nick romero Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Nice bike og! I definitely miss az. Enjoy the riding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jid2 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Rough life. Working on new toolpaths for the slides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind bat Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm pretty sure we wear the same sneakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jid2 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm due for a new pair. I was just at Nike's offices last week looking at the machines they use in their prototyping shop, which is really serious. They can turn a real prototype of a complete shoe in like 3 days, with 2 day lead time on injection and compression molding tooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewbeck Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I just wanted to introduce myself and say this thread pushed me to dive into my own builds, I know next to nothing compared to all of you but am learning and enjoying it every step of the way. I picked up a mini mill a couple months ago and have been trying to learn since. I started my first build this week and it's been going extremely well. So thanks everyone, this info here has been incredibly useful and taken a lot of the voodoo out of machining. (Though it's still good to put just a little pixie dust on the setup before you make chips) Still fitting lugs but good is cut Www.uplandsportsman.com Introducing the Zero Interference Shotgun Sling, enjoy all day shotgun carrying comfort without a lighter gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Awesome keep up the good work and post often with your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnar897 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 What is the difference/purpose of the different software programs everyone is discussing? Is Solidworks just for modeling and Cam software for running the tool path etc? How do they interact etc? Thank you Gunnar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmiller Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 On cnc zone, they have been talking about Tormach coming out with a big announcement . A few guys said it will be a Linux based system to replace mach 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 What is the difference/purpose of the different software programs everyone is discussing? Is Solidworks just for modeling and Cam software for running the tool path etc? How do they interact etc? Thank you Gunnar I'm a complete noob to this but here's my take on it. With something like Solidworks or Fusion360, and others I'm sure, the Cam can be part of the software. So you draw the model in the CAD side then slide it over into CAM and you get a gcode program that will be your toolpaths. CAD is computer assisted drawing, CAM is computer assisted manufacturing. They don't have to be the same software companies by any means. I use Alibre for CAD and MeshCAM. The CAD will export the model into one of many file formats like .stp, .igs, or .stl. The CAM then imports that and helps you make the tool paths. Another term you'll hear is post. The CAM can have post processing choices for different kind of machine controllers. So if you're like me you choose Linux/EMC as your post and the gcode program you get will work for that control software. There's lots of different controllers out there, and some have some quirks to them. It just helps getting a program that's gonna work right out of the gate. I always end up doing a little manual editing though. Like I said noob. I know you didn't ask, but here's what I found to be the best learning experience for CAD/CAM. Cubify Invent CAD software is free for 14 days or buy it for $49. I ended up buying it because I was having so much fun figuring out models. It's very limited in the file types it uses. It can't import someone else's file and only exports in .stl. But it's super cheap and there's an outstanding set of youtube videos for it. I did end up upgrading my CAD software later, but Invent was perfect to learn with. Well worth the money, or free if you get it done in 14 days. Watch CubifyFan's 18 videos in order and you will be drawing parts in CAD, I promise. They're perfect little 10 minute or so videos that explain one topic at a time for total beginners. http://cubify.com/en/Products/Invent https://www.youtube.com/user/CubifyFan/search?query=invent Then get the free 15 day MeshCAM http://www.grzsoftware.com/ He's gonna send you a series of training emails that explain how CAM works, again for beginners so it's very easy to understand. The training course if free and you can sign up on his website too. I appreciated the CAM before I even had a mill. Took some of the voodoo out of it and also helped me think in terms of how to get a tool to do what I want. To buy it's $250, but that's pretty cheap for stand alone CAM. Fusion360 right now is free for a year to hobbyists/startups. It's CAD/CAM together. Much more professional software than the other ones I listed, but for me it's been pretty frustrating to use. Been watching alot of youtube on it, and I like the CAM but the CAD is not so easy. For me anyway. I went back to using the CAD I knew. I don't think I'd recommend it for someone who's brand new. It's pro level and there's a lot of choices to make that aren't always intuitive. http://fusion360.autodesk.com/pricing# Last but not least check out cnccookbook.com Bob's site has a ton of articles that explain eveything about the process. It's a great resource. I bought his Gwizard software for feeds and speeds, been very happy with it. Sorry if it was long winded take care Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 This has been a great thread