[matinski]

I've purchased a lightly used Syil X4 mill with a PC loaded with Mach 3. When go to run my gcode for my part (using Bobcam) I seem to be getting inconsistent axis movement. I'm not sure if something is setup wrong in Mach 3 or my Bobcam work or the machine is off.

I'm beginning to question everything I've been doing and I'm finding that I'm going in circles. I was hoping someone here can point out a good trouble shooting method and possibly have some known good basic gcode (no spindle rpm) that I can use to test with.

Here is what I'm doing and the problem:

Home the machine, then zero the x, y, z to the workpiece. Load gcode, mill starts but the y zero in relation to the part is off by about .330"

I think if I had gcode to run a pattern in X & Y then eventually going back to all zero's, would me help eliminate Mach 3 and the Mill.

Any help would be appreciated.

[awerby]

Did the person who sold you this "lightly used" setup tell you that it worked, or was it unused because it didn't?

Did you get the computer and software from the same person, or put the system together yourself?

If you command a simple move, like "G0Y2.000" does it move two inches, or is it still off?

If that works, and similar commands on all the axes check out, then it's probably not a mechanical problem with your machine. That leaves your Mach3 settings and BobCAD to scrutinize. If you run a short piece of code like you suggest, what happens? Zero your machine so it has room to move a few inches in X and Y, then try something with motion in two or more axes, like:

G01X3.0Y2.0F20
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0

(etc.)

See if it comes back to zero after 10 minutes or so of that. If so, (and if the first test was successful) then it's probably not a problem with Mach3.

That leaves BobCAD - if that's your problem, post a question in the BobCAD forum, and be as specific as you can about what goes wrong.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[matinski]

Did the person who sold you this "lightly used" setup tell you that it worked, or was it unused because it didn't?

He only used it for a few projects and he needed to sell it for the $$

Did you get the computer and software from the same person, or put the system together yourself?

I also bought the computer with it. However I added a GFX card and loaded WinXP & Mach3 on a new disk. I still have the old disk.

If you command a simple move, like "G0Y2.000" does it move two inches, or is it still off?

After zeroing the workpiece, I did a X 0.75 Y 0.75, and the mill move to this position. I then followed up with X 0.0 Y 0.0 and the mill went to 0.0, 0.0. One observation was that it appears that the Mach 3 job display is off from where the mill is. This is a something I need to verify again.

If that works, and similar commands on all the axes check out, then it's probably not a mechanical problem with your machine. That leaves your Mach3 settings and BobCAD to scrutinize. If you run a short piece of code like you suggest, what happens? Zero your machine so it has room to move a few inches in X and Y, then try something with motion in two or more axes, like:

G01X3.0Y2.0F20
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0

(etc.)

See if it comes back to zero after 10 minutes or so of that. If so, (and if the first test was successful) then it's probably not a problem with Mach3.

That leaves BobCAD - if that's your problem, post a question in the BobCAD forum, and be as specific as you can about what goes wrong.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software

I'll give this a try. Thanks for the help!

[br1]

Look here this helped me alot, there may be a clue.
http://www.machsupport.com/documentation.php

[matinski]

Did the person who sold you this "lightly used" setup tell you that it worked, or was it unused because it didn't?

Did you get the computer and software from the same person, or put the system together yourself?

If you command a simple move, like "G0Y2.000" does it move two inches, or is it still off?

If that works, and similar commands on all the axes check out, then it's probably not a mechanical problem with your machine. That leaves your Mach3 settings and BobCAD to scrutinize. If you run a short piece of code like you suggest, what happens? Zero your machine so it has room to move a few inches in X and Y, then try something with motion in two or more axes, like:

G01X3.0Y2.0F20
X0Y0
X3.0Y2.0
X0Y0

(etc.)

See if it comes back to zero after 10 minutes or so of that. If so, (and if the first test was successful) then it's probably not a problem with Mach3.

So the above checked out on a short several minute run. I'm going to expand this to add more different X & Y movement and increase the feed rate just to be sure.

That leaves BobCAD - if that's your problem, post a question in the BobCAD forum, and be as specific as you can about what goes wrong.

This will be my next approach.

[matinski]

I sent this to Syil Yesterday

Subject: BobCAM

I just started using BOBCAD and I'm looking for the post processor you mention on your support page:

Our splendid Post Processor for Bob CAD custom made for our machines: Contact Us.

I just received this back from them.

"You need to contact BobCad for their latest version as ours will not work. I didn’t realize it was still on our website and will ask our IT person to remove it.

Sorry for the confusion"

(chair)