[Fixittt]

Here is the situation, I am looking for some free turning software to use with a sherline size lathe. It has to be free, and very simple to use and output to machturn.

The idea is simple, this will be used to help teach middle school children the basics on cnc operation.

Anyone have an idea of where and what to look at?

[txcncman]

I highly recommend to teach them the actual G-code. If you just want to demonstrate CAD/CAM software for them, you can get educational copies of both MasterCAM and EdgeCAM for free. The education versions will not allow you to output any G-code, but will otherwise allow you to creat tool paths and generate animations to show what happens.

[txcncman]

I also think you can get the Centroid software to run on a PC. It will actually output G-code for a Centroid control (no additional post-processors) up to like 50 lines i think. Whether that G-code is compatible with a Sherline machine, I have no idea. I have never even seen any G-code for a Sherline.

[cornbinder23]

Lazyturn? or Maybe Cambam.

JTCUSTOMS

[salzburg]

Cambam lets you use it 30 times for free . Look into G-zero lathe aprentice version ,
it's free .

[sansbury]

Middle school, huh? I think that's really great but my experience is that kids that age get bored pretty easily so you want to be able to do "cool" stuff like funny shapes (think chess pieces maybe?). Unless you have kids who are into R/C models or something like that, they may not care much about the "precision machining" aspect of it.

If this is really primarily for education, I'd call some *good* (read: expensive) CAD/CAM companies up and see if you can't talk a free license out of them. Show them this is a serious program (picture of the machine, name of school, picture of the students if you can) and I'd bet at least one of them would be willing to give you the software free, or cost of shipping. I think you'd be better served getting a really good cad-cam system that works well (more fun for the kids to use).

Besides that, at a basic level, just running the machine using canned cycles (particularly threading) will probably be good for one or two sessions. Kids are used to computers but punching in a command on the MDI and watching it move a real machine and make chips will be a "ooh!" moment the first time they do it, but probably not the second time :P.

[Bob Adams]

Middle school, huh? I think that's really great but my experience is that kids that age get bored pretty easily so you want to be able to do "cool" stuff like funny shapes (think chess pieces maybe?). Unless you have kids who are into R/C models or something like that, they may not care much about the "precision machining" aspect of it.

If this is really primarily for education, I'd call some *good* (read: expensive) CAD/CAM companies up and see if you can't talk a free license out of them. Show them this is a serious program (picture of the machine, name of school, picture of the students if you can) and I'd bet at least one of them would be willing to give you the software free, or cost of shipping. I think you'd be better served getting a really good cad-cam system that works well (more fun for the kids to use).

Besides that, at a basic level, just running the machine using canned cycles (particularly threading) will probably be good for one or two sessions. Kids are used to computers but punching in a command on the MDI and watching it move a real machine and make chips will be a "ooh!" moment the first time they do it, but probably not the second time :P.

Check this Video out.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILJ7Z1AmFbs"]Chess Set Code by CAD2LATHE - YouTube[/ame]

[Fixittt]

Middle school, huh? I think that's really great but my experience is that kids that age get bored pretty easily so you want to be able to do "cool" stuff like funny shapes (think chess pieces maybe?). Unless you have kids who are into R/C models or something like that, they may not care much about the "precision machining" aspect of it.

If this is really primarily for education, I'd call some *good* (read: expensive) CAD/CAM companies up and see if you can't talk a free license out of them. Show them this is a serious program (picture of the machine, name of school, picture of the students if you can) and I'd bet at least one of them would be willing to give you the software free, or cost of shipping. I think you'd be better served getting a really good cad-cam system that works well (more fun for the kids to use).

Besides that, at a basic level, just running the machine using canned cycles (particularly threading) will probably be good for one or two sessions. Kids are used to computers but punching in a command on the MDI and watching it move a real machine and make chips will be a "ooh!" moment the first time they do it, but probably not the second time :P.

I do agree about the one or two sessions. The only thing that really keeps me on track with this is knowing it is part of the school courses. The schools are buying 14 (I think) small lathes about twice the size of a sherline lathe. Which is why I am using a sherline as a basis for this.

I have played with the wizards in mach 3 and while they are great, there is just to much to know otherwise your gcode is off. I am still trying to write a guideline for a lesson plan. The hardest part is knowing what info to give and what info to leave out for now. While I know that all of it is important, there would be just to much to absorb.

[blades]

I have to respectfully disagree about teaching middle-school aged kids the cryptic and arcane G-codes unless you want them to zone out pretty quickly. I DO agree that you should teach them ABOUT G-code, since that's the actual machine language. Right now, you just want to show them close-up how a real CNC machine works. Save the actual G-code for high-school or vocational center kids.

[MetalZilla]

Have you tried " Simple Lathe Cam" it gives you the compensations for tool nose radius turn of angles. Nifty little program. WebMachinist.Net The Online Source for Machining Resources

[cuttingchips]

I've used SimpleCNC as a quick easy way to get out geometry fast when milling. You pick the type of cut you want to make and fill in the different parameters (location, size, depth, tool size, etc...). It saves a g-code program in notepad and I pull it up in Mach3.

The biggest problem with it so far is that the point drilling cycles require editing before they will work in Mach3. This is the last few lines of code from a SimpleCNC point drilling cycle;
N9 G81 F10 Z-.10 R0.000 Q0.100
N10 G00 Z1.000
N53 G00 Z1.000 G80 M30
%

I've found that the end of the program ALWAYS has to be edited in notepad so that the G80 line is just below the last drill cycle line... like this:
N9 G81 F10 Z-.10 R0.000 Q0.100
G80
N10 G00 Z1.000
M30
%

I emailed SimpleCNC about this a couple of years ago but never heard back. Hopefully they made the "simple" fix. In any case, you definitely get more than $26 worth of benefit from this program. I would recommend it for any hobby machinist. You just have to know how to edit a little g-code. Simple CNC G-Code Programming Software for 3 Axis CNC Machining