[sploo]

Hmmm... no posts here for a few days, so permit me to jump up and down excitedly and announce that I've just ordered a KG3925 from K2.

Many thanks to those that gave me their thoughts and info (TausCNC, Aksess and especially erik_m).

I expect delivery will be many weeks away (and I'm also looking forward to the inventive ways in which the shipping company will attempt to destroy it on its way to the UK).

I'll update as I know more...

[CNCRob]

Man, I was just thinking about how there hasn't been any post about K2 for a while. I was wondering what you guys that have the KG3925 with thier servo setup are setting your steps per inch at. My z-axis has been stalling out and I think I may be setting it to high. I emailed Ron last night but haven't herd back from him yet. Thanks in advance - Robbie

[sploo]

I was wondering what you guys that have the KG3925 with thier servo setup are setting your steps per inch at.

I've sent an email to a guy I know who's running one (with Mach 3) so I'll let you know if he gives me a figure.

EDIT: Provisional figure is 2000, but he will check when he starts the machine tonight.

[CNCRob]

Thanks sploo.

[carlnpa]

Rob
I'm setting my z at 10,000 with the acme screw set up and 250 encoder.
Carl

[CNCRob]

Thanks Carl, Mike from K2 wrote me back today and said pretty much the same thing "The silver ballscrews are 10160, the black ballscrews are 10000, and the leadscrews are 20000" So I beleive mine should be set at 10,000 also. I have it set for 10,500 now. He said the acceleration may be the problem. I may have it set to high. I was wondering what are some you you running the acceleration at? Thanks again- Robbie

[Geetar-ist]

sploo - did you get you machine yet ?
Im asking becase Im thinking of ordering one myself !

[sploo]

Hi Geetar-ist,

I'd just seen your "Buying advice for CNC noob" thread, and was about to post a reply on the subject of K2, but now that you're here...

It's now been about five weeks since I placed the order, and K2 haven't yet contacted me asking for the remainder of the payment. Given that the previous information on timelines I've seen from them indicates 4 or so weeks, I'm not too worried - and I've not been pressing them as I've been renovating my garage (new wiring, and hoping to get ducting for dust extraction in soon).

General impression of them so far is reasonably positive. You do have to prod them to get information, but it does come.

I'd been following their machines for quite a few months, as the earlier 3925 was generally well received, though there were some issues. Contact with a few different people who'd bought the updated design all resulted in positive opinions.

Software wise, I plan to use Mach3 for control, probably SheetCAM, and maybe MeshCAM. As for CAD, I'm not totally sure yet. I'd like to import into SheetCAM from 3d Studio MAX (as I'm familiar with it) but I've been having problems. I downloaded a free CAD package (A9CAD) but I don't really get along with it.

BTW Keep in mind that an order for something outside the EU will incur import duty and VAT. A considerable amount of time spent talking to UK Customs indicates that the suitable tariff code is 84659990, which is 2.7%, and listed as 'Machine tools for working wood, cork, bone, hard rubber, hard plastics or similar materials'.

My understanding is that Customs will take the machine+delivery cost, add 2.7%, then work out 17.5% of that value. E.g. 6000USD (machine) + 400USD (delivery) + 2.7% = 6572.8USD. Therefore 17.5% = 1150.24USD due in tax.

Hope that helps.

[sploo]

My KG3925 turned up yesterday, and the crate was in excellent condition - no damage as far as I could see.

It looks like everything is present, including a set of imperial allen keys (which is useful as I only have metric units).

Putting the machine together was pretty simple - the only issue of note being that a toothed washer on the eStop button was the wrong way up, so it wasn't sitting flat. Hardly a problem.

Having followed people's previous comments on receiving the earlier 3925 design, I can see that they've addressed a number of issues, and there's obviously been some real thought gone into the design.

The only problem I now have is that I was planning to run Mach3, but K2 only have config files for Mach2 (even though some are listed as Mach3 on their site).

Is anyone currently running the newer (2006) model 3925 and has done the setup for Mach3, or am I going to have to manually transfer the settings myself?

PS The attached pics don't show the control box (which I'd already removed from the crate, and is currently inside the cabinet).

[m!ni]

Very very nice sploo, it looks great !

[CNCRob]

The only problem I now have is that I was planning to run Mach3, but K2 only have config files for Mach2 (even though some are listed as Mach3 on their site).

Yeah I noticed that also. I found one for mach3(I can't remember where now) but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

[sploo]

I was doing a bit of searching on the machsupport forum and found this link:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?board=7.0

However, if I compare the posted mach 2 config with the same supplied file from K2, there are a couple of strange values (odd limits, different pins) in the one at the above link. That makes me wonder if the same applies to the mach 3 version he's posted.

It may be irrelevant stuff, or it may be because he has the first generation 3925, but I'm slightly reluctant to use an unknown setup file on a new machine, as it'll be harder to locate any potential problems.

Not quite sure what to do right now... I might spend some time trying to copy the settings for the 2006 model KG3925 Mach 2 config into Mach 3 (I have Mach 2 on another PC, but not the one I've got connected to the machine).

[CNCRob]

I was doing a bit of searching on the machsupport forum and found this link:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?board=7.0

However, if I compare the posted mach 2 config with the same supplied file from K2, there are a couple of strange values (odd limits, different pins) in the one at the above link. That makes me wonder if the same applies to the mach 3 version he's posted.

