Need help with home built cnc plasma machine

[chevyguy55]

i am very new to plasma cutting let alone cnc. i have 4x8 homebuild table from a kit i got from CAMCUTCNC and lincoln 25.came with intellcad,mach3,and corel draw select edition software.with only very skecthy instructions, with intellcad starts with step by step to configure a part to learn program.but somewhere i found some steps missing (maybe because i havn't seen cad before). instructed about LEAD INS & LEAD OUTS,AND CONVERT TO POLYLINES which is all to new to me. then there's this gcodes.the dxf to gcode converter is camcut's own i get it to work sometimes. there are dxf and gcode samples,so i got mach3 to run not correctly ,but have cut some of the gcodes THE MACHINE WORKS IT'S THE OPERATOR THAT NEEDS HELP.

after all this my question. is there any easier way to run my cnc cutter? different or simpler software? also how to set a home for torch? next how would i setup the dimensions to cut part in center table ie (move from home to the part in a predetermined place on table and back home)

any help will be appreciated
chevyguy55

[plasmanewbie]

Hey chevyguy55

I am not familiar with your setup but I would scrap intellicad and use your Corel to design the parts you want. Once you have created your drawing in Corel save it as a .cdr file (a standard Corel Draw file). Retain this file in case you ever want to make changes to that drawing in the future. Next you should export your drawing as a .dxf file which you can run through your .dxf-gcode convertor so you can cut it with Mach 3.

You mentioned that you are not able to convert all of your .dxf files properly and this is likley due to the .dxf file not being saved in the correct format that your convertor can read. Hopefully it will have no problem reading a .dxf that has been exported from Corel Draw, I find that .dxf files from older versions of Corel are pretty compatible with most other software programs so you should be ok.

Lead ins and lead outs are essential in order to pierce the material in the waste rather than on the finished edge of the part. If you are just getting started with this you may want to ignore those features until you have a little more experience. Your parts will cut just fine without them.

Mach 3 works well but is a little cumbersome but is very universal and very inexpensive. I don't think you will find a solution that is afforable and a direct match for your equipment. Try the manufacturer and they may have better software that will work for your application. Chances are that once you will find it easier once you get through these first few sets of issues.

As far as a home for the torch...I don't know if your system was equiped with limit switchs and I am assuming you have stepper motors rather than servos. If you don't have limit switches then a physical stop would work just fine. Set the stops up so that you can bump the gantry into them and locate the torch at the same origin every time at the lower left corner of the table. The stops can also serve as an easy way to square the gantry to the table if it gets out of square which will happen.

Again... I am not familiar with your software however if you wanted to locate an object in the center of a sheet I would simply draw the outline of the sheet, then draw the center object and locate it where it needs to be. When you go to cut the plot your software may allow you to delete the outside object (sheet outline) and cut just the inner object. If you cannot delete the outer object then just stop the machine after it has cut the center and before it has started the outside object. You will want to have your gantry stops set up before attempting this and also have stops to positively locate your sheets in the exact same position every time you load a sheet. When the sheet is loaded and in position, and the gantry is bumped into the stops you want to have it set up so the torch tip is directly over the lower left corner of the sheet.

Hope this long winded mess helps you out. Let us know.

Regards
Plasmanewbie

[chevyguy55]

thanks i will try your suggustions

[admin]

Good luck chevyguy55, let us know how it works out. Maybe the guys on the board can be of more help if you post your results.

admin

[CPK_Jim]

Dont get discuraged!!!!!!!!!! I built my own table and absolutely luv it and use the crap out of it. Mine is a little crude, I budget built it for less than $500. I use mach3 to run the machine. Im guessing that you dont have Mach3 properly configured for your system. You need to tune your setup, your steps per inch, acceleration rate, max speed and such.

I use a sign program to draw the parts but most on hear use corel. I then export it as .dxf and then open the dxf in sheetcam to generate the g-code to run the machine.

It can be frustrating setting up a cnc machine, especialy if you are not fimilar with running them. But it is very rewarding to know that you built it, when you do actually get it running properly.

I will be glad to answer any questions have and help you get that homebrew up and running!!! Be carefull that cnc bug is very contageous, I have been gather parts to build and awesome little vertical milling center. Its almost go time for that.

