[CNC] CNC from sketch to part the way I do it

[jumps4]

This is the photos and video of the completed RC helicopter tail rotor part
since this part was the first try I kept the feeds and speed lower, I could triple the
speed if I edited the software and increased speeds. the part came out really nice.
Thanks for viewing
Steve

 

[TomS]

I posted this in the Precision Mathews section but thought it would be best to also post it here for more exposure. Here's what I posted earlier today.

After reloading the D2NC software I'm still having the same problem. What's interesting is I have a duplicate copy of D2NC loaded on my other laptop and loading the same .dxf file it works fine. This leads me to believe the process I'm using is correct.

Here's what I'm doing. I'm opening D2NC from within Mach 3 and selecting my .dxf file. I select the origin then click the Offset button. I'm doing an internal hole so I click on the circle in the drawing section, select In/Right, input the tool diameter and click Offset. So far good. Next I click on the Path button, again select the circle in the drawing section, and click Contour. The Contour screen appears and I select Local Shape and then None. I select the circle in the drawing section then press the Move Current Selection to Local Shape button. When I do this the Close, Add Only and Add and Close buttons at the bottom of the screen disappear. I've moved the cursor around to see if the function is still available. No luck. My questions are:

Is it a D2NC issue?

Is it a Mach 3 issue?

Is it me?

I'd like to get my machine running but these hardware and software problems are keeping me from doing so.

Tom S

 

[jumps4]

It is probably D2nc. I cannot get it to work right on of my windows 7 64 bit computers but it runs fine on a laptop with windows 7 32 bit.
windows just came out with "windows virtual pc" and "Windows Xp mode" late last year and I have just installed it on my win 7 64 bit machine just this week.
I have not tested it yet but it says it will run any software that will run in windows Xp.
I'll try to test it soon and let you know the results.
also make sure you are running it as Administrator
Graham Hollis the author of D2nc Tried to help me get it working but it never did on one of my pc's running win7 64 bit, he thought it may be a graphics controller issue but I gave up and used a different Pc.
Steve

 

[TomS]

It is probably D2nc. I cannot get it to work right on of my windows 7 64 bit computers but it runs fine on a laptop with windows 7 32 bit.
windows just came out with "windows virtual pc" and "Windows Xp mode" late last year and I have just installed it on my win 7 64 bit machine just this week.
I have not tested it yet but it says it will run any software that will run in windows Xp.
I'll try to test it soon and let you know the results.
also make sure you are running it as Administrator
Graham Hollis the author of D2nc Tried to help me get it working but it never did on one of my pc's running win7 64 bit, he thought it may be a graphics controller issue but I gave up and used a different Pc.
Steve

I've got Graham in the loop on this too. He thinks it might be a screen resolution issue but we're still working on trying to determine the cause. For info the laptop that runs D2NC successfully is a Windows 8.1 machine.

I'm not sure if I'm running as an Administrator. I'm headed to the shop in a couple of hours and check it out.

Thanks for your input. I'm interested to hear how the "Windows virtual pc" and Windows Xp mode" work out for you.

Tom S.

 

[TomS]

I posted this in the Precision Mathews section but thought it would be best to also post it here for more exposure. Here's what I posted earlier today.

After reloading the D2NC software I'm still having the same problem. What's interesting is I have a duplicate copy of D2NC loaded on my other laptop and loading the same .dxf file it works fine. This leads me to believe the process I'm using is correct.

Here's what I'm doing. I'm opening D2NC from within Mach 3 and selecting my .dxf file. I select the origin then click the Offset button. I'm doing an internal hole so I click on the circle in the drawing section, select In/Right, input the tool diameter and click Offset. So far good. Next I click on the Path button, again select the circle in the drawing section, and click Contour. The Contour screen appears and I select Local Shape and then None. I select the circle in the drawing section then press the Move Current Selection to Local Shape button. When I do this the Close, Add Only and Add and Close buttons at the bottom of the screen disappear. I've moved the cursor around to see if the function is still available. No luck. My questions are:

Is it a D2NC issue?

Is it a Mach 3 issue?

Is it me?

I'd like to get my machine running but these hardware and software problems are keeping me from doing so.

Tom S

Just solved the D2NC problem. It was a screen resolution problem. Changed the text size to medium from large and dropped the resolution one setting below max. Now I can play with Mach 3!

Tom S

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thanks Steve, I can't even guess the time you are putting into this, but thank you for all of it. I have been planning to get a LMS mini mill and install a DRO and learn to use it. In watching your videos I have realized that CNC would work much better for me. My wife and I are the only caretaker for her autistic brother and I must spend much of my time in the house. I could be working on the "drawings" in the house while I am watching him. Thank you so much, I hope to keep my mind in working condition so no one has to watch me. Hope to be able to get the mill sometime this summer and start hooking up the CNC soon after. Ed

 

[fluvannabear]

Hi Steve:
Just ran across this thread. Super information. Thank you very much for all the videos, have subscribed, and other bits of info. Still tweaking my G0484 conversion but getting closer to real chips. Tried cutting a "plastic" cutting board that I got at Sams Club and with 3/16" 4-flute end mill it worked pretty good. Need to get the circles a bit rounder and then we are off to the races. Take care.
Burt