[Geekus]

Hi Sagreen, check out this thread:

CNC Fusion :: View topic - Just started a delux ballscrew installation on a super x3

[sagreen]

Got the back cut to fit the motor mount and motor. Thought I'd post some pictures of where I am so people can use them in the future...

Picture 1: Head supported so I can remove the Z Ballscrew
Picture 2: Stock Z Ballscrew.
Picture 3: Stock Z ballscrew gears.
Picture 4: Boring my pulleys to fit my motor.
Picture 5-6: CNCFusion Z Ballscrew mounted.

Scott...

[sagreen]

More pictures

Picture 1: You have to unthread the Z Ballscrew to connect the new ballscrew plate.
Picture 2: Z Ballscrew attached.
Picture 3: Milling a relief in the CNCFusion Z Motor mount arm to clear the stock pin on the base of the column.
Picture 4-5: Z Motor mounted.
Picture 6: Internal electronics shroud cut to fit the motor and mount.


Scott...

[Geekus]

That looks good, even with the few mods needed that kit goes together pretty quick. I did the same mod to the Z stepper mounts as in pic 3.

It looks like they improved the wiring layout on the SX3, and the board looks to be much nicer too. While you have it apart I'd suggest checking for any QC problems though. I found this in my mill:



I also added some molex connectors on the steppers so they could be removed easier (also makes getting the back cover off easier if the stepper line is routed though it).

[sagreen]

Mill on the stand...

Scott...

[Geekus]

Looks awesome! Looks like it is almost ready to start cutting. Great looking shop too (looks huge).

[sagreen]

Looks awesome! Looks like it is almost ready to start cutting. Great looking shop too (looks huge).

Thanks Geekus... I gotta start cutting something with that thing, its driving me crazy! I did surface a piece of aluminum late Sunday and that turned out ok. I have some backlash adjustments to make but it was fun! I have stuff on order that I should have by this weekend to make the control panel. I want to make an arm to hang off of the top of the machine to hold the Monitor and Control Panel. Lots of stuff to do!

Yeah, the shop is a 40'x60' building. It also doubles as my woodworking shop. Actually it was the woodworking shop first, then I started picking up these metal working tools and so it has to serve as both.

Scott...

[FannBlade]

I would like to have that buffer!
Do you buy or make the shaft extensions.

[sagreen]

I would like to have that buffer!
Do you buy or make the shaft extensions.

Bought the buffer from Grizzly. Actually I have 2 different ones...

Picture 1: Smaller buffer. Used to be my guitar buffing machine, but its now going to be my aluminum buffing machine.
Picture 2: Large 5hp 3phase Variable speed guitar buffer.

Scott...

[FannBlade]

nice
thanks I will take a look at them.

[sagreen]

No forward progress on the Mill over the weekend, but I did make forward progress on the control panel design.

Didn't think this part was gonna be so hard. I got all of the holes for the arcade switches placed in a cad drawing. I bought a griffin powermate to act as a jog wheel on the control panel. Love the feel of this thing. Its a very nice aluminum wheel / encoder. Doesn't have detents but it spins nicely.

Now the problem. I can not find a working plugin that supports this thing. Mach support has a DLL that does not work on their plugin pages. I searched the mach forums and found someone that had worked on an update, but that DLL no longer works either. So, being a programmer I decided to make my own plugin / driver to use it.

Now the hard part. I spent the entire weekend trying to get a development environment up that would allow me to build mach3 plugins. There is not a lot of help available to get Visual Studio 2010 going for Mach3. I got it going, and at least I can create DLLs now that will compile the example code in the Mach3 SDK. The next hard part was finding any kind of information out on the web as to how to send data to and from the powermate. At 8:00pm last night I finally found a C++ demo program that reads and writes to the Powermate... Progress! I hope to have something going with Mach3 tonight so I can get back to the control panel.

This control panel is gonna be cool. I've looked at about 15 different DIY control pannels and have incorporated everything that I have liked off of each. Plus I added something I didnt see. Dedicated buttons for Edge Finding! Woot!

Stay Tuned...

Scott...

[ironman43]

Scott

As a fellow guitar builder, I have to say you've done quite a job. Very nice. I like what you've done.