that has drawn me into doing something similar. However, I have a dilemma and I am looking for suggestions on which path to take to get a CNC up and running. I plan on doing projects for myself and friends at the moment but it has crossed my mind to do this as a part-timer also. Would it be benenficial to get an add-on CNC kit for the Sherline 5000 (http://www.microkinetics.com/conv_kits/small_machines.htm) or is the 0704 that much more robust that the difference in cost (which is minimal) be a better investement and keep the Sherline to small jobs? Thanks for any advice and thanks for all the work you guys have done on this project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 My .02 is that for that kind of money, the machine in your link is $3k, you could do exactly what straightup did with an x2. That would be quite a bit more robust than the sherline. The G0704 is a hobby unto itself to convert to cnc. A really fun one, but time consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 A Sherline is a wet noodle. They are a quality product, but more suited for HO scale trains and similar small parts. What you want is lots of cast iron, the more the better. The x2 is the smallest i would go for a CNC machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Yeah, it's a sturdy little machine but it's hard to put that much money into it knowing the limitations. Do you guys think the X2 is better than the 0704? Just looking at specs, it seems the 0704 is more heavy duty. Or is there another base mill under 1500 that would be a better candidate to get and convert to CNC? Sent from the range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 You want the most travel in X,Y and Z that you can get. Usually the worst problem is not enough Z. When you start adding up a vise with a part, enmill or drill, toolholer or drill chuck, etc. it's easy to run out of space between the spindle and part. Here are some places to look at before you buy to see what's out there,in no particular order. Novakon.net/pulsar www.easyplasticmolding.com www.charteroakautomation.com www.tormach.com www.littlemachineshop.com www.taigtools.com www.vectric.com www.cnc4pc.com wwwd2nc.com www.smithy.com www.probotix.com www.geckodrive..com www.pmdx.com www.dropros.com Little Machine Shop, Smithy and Charter Oak all have manual machines that can be CNCed later, as funding dictates. Maybe other ones do too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I'll add that the z travel on a g0704 can be extended pretty easily. You just flip the head carrier around. I've got 16 inches between spindle nose and table. I flipped my head even when it was manual. Was really handy to have more z. I think it was hoss at g0704.com that came up with that to give credit where it's due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnar897 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 What is the difference/purpose of the different software programs everyone is discussing? Is Solidworks just for modeling and Cam software for running the tool path etc? How do they interact etc? Thank you Gunnar I'm a complete noob to this but here's my take on it. With something like Solidworks or Fusion360, and others I'm sure, the Cam can be part of the software. So you draw the model in the CAD side then slide it over into CAM and you get a gcode program that will be your toolpaths. CAD is computer assisted drawing, CAM is computer assisted manufacturing. They don't have to be the same software companies by any means. I use Alibre for CAD and MeshCAM. The CAD will export the model into one of many file formats like .stp, .igs, or .stl. The CAM then imports that and helps you make the tool paths. Another term you'll hear is post. The CAM can have post processing choices for different kind of machine controllers. So if you're like me you choose Linux/EMC as your post and the gcode program you get will work for that control software. There's lots of different controllers out there, and some have some quirks to them. It just helps getting a program that's gonna work right out of the gate. I always end up doing a little manual editing though. Like I said noob. I know you didn't ask, but here's what I found to be the best learning experience for CAD/CAM. Cubify Invent CAD software is free for 14 days or buy it for $49. I ended up buying it because I was having so much fun figuring out models. It's very limited in the file types it uses. It can't import someone else's file and only exports in .stl. But it's super cheap and there's an outstanding set of youtube videos for it. I did end up upgrading my CAD software later, but Invent was perfect to learn with. Well worth the money, or free if you get it done in 14 days. Watch CubifyFan's 18 videos in order and you will be drawing parts in CAD, I promise. They're perfect little 10 minute or so videos that explain one topic at a time for total beginners. http://cubify.com/en/Products/Invent https://www.youtube.com/user/CubifyFan/search?query=invent Then get the free 15 day MeshCAM http://www.grzsoftware.com/ He's gonna send you a series of training emails that explain how CAM works, again for beginners so it's very easy to understand. The training course if free and you can sign up on his website too. I appreciated the CAM before I even had a mill. Took some of the voodoo out of it and also helped me think in terms of how to get a tool to do what I want. To buy it's $250, but that's pretty cheap for stand alone CAM. Fusion360 right now is free for a year to hobbyists/startups. It's CAD/CAM together. Much more professional software than the other ones I listed, but for me it's been pretty frustrating to use. Been watching alot of youtube on it, and I like the CAM but the CAD is not so easy. For me anyway. I went back to using the CAD I