Hi, my name is Stewart and I just finished converting a Rong-Fu mill to CNC with parts from Homeshopcnc.com pmdx.com and a computer running Mach3!  It seems to be running great, but this is my first venture into CNC milling so I have some pretty big knowledge gaps.  I'm a filmmaker in Dallas, TX, but have been a hobbyist machinist for many years and have a pretty good shop in the back yard.  I'm hopefully going to use the CNC to build camera parts and accessores that I've been designing.

I look forward to participating on this forum.  Thanks for the forum, and such great and affordable software....

So my first newbee question, what is the convention for the direction of the axis?  When the Z plunges down, should that be a positive or negative move?  Same with the table, when the Y comes towards you, positive or negative?  When the X moves to the right, is that move positive or negative?  I put in what I thought made sense, but found some of the wizards behaved oppositely of my intuition.  Then, in Mach3, is there a software way to reverse the motor direction (I've looked but cant find it), or just switch the wires on my stepper motors?

Thanks!

Stewart

stick your left hand in front of you, point your thumb up, first finger ahead and second to the right, that is the +ve direction of the three axis (Thumb is z, first is y and second is X)

Also remember that it is the tool direction and not the workpiece/table. so  on a mill, quill going up is Z+ve, table towards you is Y+ve and table to left is x +ve

Hood

Hey Stewart, Welcome to the forum. You can reverse directions in Mach, config, homing and limits. I have attached a Screen Shot to help. I have also sent you a personal message.

Brett

Thanks so much for the explanation, and for the screenshot.  I had stared at that screen for about an hour but for some reason my brain didn't see the "reversed" check box.  I've been told I have asked my question in the wrong part of this forum, pardon, I'll post them in the correct place next time.

Thanks!
   Stewart

No worries! We are just trying to keep that thread on topic.

Feel free to ask away!

Chad

Yes this does help - thanks. I have a limit switch on each axis which I have also config to Home switch. When Home ref everything goes to limit switch as expected.
To move off Home I have to use "G0 X-1" for example, should that be "G0 X+1" am I reversed?

tried the suggestions from my previous questions - thanks for response. Still confused as to directions. Understand z/x/y +ve's BUT where does Home go - mine seems
to go zero all three and then to move OFF Home I have to neg on x/y. Z is o.k bcos -ve down to work.  So, is Home max x/y positions and then I have to offset work
to ive max's to get zero/zero THEN everything is positive?  Sorry to be slooow on this