[sagreen]

Scott

As a fellow guitar builder, I have to say you've done quite a job. Very nice. I like what you've done.

Thanks Ironman!

Its nice to get props from people that build guitars. Guess that validates a persons work, so thanks again...

I just wish I could make guitar building my day job! For me, there is nothing better than stringing that thing up and playing it after working on it for months not knowing how its going to sound. Plug it into an amp and magic happens

Scott...

[sagreen]

I like to update these build threads, cause it forces me to make progress cause I know someone is watching. Also, it helps to collect my thoughts on what I want to do next, and what is left to do. So, ignore my self organization rants if they are of little interest...

Update:
Still making good progress on the Griffin PowerMate wheel [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-NA16029-Multimedia-Controller/dp/B003VWU2WA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333645586&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Griffin Technology NA16029 PowerMate USB Multimedia Controller: Electronics[/ame] as an MPG for my diy control panel. As I mentioned earlier I am making my own homebrew driver/plugin for it cause all others that I have found do not work with the current version of Mach3. Another reason I am doing this is that I want to improve my chops on writing plugins for Mach. I can see real value in these things down the road, and I want to get the learning curve out of the way now.

I have a test dll in a dev environment that allows me to turn the wheel, and move an axis in Mach3. Long way from done, but I've proved, at least to myself, that it is possible and not super hard. My goal is to have the DLL in some kind of working order by late Friday night so I can get back to cutting out the aluminum face for the control pannel. I'm itching to get this thing done cause its gonna be so cool. I never saw a need for these control panels in the past cause the computer is so close. Then I worked on a friends Bridgeport Ez-Track a few weeks ago and I was like "Wow, that is so nice to be able to manually jog these things around without looking on the screen and reaching for a mouse". So, inspired by an Ez-Track, and my good friend Greg, I'm building my own...

Scott...

[sagreen]

Good progress on the Control Panel...

Bummer! I ordered 3 less buttons than I needed

Scott...

[FannBlade]

WOW! That is really nice are the buttons momentary or latching? Hope you detail how you hook them up I'm sure more then just myself would be interested.

[mattm55]

Yes that looks nice and neat. A BOM and schematic would be great. I find it time consuming to put the write ups and pics on the forum BUT I have also grabbed tons of good info from others taking the time to do this so its worth it.

~Arrgg, I use the Eclipse IDE daily but have another project that needs Visual Studio. I like the Powermate idea.

Keep up the good work... nice.

Matt

[sagreen]

WOW! That is really nice are the buttons momentary or latching? Hope you detail how you hook them up I'm sure more then just myself would be interested.

Fannblade, The buttons are momentary...

This details are pretty simple for this control panel...

The buttons are regular arcade cabinet buttons. I get them here.. ultimark.com

The numeric keypad and powermate are both USB, so they will plug strait into the computer. The keypad will serve as a numeric input device.
I wrote my own powermate plugin in VS2008 c++. Still refining it, but it works pretty well.

The power button section will drive inputs on my CNC BOB, as well as external relay circuits. I'm going to build a small circuit to drive a small relay that drives a much larger 30 amp relay for my CNC and PC.

The rest of the buttons plug into this. The I-PAC Wiring it is simple. All buttons have a common ground, and this board has 32 inputs. It plugs into a USB port on your PC, and becomes a keyboard emulator. You press one of the buttons on the control panel and it sends a programmable keystroke to your PC. I will have to create a Mach3 screen to turn the keystrokes into Mach3 macros.

I still have some work left to do on the control panel. Right now its just buttons and a frame. I've yet to wire it. Its pretty big. its like 23" x 18" with the 15" monitor in the middle. I wanted to mount an arm to the mill but this control panel is just too big. I will probably make some kind of floor stand that I can roll out of the way when I'm not using it.

Scott...

[FannBlade]

Thanks. That I-PAC board is pretty nice. I have it bookmarked and will have to look into that in greater detail.
Maybe you could make a plugin/screenset available in the future and offer it for sale on the ArtSoft site.

[sagreen]

Shop built roll around stand to hold my control panel and keyboard...

Scott...