[patriciooholegu]

I´m since few monts watching this site, interested on te subject of cnc machines, and always there is a question in my mind : Isnt a standard printer machine the same kind of CNC tecnology ??. investigatin on this, i ask few days ago to a friend, and told my that tose machines are very much the same. The question i have for some one more experimented on this matter is if exist any software to control this machines like if they are cnc controlled. I download mach3 to see wath happen with my own standard printer and every time sistem crashes big time. Somebody???
I´m from Argentina and the spoken lenguitch is spanish, so forgett my sad Inglish attempt. Anyway i read it very well, waitting for your answers.

[ironDigit]

I once actually met a fellow hobbyist that was bragging about having adjusted a small plotting machine electronics into a bigger millingmachine by just adding some relais and ... whatever he was talking about.
sorry i'm no electrician so i didn't have a clue what the guy was talking about.

So it is possible to use the controllers and software used to drive the printer motors to drive some bigger motors.

Also the oprinters that i have raided until now only contained 2 steppers so i hope you aint using mach mill 3axes.(above mentioned plotter had3axes)
What i'm trying to say is that there have been lots of succesfull efforts to integrate printer electronics into a metalcutting machine but never any efforts to integrate metalcutting software into a printer.
My first guess is that mach wouldn't communicate with the printer drivers.

The difference in the above mentioned would be that when you integrate printer electronics in your machine you could just drive your machine with the printer software wich is offcourse beautifully adjusted an tuned to the used motors and drives.you could also use only the motors replace the drives and control them with mach3.

sorry i cant help but i hope these suggestions are correctly formulated and get you further down the line.

[patriciooholegu]

Tanks ironDigit for your answer.
I new some guy in my town, printer service specialist and ask about this dream. It confirm that in fact, paper printers use stepped motors and a few more thing´s like cnc mills, controlled by board and software protected by manufacturer.
i didnt say that they should by able to be controlled by cnc software, if from the begining i´m stopped by developer software.
Anyway i want to say that i have some idea of converting a printer machine to make it work on wood, and in the few days will try to make some pictures and plans in 3d max and autocad to you see were i want to go.
If the idea i have in my mind dont make any problem, should be able to result in a 3 axis milling machine made it from a standard paper printer, only with few touch´s on is structural part.
by the way, the the 9 pins printer head from some machines, IT IS, in certain way, the z axis of my idea (It moves less then 0,5 milimeters, but IT MOVES).
Please, im waiting for any anser to help with ideas to this proyect.
May be testing you own paper printer with CNC software, to find owt if it is able to be controlled. from all people loking this site, perhaps some one have good new in some model.
Thanks, and thank you again ironDigit!!!.

[ironDigit]

no prob.

Most alike conversions i have encountered all seemed to work with the basis principle of : step 1 . removing the motors from your printer - step 2 . replacing this by bigger motors(mind if the original ones were bipolar or unipolar and replace wth the same) step 3 . mounting the bigger motors to your machine - step 4 . controlling your machine with your printers software 9this always seemed to me as very limited)another possibillity for building a small machine would be step 1 . raiding (especially HP laserjet 2and3)printers for small motors - step 2 . acquiring suitable drivers(bipolar/unipolar and mach3compatible)step 3 . driving the printersteppers with mach3 true compatible drives.

again i'm sorry i can't really HELP OUT but i hope this sets you off right.

offcourse it all depends on needs time and investments ,if you search around here for hp laserjet II/III i'm sure something you'll like will pop up.

have fun !