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IndustryArena Forum > WoodWorking Machines > DIY CNC Router Table Machines > Custom timber manufacturing machine and wizards.
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    443

    Custom timber manufacturing machine and wizards.

    I own a very small timber door manufacturing business that I operate out of my workshop part time - weekends. I use a cnc router for some of it. And infact I have used a Nema 23 setup to climb cut a tennon on a spindle moulder with a 200mm head. That was a simple but amazingly effective modification. Very scary to do that by hand I tell ye.

    I can manufacture a door now, with the joins only needing a hand sand to be perfect. Going for 0.10mm tolerance in timber is about the best you can do. Because it bounces and springs etc.

    Anyways. I am thinking I want to design a cnc router specifically for pocketing hinges, and for pocketing the frames that go together. It would be approx 2400mm long (Y) with say 300mm (X) and a 300mm (Z). The machine doesnt need to be super powerful, a small spindle would do the job. But this machine if I can sort the software out to be easy, would enable me to produce as a one man, what 2-3 men (or women) would do.

    But my question is about the wizards. Especially the ones on the Mach 3 setup. How hard is it to write one of those? Or are there people out there who would be able to write them for me? The operations themselves are extremely simple. Stuff like a 100 x 50 x 3mm pocket at 3 points. Or one pocket of "B" dimensions at Y 1985mm. Obviously I could just draw and program with a CAD/CAM package but the variables is required here for different sizes. I do know I could just drag things apart etc but a wizard would be perfect.

    I guess that my current machinery aids have actually saved me so much time, and improved the quality of my part time income. I am thinking I should make more additions. Its just I dont know about the wizards. Hey, so from start to finish, 5% of programming knowledge, what do you think it would take to learn how to write a simple wizard with a nice input screen to run this machine that would probably be the only one on the planet?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: Custom timber manufacturing machine and wizards.

    If you can program in VB, Wizards are pretty simple, once you understand how to build them.

    A wizard is basically a separate screenset. So you'll need to learn how to create a screenset. Using a screen editor, it's really just a matter of dragging the elements into place, and assigning number codes to them.
    The best way to learn about them is to open existing wizards in a Mach3 screen editor and see how they are constructed.
    Also, download and read the Mach2 Customization guide, which has some basic info on writing wizards.

    Most if not all of the existing Wizards have the VB code embedded in the buttons. You can also save the code as M code macros, and call the macros from the buttons. I prefer this method, as it's easier to edit the code without needing to open the wizard in a screen editor.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    443

    Re: Custom timber manufacturing machine and wizards.

    Thanks for that I took a look last night. I think the hardest part will be including the awesome routines that say Fusion can generate. I have a good idea, but it is inserting the code that accepts the variables that I see as difficult.

    Anyway. I'm going to build it. Infact there are so many jobs that a custom machine could do. My aim, is to be able to manufacture a set of French Doors in one day. And one able to mortise out a door lock in a door. That normally costs around $250 - $350 for a locksmith.



    Sent from my SM-N970F using Tapatalk

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