Sorry dont have a clue, when I first got the lathe setup I looked at the standard screenset and couldnt work out what half of it did so made my own, afraid I am impatient like that
Hood

Thanks Hood,

There is another topic on this item, but the answer is not so clear to me.
"normaly you should have Machine, Part and User coordinate. where part is your G54 zero point and user is an extra coordinate used for set-up or manual operation."

gr jaja

Suppose it must be something like an offset of some sort, why it would be needed I dont know.
Hood

Hood,

1    The whole morning I have been testing the lathe for real,, on some pieces of metal (don't know any specifications, its not to hard, that is all I know, could be steel 37).
Mach3 is so much better than my old program!
Sweat on the forehead. One mistake with the jog cycle. Made a 10mm step on the z-axis, and by mistake I also made just before on the x-axis.
So I tried to cut 10mm in one cut. The toolholder was not to tight, so it was pushed aside,,, the insert broke.
That leads to the question: is there a way of having different jog cycle steps for the z- and x-axis, so you will never use the one for the z-axis on the x-axis?

2   Also had i strange thing with a program wizard.
The program showed a F 42 value, but the feed read out showed it was in real 66 mm/min.
Could it be caused by the feed override which I did before on the manual screen? I think not, because for as far as I know, it is not possible to change the feedrate while a program is running.

3   Once I read on the forum (and I think it was your message) about the feed and speed values. Could you give me a guideline on this subject? I have been testing and trying, but it would be nice to have some sort of guideline on this. I know it depends on a lot of things like the construction of your lathe, the power of the steppers, the size of the toolholder and so on,,, but a rough guideline would be nice.

gr jaja

Hood,

1    The whole morning I have been testing the lathe for real,, on some pieces of metal (don't know any specifications, its not to hard, that is all I know, could be steel 37).
Mach3 is so much better than my old program!
Sweat on the forehead. One mistake with the jog cycle. Made a 10mm step on the z-axis, and by mistake I also made just before on the x-axis.
So I tried to cut 10mm in one cut. The toolholder was not to tight, so it was pushed aside,,, the insert broke.
That leads to the question: is there a way of having different jog cycle steps for the z- and x-axis, so you will never use the one for the z-axis on the x-axis?

Not as far as I know.

2   Also had i strange thing with a program wizard.
The program showed a F 42 value, but the feed read out showed it was in real 66 mm/min.
Could it be caused by the feed override which I did before on the manual screen? I think not, because for as far as I know, it is not possible to change the feedrate while a program is running.

Feedrate override will be in effect until it has been reset. And FRO can be changed whilst code is running.

3   Once I read on the forum (and I think it was your message) about the feed and speed values. Could you give me a guideline on this subject? I have been testing and trying, but it would be nice to have some sort of guideline on this. I know it depends on a lot of things like the construction of your lathe, the power of the steppers, the size of the toolholder and so on,,, but a rough guideline would be nice.

gr jaja

With a lathe it is best to use G95 (Feed per Rev) as it makes things a lot simpler as you only have to think of the spindle speed. Obviously you will need to have spindle feedback to use G95 but most do on a lathe as it is needed for threading.
Feeds I normally use are, for  roughing  somewhere between 0.2 to 0.3mm/rev and  for finishing 0.1 to 0.15mm/rev

Hood

Thanks Hood,
Have made a button with an OEM code and a hot key for the feed reset, works good.
The feed/rev is not yet working on my lathe. I have not been able to mount a optical device at this moment. But I could not wait testing mach3 on my lathe!
I will use your guideline as soon as the spindle feedback is finished.

Thanks again Hood.
gr jaja

JAJA,
Let me take a try at this  for you and hope i don't confuse.

It basicaly all has to do with offsets.The displayed axis coordinates can be Machine, Part, or Program.
Remember that what is displayed is based on what you selected.ie; if you select machine coord's in the manual screen then the DRO's will display machine coord's. So heed also whether you are in diameter or radius mode.And alos reemener this should you happen to touch off  a tool. Machine coordinates are the location of the controlled point along the X & Z axis at any time. If you were to Zero World the X and Z ( which removes any WORK offsets G54 to G5? ) and then Set Home x and Z, and then make a move, you would see the controlled point location away from home in absolute values away form home. Now if you move say to a point on the stock and can set that as part coordinates. You would see different valaue in the DRO's. Now when you open a program there are also program coordinates which are just that, namely the coordinates which are in the gcode from a X & Z zero value.
Now you can have MAchine = Part= Program coordinates on the stock, to begin with,  if you set up that way. So you are defining to Mach where the controlled point is relative to max machine movements, defining to Mach where the part is  and the program coordinates are just what they are, but are related to where the controlled point is relative to the machine and the stock via offsets.
Yes it's confusing, and you need to take the time to get it all striaght in your mind.

Probably not the best explaination as i am doing it off the top of my head.

RICH

Rich,
No Rich, you made perfectly clear what part- coordinates are.
Your story explains it all.
Thanks a lot.

Now I'm going to work with it, in order to get some real "grip" on it.

Thanks
gr jaja

Hood,
1   Can you give me your opinion about a shuttle for a lathe. Are two MPG's preferable, when you compare them with a shuttle or some sort of a joystick?
At this moment I have two MPG's installed and they work fine. So I wonder if a shuttle would give a better situation I have read a lot on the forum, but most of it handles about how to install such a device, and not what the benefits are.
2   The shuttle mode on the tab screen, what does it do? What can I do with my lathe, if I put it on (at this moment nothing).

gr jaja

I just use my MPG for positioning and touching off, occasionally I will use it for a cut but find MDI easier and quicker for that. I have one MPG and two (three on mill) physical buttons to change the MPG to a different axis.

I have never used Shuttle mode but I Think  it is used with the MPG as follows, you load code and have shuttle mode active, press start and when you turn the MPG the code will start running, it will stop when you stop rotating the MPG and will start again whaen you again start turning.
Hood