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Thanks Dan. I'm using Windows 7. Is there a prior release that I can use that doesn't have the problem with the simulator? I don't see any options for reverting to an earlier release on the madCAM...

Using commercial licenses for Rhino 5 SR14 with madCam 5 3 axis 2017.1019. Everytime I click on the simulator icon Rhino crashes. Everything else seems to work fine. Any ideas?

Thanks.

I don't know whether you're using a steel or an aluminum I beam for your gantry but I beam flanges are often slightly twisted and hence neither planar individually nor parallel between themselves. I...

I run MadCam 4.3 and Rhino 4 sr9 on a 32 bit Vista machine without problems.

Chris

Rhino 4 and MadCam 4.3 are compatible. Rhino 5 and MadCam 4.3 are not ever compatible.

Chris

There's definitely something else going on there that's not related to belt drive per se. Loose belt, weak stepper motor, low power supply would be my first three guesses. Hope you figure it out.
...

What are the footprint dimensions? I assume that you're going to get the vertical rigidity for the X-rails from the table (not shown) that the unit sits on. That will be a key part of build. Looks...

I have to ask what you were cutting. I've driven my machine to a complete stall and have never had a belt skip. At a 1/16 DOC in wood I could easily cut at 300ipm. Are you sure that your belt is...

Very nice!

I think you're going to want to close off the back of your uprights. You've created a giant lever arm back there that currently serves no constructive purpose. Close it off though and the whole...

Looks good. Are you going to drive both ends of the gantry? It looks like you've allowed for it.

Chris

Most definitely a centerline.

I use Gecko 201's. The step motors are Nema 23 425 in-oz. I have them wired bipolar-parallel so you can see that with the inductance at 6.8mH my maximum voltage before heating effects take over is...

A 10 tooth XL pulley has a pitch dia. of .637 which equals a circumference of ~2 inches. A 200 step motor using a full-step driver therefore needs to see a 100Hz signal to travel 1 inch. (A 200...

My experience with wood has been that I want feed rates of between 100 and 200 ipm. With less than 100 ipm I just wouldn't be happy with my machine.

If you wired your motors in bipolar-parallel...

In matching steppers, drives and power supplies you want to look at the amp rating of the motor and also the inductance of the motor. If you take the square root of the motor's inductance and...

Do you have a sketch of the overall plan? It's difficult to figure out where you're going with this from the photos alone?

Also, why did you weld your adjustment bolts to the V-groove wheels or...

The controller software takes care of the sync.

The higher the inductance the more difficult it is for the motor to reach a particular speed quickly. Hence you'll see lower top speeds and accelerations with higher inductance motors. Most of the...

Here's a link to a page on Bill Jesson's thread about his modified Momus build that uses screws instead of belts.

Also look at Sven's build thread for an alternate rail system as well as use of...

Both the supply voltage and the inductance are high for Gecko drives.

I worked in a cabinet shop once that had a 24" wide planar that was actually a face jointer (as opposed to an edge jointer). It was an old machine and very massive so it may be from an age gone by...

What is your 'Look Ahead' set to in Mach3?

Wire Selection

Acme Anti-backlash nuts to 1" dia.

Grind a groove in one end of the rod in the axial direction to make a simple tap. Then screw the end into the plastic nut to cut a 'perfect' fit.

Chris

You need to bring the wooden cross member down to the lowest clearance point of your z axis travel when the z axis is as high as it will go. This will give you the maximum stiffness in the vertical...

I would go to 1" solid rods for the rails and overall increase the stiffness of the gantry window.

Chris

The counterbores just reduce the depth of thread. You only need a couple of diameters of thread to get sufficient holding contact for the screw. Having to thread the full 3/4" thickness of the bar...

Brian Oltrogge's Platform CNC cutting aluminum with a high degree of finish.

If you examine Brian's machine you can see how the structure differs in practice from the Solsylva which might give you...