped with glass wool.......
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#358
Mon 09 August 2010, 05:58
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Ken
You wear those muffs or everyone will be referring to you as deaf old Ken in your third age !! OR as Gerald suggests build a muffler. Bill Penz site has a plan for one at http://billpentz.com/Woodworking/Cyc...rBelliveau.cfm AND here is an interesting OEM muffler for a DC you can buy or refashion to fit your own needs using the basic ideas from the Bill Penz link. muffler 1.JPG The claimed db reduction is 5 -10 db, as usual I remain doubtful of a full 10 db reduction without a test. Regards Ross
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#359
Mon 09 August 2010, 06:48
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Indeed I did mean to say muffler, not baffler
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#360
Mon 09 August 2010, 21:09
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Quote:
Thanks Ross & Big G for the heads up, am looking into that now!
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