[MetLHead]

Any news from the CNC-workshop?? I'm planning on being there Thursday and Friday and possibly Saturday and I was wondering how it was going.

Scott

[kentavv]

I'm flying to Galesburg on Saturday (a Father's day present) so I hope all the really cool stuff will be on Saturday. Looks like the airport is close but not close enough

[samco]

I will be down there thurs, fri and sat. Mostly bothering the emc/linux guys and wondering around

Here is a fest cam showing mostly the emc2 development crew. In the background you see the mazak that they have been working on. Last year it did tool changes - this year it is hoping to do rigid tapping. You can't see it - but on the end of the left table is cradeks lathe - People seem to congregate around it to watch it run.

http://linuxcnc.org/compile_farm/festcam.shtml

They just got the Constant Surface Speed for lathes working - you can read about it here.
http://axis.unpythonic.net/01181527543
cradeks lathe
http://timeguy.com/cradek/cnc/lathe

as always - http://linuxcnc.org

[SteveS]

I'm leaving at dawn from south of Detroit. Only can stay for the rest of Friday and need to be back for Sunday or face the wrath of some imediate family members.

The website doesn't seem to have been updated in the month prior to the event.

[kentavv]

The website doesn't seem to have been updated in the month prior to the event.

Yah, no kidding... they could certainly use someone to help out with the website.

[SteveS]

I made it to the workshop on Friday and had planned to stay through Saturday. I arrived at 12:30 and left at 2:30 on Friday. I ended up with a significant data point and have an high expectation to return next year. The barbeque and aluminum casting were big temptaions to stay overnight, but I had to balance that against some "should do" items on Saturday. Plus, the hotel let me out of my reservation.

The significant data point was to understand that this is a REAL "workshop" and not a show or exposition. You need to come prepared with concise questions, a project you are working on or something to share that you need advise on taking to another level. The passion and expertise present is excellent.

I got this from only a couple hours. My job is as a troubleshooter and I have been sent around the world over 20 years to evaluate, certify or revise high production settings. Over time I have been able to make an assessment in a very short time if there is only smoke or merit in the facility.

I arrived with a blank yellow notepad and camera, which were totally inadequate. Taking the whole week would have been good, but not practical for me. Next year I plan to arrive on Thursday with my mill secured in the back of my vehicle and a bunch of pictures and notes to ask questions from. I will need to rent one or two of the tables.

My other big observation is that Roland has too many toys. This may come from my being an urban type without the out buildings. I didn't get to meet his wife, but she must be awesome to have allowed all of it over a very extended period of time. Unless all of the RC airplanes were hers.

I also came to understand how Rick got the nickname "Rick-o-matic." The guy could compete in any continuous talking competition.

[samco]

The emc2 group got rigid tapping working on the mazak.. Pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCEwlfJj__A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNn-Yr7it5s

the tooling was a bit lacking so the emc2 group made due.

Very very smart bunch - it was fun to watch them work.

sam

[RickOmatic]

Wow! Third year and still going strong! What a great week seeing old friends and meeting a lot of new ones! It really wasn't hard meeting them. When I saw someone I didn't know I just grabbed them and asked them who they were! LOL!! The weather was nothing short of GREAT (maybe a little hot in the afternoon...) and I got to go for a ride in a 1942, 7 cylinder radial engine army trainer!!! Open cockpit, and I LOVED IT! oh, yeh back to the workshop..... I did the Rickomatic stuff and "lost foam casting demo's all week long untill I was exhausted! What a great time ( I did mention that before, didn't I?!?) Dan Mauch from Camtronics-cnc.com brought his real nifty 3d laser scanning setup. VERY COOL.....Neil Knopf, editor for The Home Shop Machinist, and the new Digital Machinist magazine showed up Saturday and gave me some pointers on writing magazine articles.... Cheap and free, here we come! LOL!! Fred Smith from IMService (imsrv.com) was across from me and machined up some neat foam pieces for me to cast! Sorry I have not posted the pictures yet, but they are coming! AND, anybody who has pictures, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send them to me!!!! Make a folder, zip the photos if possible and send me the zipped folder. It works better that way. Pete....I really need those plane pics....
Special thanks to Roland Friestad (our host) Ed and Joe, who did whatever I asked (or needed) and made the coffee that gave me life in the morning...To Ruth, er, Rudy and Lyne and to Boris (the cat) for hanging out with me until 3:00am while getting ready for the following day....
I know this just "scratches the surface" but I am still recouperating and will get caught up next week! Had a great time, and will have even more "stuff" next year!!!! Take care everyone! Rick

[kentavv]

Any one have any pictures of the event? I arrived on Saturday and was told a lot of people had already packed up their projects.

[RickOmatic]

Hi Wildcat. Yeh, I have a few pics, and as soon as I can get them off this (#!@%#@&%#) sd card I will post them. Being cheep and free sometimes my "old" software and me don't get along... Maybe I need something better than this ol' xt machine... LOL! (just kiddin') should have them up by Tuesday. Did I meet you? I was there until 6:00pm Saturday. The new dates for next years workshop end on Friday I believe....
I have started the cnc hotwire cutter that I need (ok, want) and I am going to submit it to the Digital Machinist magazine as an article. Should be fun! Maybe see ya next year! Rick

[jordan2]

Wow, how time flies ! ! The first year it was too hot....
The second year it was too cold (and wet)
If you have ever wanted to meet some of the guys you met on the net, this is the place to be!! The list is long, so check out Rolands website and see who is coming.

yeah,how time files!and here is a good place to meet some of the guys !we'll be friends!

[JoelMach]

We (MachMotion) are planing to be there again this year! We will be coming in Thursday afternoon and leaving Saturday afternoon (wish we could be there longer but that is all we can do at this time). We will be showing off some of our CNC Controls, Drives, Motors, and a new breakout board.