knew. I don't think I'd recommend it for someone who's brand new. It's pro level and there's a lot of choices to make that aren't always intuitive. http://fusion360.autodesk.com/pricing# Last but not least check out cnccookbook.com Bob's site has a ton of articles that explain eveything about the process. It's a great resource. I bought his Gwizard software for feeds and speeds, been very happy with it. Sorry if it was long winded take care Kevin Thank you. That was very helpful. I am looking at MicroKenetics CNC Express(http://www.microkinetics.com/index.php?page=express/express) that has MillMaster software. Based on the screen shots and what I have read MillMaster seems very, for lack of a better term "simple". Am I going to want a more sophisticated CAD/CAM?It seems like it would be ok for very straight forward parts/paths but lack the details CAD programs provide. Does anyone have any experience with either the machine or software? Or opinions? Keep in mind this a hobby level machine. Thank you Gunnar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amish_rabbi Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 so, has anyone tackled undercutting a frame yet? my spartan is looking very tempting but not sure what route to take Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 What is the difference/purpose of the different software programs everyone is discussing? Is Solidworks just for modeling and Cam software for running the tool path etc? How do they interact etc? Thank you Gunnar I'm a complete noob to this but here's my take on it. With something like Solidworks or Fusion360, and others I'm sure, the Cam can be part of the software. So you draw the model in the CAD side then slide it over into CAM and you get a gcode program that will be your toolpaths. CAD is computer assisted drawing, CAM is computer assisted manufacturing. They don't have to be the same software companies by any means. I use Alibre for CAD and MeshCAM. The CAD will export the model into one of many file formats like .stp, .igs, or .stl. The CAM then imports that and helps you make the tool paths. Another term you'll hear is post. The CAM can have post processing choices for different kind of machine controllers. So if you're like me you choose Linux/EMC as your post and the gcode program you get will work for that control software. There's lots of different controllers out there, and some have some quirks to them. It just helps getting a program that's gonna work right out of the gate. I always end up doing a little manual editing though. Like I said noob. I know you didn't ask, but here's what I found to be the best learning experience for CAD/CAM. Cubify Invent CAD software is free for 14 days or buy it for $49. I ended up buying it because I was having so much fun figuring out models. It's very limited in the file types it uses. It can't import someone else's file and only exports in .stl. But it's super cheap and there's an outstanding set of youtube videos for it. I did end up upgrading my CAD software later, but Invent was perfect to learn with. Well worth the money, or free if you get it done in 14 days. Watch CubifyFan's 18 videos in order and you will be drawing parts in CAD, I promise. They're perfect little 10 minute or so videos that explain one topic at a time for total beginners. http://cubify.com/en/Products/Invent https://www.youtube.com/user/CubifyFan/search?query=invent Then get the free 15 day MeshCAM http://www.grzsoftware.com/ He's gonna send you a series of training emails that explain how CAM works, again for beginners so it's very easy to understand. The training course if free and you can sign up on his website too. I appreciated the CAM before I even had a mill. Took some of the voodoo out of it and also helped me think in terms of how to get a tool to do what I want. To buy it's $250, but that's pretty cheap for stand alone CAM. Fusion360 right now is free for a year to hobbyists/startups. It's CAD/CAM together. Much more professional software than the other ones I listed, but for me it's been pretty frustrating to use. Been watching alot of youtube on it, and I like the CAM but the CAD is not so easy. For me anyway. I went back to using the CAD I knew. I don't think I'd recommend it for someone who's brand new. It's pro level and there's a lot of choices to make that aren't always intuitive. http://fusion360.autodesk.com/pricing# Last but not least check out cnccookbook.com Bob's site has a ton of articles that explain eveything about the process. It's a great resource. I bought his Gwizard software for feeds and speeds, been very happy with it. Sorry if it was long winded take care Kevin Thank you. That was very helpful. I am looking at MicroKenetics CNC Express(http://www.microkinetics.com/index.php?page=express/express) that has MillMaster software. Based on the screen shots and what I have read MillMaster seems very, for lack of a better term "simple". Am I going to want a more sophisticated CAD/CAM?It seems like it would be ok for very straight forward parts/paths but lack the details CAD programs provide. Does anyone have any experience with either the machine or software? Or opinions? Keep in mind this a hobby level machine. Thank you Gunnar It looks like a BF30 or BF 45 class mill and for $9K I would go the Tormach route. With the Tormach system you have MANY more options like an auto tool changer. Millmaster is just the control software like Mach3 or CNCLinux. I would not let that be apart of your decision criteria since Mach3 is cheap and CNCLinux is free. My .02 anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jid2 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Microkinetics is off brand stuff, Sherline is not well suited for work on metal. OGs X2 conversion is the best bolt on approach, G704 is