Sold to a new home!! #46 - Netherlands

[KenC]

Ries,
Your work re-ignite my desire for a A-axis, would love to have a copy of your config file.

Thanks

[riesvantwisk]

Hey Ken,

the little indexer was very easy to make and specially if you only do small parts once a while it will do fine. The citrus reamer I made took my like, two hours? (start to finnish) not really something I want to do for a living, but if you need that special part for some larger project, then yes it will benefit.

If you want I can send you some more close up photo's.

[riesvantwisk]

Ken,

attached a copy of my config file.

Domino,
for the wizards are a tad expensive for what you get, so I haven't bought it.
Instead I am making my own little tool that can do what I need to do.


The idea is somewhat similar to Wizards by Rich, but since I wrote it myself I can whatever I need to do with it
At a minimum it will allow some general wizards, like making from round stock a square stock, it will do facing and wrapping, you can use it as a 'bin' to copy/paste your own G-Code in it so you don't have to keep them as separate files and thus organise them better. So, it will not be a tool 'just' for indexers but for general g-code.

At this moment it's project based and each project can have multiple operations and each operation can generate a g-code file, or if you have a ATC you can just create on large g-code with all operations. It can also manage your tools and tool numbers.

I am also planning to make it so that you can easily create your own wizards with input's and then generate some g-code out of that based on the groovy language.

This tool will work in Linux, Windows and OSX so it's multi-platform, just in case you prefer some OS better then a other OS, or when you want to run it on your CNC machine that runs MACH3 or Linuxcnc, it will all work.

If there is enough interest I will also combine it with OpenSCAM or at a minimum have it capable to view the generated toolpath for both indexers aswell as a XYZ table, that are just thought's and idea.
If I get enough 'developer' interest I will also open source this and have this tool available on github.

For now, I first want to create a stable version that can load/save data and have at least some wizards available. Current status is that the attached screens all work including a wizard that can create from a square stock of wood at make it round efficiently (shortest possible time), saving needs to be implemented still (that isn't very hard) and some form validation does need to be created still.

[riesvantwisk]

Hello everybody!

Unfortunately I have to sell the Mechmate

It's currently located in storage here in Holland (N.H.).
It's a complete 'standard' build Mechmate with motors, spindle+driver, driver's (gecko's Vampire 5 pieces) cables and everything to get going. The only think that's not in a great shape is the CPU, it currently run's LinuxCNC and I guess seems everybody is using mach3 I think that needs to be replaced. Apart from that, everything is in working condition and currently in a well stored location.

The reason I am selling it is when I moved to holland I was hoping to get a garage or workshop of some sort but unfortunately the house we bought doesn't have that and there is not enough space to build that out.

If you know somebody or perhaps you a re interested let me know and we can see how we can work thing's out.

Ries

[IMMark]

Sorry that you must part with your #46, best of luck!
Mark

[darren salyer]

Same here, Ries.

[Hans]

zo te zien zitten we in het zelfde schuitje . .

[riesvantwisk]

Thank's for the kind words everybody!

[riesvantwisk]

Hey All,

I got a question from somebody and he asked:

Cutting 18mm multiplex in one pass, is that possible?

I always did cut that in two passes with a 10mm end mil and 2.2Kw spindle.

What sort of size (in Kw) Spindle would a person need to cut 18mm multiplex in one pass? I understand it depends what type of multiplex yada yada, but a ballpark estimate would be fine, jsut to give the guy and myself an idea. Properly a 20mm end mill but teh sort of Spindle, I am not sure.

[Alan_c]

From my experience that will need at a minimum a 5Kw spindle but a 7.5 or 10 would be better and yes a 20mm cutter would do it.

[Tom Ayres]

A compression bit does it in one pass, BUT, I'm not sure if a 2.2kw will push it. I've thought about buying a compression bit many times but never got around to it.

[Robert M]

Why would you want to do that ?!
I finish pass is a usually the good practice....if "nice" finish is needed / call for anyway !!.

[Tom Ayres]

I think you would only cut things where you need speed and the finished edge doesn't matter, like case goods. I do know you need to have an excellent hold-down system or method in place because the side force is so great. There's a compression bit made by Vortex that the minimum feed rate is 650 ipm and cuts best around 1100 ipm in MDF, Lots of side force!

[Robert M]

Do you really need that kind of speed ??!
DO the math, not worth it unless it's a daily need at over....say 75% of CNC time usage !!!
Don't get "caught" in this....speed thing, just for the "sayk" of it....or to brag ???
My 2ct

[Tom Ayres]

I completely agree Robert. These bits are used mostly by companies who need to cut 60 to 125 sheets of material daily. Quality over speed.

[Alan_c]

And they would be doing it on massively rigid big iron machines $$$$$...

[Robert M]

...you mean....they also have MechMates !!....

[clarson66]

I run a 10mm compression bit and cut my carcase material 16mm melamine on particle board, run the spindle at 12000rpm and feed rate at 5m/min. I find as long as scale the spindle rpm down to match the feed rate it's fine. The bit according to the manufacturer should be run 24000 rpm and minimum of 10m/min. Chip free cutting and no problems yet.

Just my 2c worth

[riesvantwisk]

Very interesting info!

When I worked with my machine I never had the luxury for such bit's, then again.. it was just hobby and I was fine with a couple of passes.

[riesvantwisk]

Hey Guys,

the Mechmate is sold!
I had a wonderful time here on the forum, even though I haven't been very active on the last few years. Although it sounds strange, one project that was the result of the Mechmate was LibreCAD. It's still a very active project and we have had over 1.3million downloads just on sf.net on the windows version. The project is still very active and we have a few maintainers that are working hard on LibreCAD version 2, they are great guys and deserve all the credit now on LibreCAD and it's development.

bye all!

[Tom Ayres]

Well Ries we hope you can still hang out in the forum. I'm sure imparting your experience can be beneficial to those who are here. Best of luck with your future endeavors.

[IMMark]

Best wishes to you Ries.
Mark

[servant74]

I would like to request you to see if the new owners join and participate too!

Don't drop away, keep up to date with the LibreCAD tool chain too!