Hi Guys,


My name's Dennis and I'm from Massachusetts. I'm not new here as I have been reading the posts on this forum from time to time. I just never got around to posting myself.

I'm 50 years old and have been in the machining and woodworking fields for the last 30+ years. Got my start in 1978 with the Greenfield Tap and Die as a machinist making HSS taps. Bounced around to different departments in that company for several years and finished up as a thread grinder. Company downsized in the 1980's so I went to a new company and worked as an extruder operator making blown polyethylene film for the next several years. I started up my own woodworking business in 1987 and continue with that to this day. I specialize in making wooden component parts for other companies that get incorporated into their products. I got interested in CNC several years ago and did a brief stint with a local CNC machining company which allowed me to learn more as a VMC operator. I left that job to continue with my woodworking business and recently built my own CNC router. Built it from steel and aluminum and made 95% of the parts myself with the help of an Enco milling machine that I converted to CNC.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the building and learning processes with this project and couldn't have done it without the help from the many websites and forums like this one. I still have a ways to go to become proficient in manufacturing new products with my new "toy" and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new which always keeps things interesting, to say the least!

Dennis   

Hi, I have been around for a couple of years but usually follow the Yahoo Mach 2/3/4 forum.

I live in Odessa, Ontario and am currently using Mach3 on a machine I built to cut tubing. I have yet to CNC a 9 x 20 Standard Modern lathe and a Grizzly G-1007 Mill/Drill.

The machine I built uses a Nema 23 stepper to rotate the headstock and tailstock spindles, and one for the X axis tool slide that does the cutting. The headstock is solid to the frame and the tailstock slides, driven by a pneumatic cylinder. Headstock and Tailstock collets are opened by pneumatic cylinders and forced closed by belleville washers. The pneumatics are driven by Mach3 outputs through a home built relay board.

The material cut is 1/2" x 3/8" phenolic tubing. It is cut to 5/8" long with a 1/32" radius on each end, the radius generated by the cutter shape.

The machine operates as follows: The first g-code sequence in Mach3 causes the X axis cutter is advanced to the cut positionand the headstock collet to open. Then I load a 54" long tube through the headstock until it butts against the side of the cutoff tool. The next g-code sequence causes collet to close, the spindles to rotate and the X axis to finish the cut and then retract. Then the Tailstock collet opens and the tailstock moves toward the headstock, the tailstock collet closes and the headstock collet opens. The tailstock then retracts, pulling the tube through the headstock 5/8" plus the width of the cutoff tool. The headstock collet closes and the spindles rotate, the X axis cutter advances to make the cut, rounding both pieces to a 1/32" radius and then the cycle repeats another 84 times until the tube is completely cut. It has been operating for about 9 months now and works great!

I am presently building another machine, this one to machine and internally thread the 3/8" dia aluminum rod that goes into the tubing. It will use a Wood's VFD to drive the spindle, Nema 23 steppers on the Z and X axis (A Grizzly XY table cut down, with ball screws installed), and 5 pneumatic cylinders when complete. I have the Royal style pneumatic collet closer built and tested (I use a 3C collet with it) as well as the headstock and Grizzly table. I am presently wiring the control cabinet, using Gecko G203V drives and a Campbell breakout board. I plan to drive the 5 pneumatic solenoids from the 3 outputs plus the step and direction signal of the A motor output using 3 - 12 VDC and 2 - 5 VDC omron relays on a home built board. I hope to have it cutting aluminum this winter.

I am sure I am boring you with these ramblings, so enough for now, please leave me attached to this forum.

Cheers from Odessa, the home of the Babcock Mill, http://www.basketryexpress.ca/html/babcock_baskets.html

Ross

Hi My name is Adam. I am an electronics engineering student at New England Institute of Technology. I have 2 milling machines that I converted to CNC. Both of them run mach3 for control. I like to build robots in my spare time.

Hello,

My name is Armin.  I am in Erlangen, Germany.  I am very new to CNC machining.  I see there is a lot of info in this forum and I am sure it will answer any questions I may have.

I go by the handle BOOMER52... simple enough really... a baby boomer born in 1952.  I'm retired... former CSI for the Orange County Sheriff/Coroner, Santa Ana, California.  Relocated from SoCal to Central Oregon where I'm building a home on 2 acres.  I have two machines under construction.  A self designed 8020 aluminum extrusion router and a Joe's CNC 4X4 Hybrid.  The 8020 machine is approx. 70% complete.  I figure to use this machine to help make the parts for the Joe's.  For the most part I'll be using Vetric's software... V-carve Pro with Mach 3 in my operations.

I've been lurking but with the housekeeping event soon to be implemented... I did not wish to be deleted...

Steve (BOOMER52)
Crooked River Ranch, OR

My name is Dave.  I own or co-own or own two woodworking businesses.   The first business which I co-own is a log furniture business www.glrustics.com.  Business has slowed up quite a bit in the last few years, so my business partner and I have started separate businesses to supplement our income. I bought a used Sidewinder cnc and have been trying to make some improvements to it.  I have been doing all of this in my spare time so it isn't going very quickly. 

I have been observing for almost a year now and haven't really had anything to post.  I have enjoyed reading the wealth of knowledge here and appreciate everyone's posts.  I used to work at a place that had a Digital Tools cnc router which isn't the most sophisticated cnc, but I was really amazed by what people were building in their garages when I stumbled upon this site and cnczone.

Hello,
My name is Bert, just got back from working in India. I'm currently working on converting a router to a waterjet. I have a manual sharp mill, cnc mill it is a dynapath, hardinage hlv cnc lathe that I'm going to run the Mach software and need to get some feedback on how to do that from you guys, and I have a second op lathe. Any suggestions or diagrams on how to get the cnc hlv up and running with mach 3 would be great, I'm pretty good at electronics, so if anybody needs any help give me a shout.

Hia
My name is Dom Sportelli and I am in Europe right now.  At home I am converting a Emco F1 CNC, but will not be getting back to it soon.
Please do not delete me, I do enjoy the post.
Dom Sportelli

Just good news about Mach3.  I have never had a problem with Mach3 not saying I never had a problem, just that it never was with the program.

I'm using 2 table top routers that I bought off Ebay from Jeff Berch , Email "jeffberch@sbcglobal.net".  He sell them on Ebay using "moosecreeksales"

as the seller.  Answers email fast if you have a question and ships in a crate that is very very hard to get open.

Hi, my name's Michael, I'm a jeweler and gem cutter. I'm just fooling around with Mach3 on a little Sherline mill which I picked up just to learn how this all operates.


Michael E.