more build work for a slightly more rigid setup with more travel. Tormach is turn key for even more travel and rigidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmiller Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Cncnyc has released a YouTube video about the new Tormach control system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 So it looks like they created their own distro of LinuxCNC and skinned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Cncnyc has released a YouTube video about the new Tormach control system That was awesome thanks! Seems like they've made some convenience improvements on LinuxCnc/EMC. The conversational cam stuff and the tool height setting particularly looked cool. The tool height stuff is a bit of a pita in Linux, the graphical set up they have is way easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 What is the difference/purpose of the different software programs everyone is discussing? Is Solidworks just for modeling and Cam software for running the tool path etc? How do they interact etc? Thank you Gunnar I'm a complete noob to this but here's my take on it. With something like Solidworks or Fusion360, and others I'm sure, the Cam can be part of the software. So you draw the model in the CAD side then slide it over into CAM and you get a gcode program that will be your toolpaths. CAD is computer assisted drawing, CAM is computer assisted manufacturing. They don't have to be the same software companies by any means. I use Alibre for CAD and MeshCAM. The CAD will export the model into one of many file formats like .stp, .igs, or .stl. The CAM then imports that and helps you make the tool paths. Another term you'll hear is post. The CAM can have post processing choices for different kind of machine controllers. So if you're like me you choose Linux/EMC as your post and the gcode program you get will work for that control software. There's lots of different controllers out there, and some have some quirks to them. It just helps getting a program that's gonna work right out of the gate. I always end up doing a little manual editing though. Like I said noob. I know you didn't ask, but here's what I found to be the best learning experience for CAD/CAM. Cubify Invent CAD software is free for 14 days or buy it for $49. I ended up buying it because I was having so much fun figuring out models. It's very limited in the file types it uses. It can't import someone else's file and only exports in .stl. But it's super cheap and there's an outstanding set of youtube videos for it. I did end up upgrading my CAD software later, but Invent was perfect to learn with. Well worth the money, or free if you get it done in 14 days. Watch CubifyFan's 18 videos in order and you will be drawing parts in CAD, I promise. They're perfect little 10 minute or so videos that explain one topic at a time for total beginners. http://cubify.com/en/Products/Invent https://www.youtube.com/user/CubifyFan/search?query=invent Then get the free 15 day MeshCAM http://www.grzsoftware.com/ He's gonna send you a series of training emails that explain how CAM works, again for beginners so it's very easy to understand. The training course if free and you can sign up on his website too. I appreciated the CAM before I even had a mill. Took some of the voodoo out of it and also helped me think in terms of how to get a tool to do what I want. To buy it's $250, but that's pretty cheap for stand alone CAM. Fusion360 right now is free for a year to hobbyists/startups. It's CAD/CAM together. Much more professional software than the other ones I listed, but for me it's been pretty frustrating to use. Been watching alot of youtube on it, and I like the CAM but the CAD is not so easy. For me anyway. I went back to using the CAD I knew. I don't think I'd recommend it for someone who's brand new. It's pro level and there's a lot of choices to make that aren't always intuitive. http://fusion360.autodesk.com/pricing# Last but not least check out cnccookbook.com Bob's site has a ton of articles that explain eveything about the process. It's a great resource. I bought his Gwizard software for feeds and speeds, been very happy with it. Sorry if it was long winded take care Kevin Thank you. That was very helpful. I am looking at MicroKenetics CNC Express(http://www.microkinetics.com/index.php?page=express/express) that has MillMaster software. Based on the screen shots and what I have read MillMaster seems very, for lack of a better term "simple". Am I going to want a more sophisticated CAD/CAM?It seems like it would be ok for very straight forward parts/paths but lack the details CAD programs provide. Does anyone have any experience with either the machine or software? Or opinions? Keep in mind this a hobby level machine. Thank you Gunnar It looks like a BF30 or BF 45 class mill and for $9K I would go the Tormach route. With the Tormach system you have MANY more options like an auto tool changer. Millmaster is just the control software like Mach3 or CNCLinux. I would not let that be apart of your decision criteria since Mach3 is cheap and CNCLinux is free. My .02 anyway... Absolutely this ^^^^^^ This might help explain the different kinds of software involved better than I did http://www.cnccookbook.com/MTCNCSoftware.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_m68 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I would check out Novakon for their CNC machine. It's a little bigger than the Tormach You get more bang for the buck. I just got mine and love it. It has a bigger work table incase you want or need to make something a little bigger. The customer service has been awesome. Send me a pm if you want to know more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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