Got any pic of the table? Id luv to see em.

Jim

[chevyguy55]

hi Jim
i understand,that need to do these things ,but havn't been able to figure out how. went to CONFRIG. tab but don't really understand what to change so won't change anything in case it will screw up everything. See where table size is set in HOME\LIMITS (96 y,48 x) and HOME is set to 0 x,0 y.I'm able to cut the sample gcode's and I don't to mess that up. ANY HELP IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED also want thank you forthe help so far. the things that I've cut are so cool I can't wait to be able to cut my own design

Lannie
55 chevyguy

[chevyguy55]

oops!! forgot pictures coming soon.

Lannie

[CPK_Jim]

Your are cutting sample g-codes, are they coming out the correct size? So the table works correctly, you are just having trouble with the programing? Sounds like maybe your having problems with the post processor in the dxf to gcode converter. It is not setup to out put correct gcode for you particular machine.

Jim

[chevyguy55]

We'll Jim
I'm not sure about the size being right but they look like the right size. That brings up another question ,how do you change the size?
you're right i am having trouble with dxf to gcode converter. It doesn't always convert dxf to correct gcode . the converter is home programed by camcut. Is there another converter that I can use?

[CPK_Jim]

Sounds like your table may be setup correctly due to the fact that you bought some sort of kit and it probably told you what setting to use or they were preloaded. Cut a 1 inch square and then measure it to see what it actually come out. That will give you an idea if your size it coming out right. You change the size of the parts to be cut in whatever program you are using for cad. Some of the guys on here use corel draw, but I use sign software that I have for running some other machines. I use the sign software because it works and I was already fimilar with it. I export the drawing out of the sign software and then load it into sheetcam to generate the g-code.

Dont worry you will get it..... just sounds like you need some different software.

Jim

[chevyguy55]

send computer to friends to fix a small items, wouldn't start after rebooting . then he ended in hospital so borrowing laptop not sure enough power to run mach 3.tomorrow will tell, this computer has corel 12 should be able to try corel out.
do have any other software suggestions?

[redsteelhorse]

I am interested in a 5x10 cancut system like yours from the same place. .Havent ordered it yet. Do you have any sugestions or pointers? total newbie, Thanks rob.

[chevyguy55]

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTION ON USE OF COMPUTER IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND USE.IF YOU VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH CAD & CAM COMPUTER PROGRAMS YOU MIGHT BE OK I'M NOT. ARE YOU SURE YOU NEED 5X10 TABLE I'VE FOUND THAT I COULD DO MOST ALL I NEED 2X2 TABLE LIKE TORCHMATE, I WISHED GOT ONE LIKE THIS THEN WENT BIGGER NEED BE
MAKE SURE YOU GET BIG CUTTER AND ASK ABOUT THC (TOTAL HEIGHT CONTROL)YOU NEED IT!!!!!
HOPE THIS HELP

[ayer1719]

I also got a kit from cam cut. I am having similar problems, but not exactly the same. We built the 5x10 table and connected everything to the computer and downloaded all of the software, yet we could not understand the so called instructions for setting up the table to run the part programmed. We could not even figure out how to change the dxf to g-code according to camcut's manual. So, I then decided to purchase sheet cam, because the jetcam that came with the kit is crap! We were finally able to get the machine to move some, but when we start the cycle to cut the part, it is starting the part too far over and it is trying to go off the table and it is trying to go down too far. I really am discouraged right now, I have had my table built for at least 10 months now and haven't been able to cut anything yet! Do you or anyone else know how to fix this problem or am I gonna be better off to to buy a whole software and motor bundle and just use my table with that. I am just about ready to give up, I've talked to the guy at camcut a few times and he is no help whatsoever. Please help A.S.A.P. thanks, Brian Ayer

[tm america]

I too purchased a camcutcnc kit..My advise is to spend the money and buy torchmate cad and cad2plasma to convert to gcode.. Other than than the camcut machine is a pretty reliable machine ..But intellicad is a pita to use ..Having to draw things in the order it will be cut sucks really bad especially when you have to edit something then have to go back and redo everything so the cut order is right.I also had tons of issues with his g code convertor ..But you need to use cad2plasma to get the torch to trigger off and on with torchmate cad As the g code convertor they have does not have a way of working the spindle