It may be irrelevant stuff, or it may be because he has the first generation 3925, but I'm slightly reluctant to use an unknown setup file on a new machine, as it'll be harder to locate any potential problems.

Not quite sure what to do right now... I might spend some time trying to copy the settings for the 2006 model KG3925 Mach 2 config into Mach 3 (I have Mach 2 on another PC, but not the one I've got connected to the machine).

That was it, Thats where I found mine, I have been tring to remember since my last post. LOL

[sploo]

That was it, Thats where I found mine, I have been tring to remember since my last post. LOL

I had a look at the file, and I can't be sure that it's intended for the newer (2006) version of the 3925.

This is basically a duplicate of what I've just posted on the machsupport forum... hopefully someone might be able to answer some of the questions...

I've just downloaded (what I believe to be) the correct file for Mach 2 from K2's website (KG3925-06.xml). I then copied the settings to Mach 3 by swapping between the programs (I don't have Mach 2 on the PC attached to the machine).

With a bit of adjustment, Mach's diagnostics page shows the inputs for the home switches and e-stop to be working, so the basic connections must be right.

When I press the 'enable' button on the control box (the unit supplied by K2 with the motor controllers and power) the motors hum and make a clicking noise, but I'm unable to get them to move. Using Mach's jog control (TAB) I can get the X, Y and Z DROs to change, but the motors still don't do anything.

I've attached the Mach 3 config I'm using. Anyone got any suggestions, especially if I'm likely to be doing something dumb that would prevent Mach from actually trying to move the motors?

PS Putting my sensible hat on - of course, it would probably be best to install Mach 2 on the controller PC, use the K2 supplied config file and check that my newly delivered machine actually works. Is there any risk in overwriting any of the installed Mach 3 stuff?

[ger21]

You can install both Mach2 AND Mach3 on the same PC, just don't try to run them at the same time. That way you can start using Mach2 right away and slowly set up Mach3 as you learn.

[ger21]

Also, the motor tuning in Mach3 is done differently (units per minute vs units per second, I think) and needs to be changed by a factor of 60 for Mach3.

[sploo]

Cheers Gerry.

I've installed Mach 2, then Mach 3 on a laptop (no drivers) but wasn't sure if installing Mach 2 + drivers after Mach 3 would overwrite any of Mach 3's stuff.

Will try it when I next get into the garage.

EDIT: Yea, I noticed the factor of 60 thing last night, so I'm pretty sure the figures I've put in are at least remotely sensible - though I did have to study the two dialogs (Mach 2 vs Mach 3) quite closely to spot it.

I occurs to me that there must be plenty of people switching over from v2 to v3, and having studied the respective version's xml files, there are a number of differences in the tag names. I would have thought that a Mach 2 to Mach 3 configuration convertor would have been a good idea - assuming that's a valid operation.

[Geetar-ist]

congrats on taking delivery sploo !
im pretty jealous at the moment because I cant afford to spend until May '07

keep us posted as to how you get on with it !

Im using the evaluation copy of Rhino 3D at the moment and im struggling to get used to it ... even though im familiar with CAD upto release 14/2000...

by the way.... did you get the machine complete with porter router - or choose your own... ?

I understand that using one of these routers requires an inverter to achieve 60Hz ...

[sploo]

congrats on taking delivery sploo !
im pretty jealous at the moment because I cant afford to spend until May '07

Cheers Geetar-ist. It took me around a year to get to the point of ordering too - it's not a purchase you take lightly.

Im using the evaluation copy of Rhino 3D at the moment and im struggling to get used to it ... even though im familiar with CAD upto release 14/2000...

Yea, still not totally sure how to go with respect to CAD. I'm familiar with 3D Studio Max, albeit an old version, and I can get the CAM program I've been evaluating to take 2D DXFs exported from Max. I guess this is something I'll tune as I go along...

by the way.... did you get the machine complete with porter router - or choose your own... ?

I understand that using one of these routers requires an inverter to achieve 60Hz ...

I did go for the PC892, but already had one I'd previously bought from the US. I made a lead with a US style socket on one end, and a 110v building site plug on the other (the yellow round things). With a building site transformer it works fine, and I've had no problems with it running at 50Hz. It's not gone onto the CNC machine yet though.

Setup is proving to be quite a task. Just about every Mach config I see for the 3925 machines maps slightly different pins to different axes, has the limit switches active low, sometimes active high etc. etc.

So far I've managed to get the switches setup, and this evening, managed to get the motors to move. I've based my tweaks on the setup file I linked from the machsupport forum as I wasn't able to get mine to work (even with the charge pump enabled, which isn't set on the file I posted). I will examine the difference in detail at some point to try and work out what's wrong with my file.

I'm still a little hazy as to which way round the axes should run. It seems logical that 0 on each axis should be at the home switch end, and therefore + movement is away from the home switches*. However, this seems to make the machine move in a mirror image to what's on Mach's toolpath display, so I think I've got quite a bit more tweaking before I actually start cutting.

* Apart from the z axis, with the switch at the top, so logically movement away is down, and therefore -. But then I've seen a post that indicates that the Y axis probably should be - away from the home switch

[carlnpa]

Sploo the motors humming and clicking is all very good. You almost have it going. I really believe you have a setup problem in mach. In my opinion mach 2 is easier to set up and get running. Forget the K2 setup files drivers, you need to manually set your machine up, its good practice to learn to do so anyway. Disable your limit switches entirely until you get the axis moving, set x y to 50ipm accel to 15 (very conservative), make sure your pin asssignments are correct.