Hello everyone,
I recently bought a used working K2 CNC machine to cut guitar bodies and necks. The package included everything to get going along with some custom programs ready to go. I can go through the steps to run it for certain pre-made G-code items, but need some help on how to make mods. I'm not a big CAD guy, but one of the vendors I work with at my day job is and offered some help there. So I had a few basic categories of questions.
1. Is there an easy way to view G-Code on a machine other than the shop machine? I have used 20 or so programs, but there are thousands of variations with murky file names. I thought I'd load a trial of Mach3 on a notebook, then go though them, but I have two problems. One is that there is no display view on the notebook Mach 3. On the Mach2 installed on the shop machine, a little window shows me generally what the program will cut. The notebook install also gives an error in one of the first lines. I have not installed any K2 info on the notebook yet. Is what I'm trying to do possible without a controller connected?
2. Is there an easy way to modify a G-code program? I want to start simple. One program is set up to make a specific cavity a little deeper. It would be nice to have one modified to make that same cavity a bit wider (say from 55mm to 57mm wide). I don't have the original CAD files, but have downloaded a G-code to DXF converter. If I have a CAD guy widen the cut, I don't see how I get it back to G-code.
I have more questions, but help here would get me started. I'm pretty good with a computer and naming files in a manageable way and stuff like that. The whole CNC thing is all new though.
Any tips would be appreciated.
Chris