Mach3 Help

Busbee Cue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello,

I want to start using Mach3 to do shaft tapers and forearm tapers.
I would appreciate any advice on what I could get to learn how to
write some simple g-code to accomplish this task.

I have been on the Mach web page butt most of what I find there is
more complex than just doing a few taper operations.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
Writing G-codes for shaft tapering is a cake if you know your shaft's taper.
What is your shaft's taper ?
How many angles ?
PM me your shaft taper.

Forearm taper is much easier as it most likely only one taper like .840" to 1.030".
 
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http://www.cnc.info.pl//files/fanuc_ot_cnc_program_manual_gcodetraining_588.pdf

Like Joey said, taper code is easy and nothing about it is difficult for Mach.

These are the prefixes that are used on mine
G00 = rapids. Used to make longer movements NOT associated with cutting, such as returning to home or ascend to safe Z
G01= simple x,y, and z movements. These dictate the cutters position while executing the program
M03,04,05 = spindle fwd,reverse, stop
S=spindle speed.
F=feed rate
M99 program end.

G00 x1.500y30.00 (rapid to move to start position)
S200(spindle speed)
M3(rotate clockwise)
G01 x.840y30.00f12(drop sled to .840 staying at 30.00, moving at 12IPM)
g01 x.550y0.00(moves sled at 12IPM to 0.00 at a constant taper to .550)
M05(spindle stop)
G00 x1.50y30.00(returns sled to home for next program)

If I got this wrong, someone will correct me. I wrote it off the top of my head.

This is for a table saw machine, but this should give you a good idea.

The PDF I linked is REALLY good.
 
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Thanks for the info Randy. I hopefully will finally be finished with the rebuild of my cnc machine in the next couple weeks and the pdf will come in really handy then. I will be following this thread with interest
Dave
 
I have not used mach 3, but all my G code requires the editing to be in Capitals, Make sure you have the font set to be able to clearly differentiate between a zero 0, letter O,
I use Consolas font which puts a line through the zero in notepad as a text editor.
Most programs I have done require a $ sign in the top line only, anything in a bracket (R 0.4MM-INSERT) will come up as a note on the controller, but is not executed code.
M codes are often similar to a lot of machines ,but there are controller/machine specific M codes as well.
Check on your controller on how an arc is defined for G3 or G4 arc. Most are defined by the start point,for the centre point of the arc. Some are defined by the finished point for the centre point of the arc.
In any case ,there will be a list somewhere defining the various M codes, G codes that are applicable to your controller and set up.
Neil
 
Hello,

I want to start using Mach3 to do shaft tapers and forearm tapers.
I would appreciate any advice on what I could get to learn how to
write some simple g-code to accomplish this task.

I have been on the Mach web page butt most of what I find there is
more complex than just doing a few taper operations.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Busbee

To be honest, this post scares me a little bit.

I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, but I have more questions than answers.

Do you have a machine now?
If you do, how do you currently use it?
Can you read G code and determine what it's doing?
Are you familiar with axis coordinates, like X, Y, and Z axis?

Without knowing any of these things, it could get dangerous really quick. If you do know these things then the answer to your question should be fairly automatic.

Please be very careful. I could write you some code, but without knowing anything about your machine, or how it runs, I would have to make some assumptions. Those assumptions could cause all sorts of things to happen.


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com
 
Busbee

To be honest, this post scares me a little bit.

I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, but I have more questions than answers.

Do you have a machine now?
If you do, how do you currently use it?
Can you read G code and determine what it's doing?
Are you familiar with axis coordinates, like X, Y, and Z axis?

Without knowing any of these things, it could get dangerous really quick. If you do know these things then the answer to your question should be fairly automatic.

Please be very careful. I could write you some code, but without knowing anything about your machine, or how it runs, I would have to make some assumptions. Those assumptions could cause all sorts of things to happen.


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Thank you for the reply Royce, I sent you a PM.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies and thank you to all the very helpful members that have sent me a private message, you all have been very helpful.

Thanks
 
http://www.cnc.info.pl//files/fanuc_ot_cnc_program_manual_gcodetraining_588.pdf

Like Joey said, taper code is easy and nothing about it is difficult for Mach.

These are the prefixes that are used on mine
G00 = rapids. Used to make longer movements NOT associated with cutting, such as returning to home or ascend to safe Z
G01= simple x,y, and z movements. These dictate the cutters position while executing the program
M03,04,05 = spindle fwd,reverse, stop
S=spindle speed.
F=feed rate
M99 program end.

G00 x1.500y30.00 (rapid to move to start position)
S200(spindle speed)
M3(rotate clockwise)
G01 x.840y30.00f12(drop sled to .840 staying at 30.00, moving at 12IPM)
g01 x.550y0.00(moves sled at 12IPM to 0.00 at a constant taper to .550)
M05(spindle stop)
G00 x1.50y30.00(returns sled to home for next program)

If I got this wrong, someone will correct me. I wrote it off the top of my head.

This is for a table saw machine, but this should give you a good idea.

The PDF I linked is REALLY good.


M99 is return from subroutine
Usually M30 is used for program end and rewind


Kim
 
Ok.... here is an idea.............. the internet is your friend.....

You can find all kinds of G code programming instructions and help... just search...

Go to the Mach 3 site and down load the Demo ver of Mach 3.

Look for some sample programs on the internet and note the syntax on how a program is written.

Run Mach 3 and load your programs and see if they run right.... follow the tool path on the graphics window in Mach 3....


You don't need to spend a cent or buy a machine just yet....

Kim
 
Hello,

I want to start using Mach3 to do shaft tapers and forearm tapers.
I would appreciate any advice on what I could get to learn how to
write some simple g-code to accomplish this task.

I have been on the Mach web page butt most of what I find there is
more complex than just doing a few taper operations.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Busbee,

You don't have to write code to do your tapers.

Just plot the taper geometry on the X Y grid of a Cad Cam Program and it will write the GCode in a second or two automatically. Once the code is written you can view it in Mach Mill while the program runs in real time.

You can also get a demo version of BobCad on line that will do up to 500 lines of code.

Good Luck and have some fun learning.

Rick
 
Busbee,

You don't have to write code to do your tapers.

Just plot the taper geometry on the X Y grid of a Cad Cam Program and it will write the GCode in a second or two automatically. Once the code is written you can view it in Mach Mill while the program runs in real time.

You can also get a demo version of BobCad on line that will do up to 500 lines of code.

Good Luck and have some fun learning.

Rick
Writing the G-codes to taper your shaft is a rudimentary skill , I think one must have to have a better understanding of G-codes.
You will have to edit codes later on anyway.
If you can't write your own G-codes for shaft tapering, you have a bad foundation imo.
 
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