[cat41259]

I just purchased a tormach 1100 pcnc and want to make gun grips out of fossils like mammoth ivory and tooth. I need someone who can write or help me write g-codes. At this time I make fossil gun grips by hand to see sample go the www.fineturnage.com

Charles 508-414-1575

[Zetopan]

I just purchased a tormach 1100 pcnc and want to make gun grips out of fossils like mammoth ivory and tooth. I need someone who can write or help me write g-codes.

You would be *MUCH* better off getting CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software packages suitable for the Tormach. I have both as do most (if not all) Tormach owners. The CAD package will let you design your own parts, and the CAM package will create the cutting tool paths. Doing all of that by hand would be a very tedious and especially error prone process. I used to generate G-code by hand prior to getting my Tormach but now I never do that anymore unless the resulting tool path is relatively simple. Note that the Tormach comes with built in "Wizards" that can generate simple but useful tool paths, removing the need for most simple hand coding.

My CAD and CAM packages are higher end so I would not recommend those specific ones for a beginner since the learning curves are quite steep. There are tons of relatively low cost packages available for novice CNC mill and lathe users though.

[GLCarlson]

I just purchased a tormach 1100 pcnc and want to make gun grips out of fossils like mammoth ivory and tooth. I need someone who can write or help me write g-codes. At this time I make fossil gun grips by hand to see sample go the www.fineturnage.com

Charles 508-414-1575

There are two steps, broadly, to creating a g-code file. Creating the CAD (drawing) file, and generating g-code from the CAD file. The latter step is pretty automated, though the output often needs tweaking, and is done by a post-processor for your CAD program. Since you appear to be new to the forum and to CNC, I presume you are asking for help with both.

In other words, then, you appear to be asking for someone else to do the biggest piece of the project- creating the CAD file. That's likely to be a work-for-hire deal, and an expensive one since it is really the essence of the CNC job. If that's right, you really, really need to learn CAD yourself. Fortunately, there are some pretty good, pretty easy ways to start.

Get thee to Vectric and buy a copy of Cut2Ddesk. It won't- quite- do what I think you want, but it's a great place to start learning and it's very easy to use. Its big brother will do what you want, but it's more daunting and way more expensive. Learn to walk first. At the same time, sign up for Fusion360, look at the NYCCNC tutorials on it, and learn to do the necessary drawing. Doing the drawings is where all of your artistry will happen.

As far as the second step goes, all of the above will generate code for the Tormach 1100. Converting drawings to code is a fairly automated task these days. Get and read Smid's book (CNC programming). Run your autogenerated code -in foam, or wood- to see how it works. If you have g-code questions, many forum members do things similar to what you plan, and there is endless help here for "the blasted code doesn't work right" problems.

But doing the hard work, the CAD files, is really up to you.

Hope this helps.

[tmarks11]

+++1

Fusion360 is CAD with one of the best CAM programs on the market (HSM Works) built into it.

It is the best value out there for hobbyists and startups: professional software for free!

[jttoner]

In addition to a good CAD/CAM package, learn at least the basics of G-code. Write a few simple programs. You do yourself a dis-service if you don't learn g-code because you won't know what's going on inside your programs and you won't be able to fix problems. Unless you also have a 4th axis, you can only go left or right, in or out, or up or down.