[ZipSnipe]

This is for any Spectra Light and light machine owners. What have you been making using your machines? Any pics? And whats your opinion on your purchase?

[ZipSnipe]

Bump!

[ZipSnipe]

Bumpidy bump !!!

[jjenks]

As a shop teacher just learning I have the students make tops. I have seen chest pieces made. We are trying to do a 1/2-13 thread for a c clamp. First we are going to do it out of plastic then aluminum. On the small mills we make name plates or I have the students do plastic molds out of plastic because it is cheap. We use inventor and then mastercam. Currently we are milling a c clamp body out of plastic for practice.

Jack

What kind of spectra lights do you have?

[ZipSnipe]

I have the 0200. Just getting it set up(building bench for it). Yeah I was trying to figure which cad/cam software to use? Thanx for the reply

[Aksess]

Did you ever figure out which cad cam to use with the spectralight 0200? I have one as well with card and controller box. I am using cncbase for the controlling software. I do not want to pay the $500 intelitek wants for their spectracad software. What else can one use to generate the .NC code for cncbase? Simpler the better.

[Stepper Monkey]

I don't know about all of the Spectralight line, but aren't at least some of these based on the basic Sherline mill? I know there have been some questions about parts and software for the Spectralight machines and the relative rarity of finding users of them to get advice from, but if the same options as exist for Sherline can be used for these it would open up a lot of options very easily. The Sherline users groups on Yahoo or wherever could then be used as a rich source with a lot of support, and it would give you an infinitely larger pool of users to poll for the software solutions they have found useful.

[Aksess]

Yes it is a base sherline cnc mill, But I am using the pci controller card that came with the machine and I do not want to retrofit it to use mach software. I like the cncbase that controlls it. I just need to find a cad cam package that will generate the proper code for cncbase. http://www.intelitekdownloads.com/So...traLight_Mill/

Download the CD_SLM_4101.ZIP file it contains cnc motion and cncbase used to control the machines.

The spectracam software they offer is pretty simple but still not worth the $500 price tag.
http://www.intelitekdownloads.com/Software/CAD_CAM/ Download the 30 day trial of WCAMM_3.0.1.3.zip for windows.

[ZipSnipe]

Any cad cam program will work with it. I use MastercamX, but I messed around with some other programs too, I just like MastercamX becuz we use it at work. Its not a cheap program. Any program that generates G-code can be run on the Spectralight.
You,ll find it not too accurate of a machine and weak , very light cuts but it sure does look neat here in my office!!

[Aksess]

What post processor are you using? I am having problems finding one that will work. in vcarve the CR-Onsrud_inch works pretty good. I have mastercam9 and featurecam but they do not offer the CR-Onsrud post.

[ZipSnipe]

I use the most basic single tool 3 axis post processor, I forgot the name of it. And my other pc is temporarily down while I switch out video cards, I get it for ya as soon as I can.

[ZipSnipe]

Try Fanuc post processor