Thanks 😊

Obviously there must be a number of EDING CNC users, otherwise the company wouldn’t exist. However, little to find on KZfaq...

@@Hi_Tec Oh.. do they Exist!.. (i am more or less involved with EdingCNC, as Bert Eding himself is a friend of mine) When i started Using EdingCNC 14 years ago, first thing i did was re-design the GUI together with Bert Eding, so.. basically, what you're staring at when operating the machine.. is my design.. Bert did the software side of things. I wrote a Teach-in macro for my lathe. no need for CAM, except for very complicated parts. On the Mill, also a lot of hand written Cycles for all kinds of operations.. I rely heavily on the User-Functions.. I do have some CNC Video's on my channels, but not specifically on EdingCNC, as for me.. EdingCNC is just my trusty Controller..

@@JanBinnendijk I also work a lot with user functions and dialogs. Good stuff. However I am missing the will for continuous improvements of the UI. I made a number of proposals which had been easy to implement. All neglected...

😀

Hi Darran, Most of my (hobby) work on my mill is done using the vise. I therefore designed the turning tool holder to be held in the vise. To switch from mill to lathe I have to clamp the holder and set a parameter in the CNC software. It‘s quick and easy. This design decision limits the available space for tools. Depending on your needs you may decide differently. The disadvantages compared to a lathe to be aware of are: - Limitations in workpiece size and overall rigidity. - No through-hole for long stock. - Tool setup is a bit more complicated (finding tool zero points) Being aware of these limitations it is a very nice add-on. I did not want to CNC convert my little lathe because most of the work can be done quicker manually (one off). However I am currently working on integrating the very neat Rocketronic device to my lathe. www.rocketronics.de/shop/en/electronic-leadscrew-els4basic.html Probably I will combine it with a cheap, little China CNC controller and the ability to switch between both controls. A video will follow but It will take some more months to finish the project. When I started with computers in the 80‘s it was often said: What can you do with a computer? Solving problems which you otherwise did not have. With hobby machines it is similar 😀

Thanks! The logic is as follows: When a tool change is due, a CNC-subroutine is called from the post. In the CNC this subroutine will change the G54 offset according to the tool position. The process works fine. However, finding the correct offsets after a tool swap in the fixture is a bit of a lengthy procedure. Finally I CNC-converted my lathe, too...

The device is made from an aluminum block with a number of reamed wholes and threads for clamping. Plus, some engraving. For indexing in the vise there is a precise pin on the underside of the device. All tool positions are defined relative to the zero-point of the vise. This means if I move the vise to a different position and re-measure, the zero point all tool positions will be correct. In Fusion 360 I use the build-in functions for turning. In the post processor only a few tweaks were necessary. Basically to avoid collisions. The CNC Software (www.edingcnc.com) is quite flexible so that I could write macros which translate tool changes into a shift of the tool reference position. The tool positions are stored in variables within the CNC. Some small dialog routines allow easy adjustment of such positions. E.g. a measured deviation of a diameter generated with tool x will automatically translated into a correction of the tool x reference point. This means no manual editing of the variables is necessary.

I have changed the whole drive. Motor, belts, no gears... Than I have added a standard asynchronous AC drive (www.elektromotorenmarkt.de/elektromotoren/pd_229/Drehstrom-Asynchron-Motor-mit-Kaefiglaeufer.html) with an inverter (WJ200-004SF ). This works very well. More than enough power, strong torque also at very low RPM. Tooth belt reduction. The motor can easily run at 120Hz (or more). All parts of the SX3 spindle SX3 spindle were originally machined well but assembled terribly. The spindle had to be disassembled and the bearing tension were to be to be adjusted. I usually run the spindle only up to 2500RPM but can program 3500 RPM. For the kind of projects I work on (usually small parts) I save a lot of time going a bit slower (and make less mistakes...). The SX3 Z-column was not perpendicular to the x/y-slides. This needed to be adjusted as well. For the project I was pretty much following the advises on einfach-cnc.de (if you speak German). However, in addition to the description on einfach-cnc.de I have added a weight balance to the whole spindle housing block to take away the tilting moment from the Z-axis guide ways because I don't think they are suitable for constant movement.

I made the clamps on that milling machine…

You can have the post processor. I just need an E-Mail address.

You tube is blocking everything whats like a email adress thats wy i tri it like this.

Hello Hi tec I put mij adres on my channel ... if you kan look at that .. this is nou the only way to send you my adress. Thank you

Yes, I do. However, it is a combination of the post processor and a number of macros as described in earlier comments.

I have designed the enclosure such that it can be made by metal sheet laser cutting, which is available as a service (incl. bending). Then some painting... The enclosure captures 98% of the chips flying around. It does add weight to the table which however is no problem for the hybride steppers.

@@Hi_Tec whould it be possible to get or buy the design from you? I have seen some other commercial versions, but yours are better 😁

I could send you Fusion 360 files. No charge. Maybe you can take it from there. Improve it and share it, too...

@@Hi_Tec That would be awesome 😊

Then I need your E-mail address.

The main modification was made in regard to the tool change. When a tool change is called for, the post will actually write a code line to the G-code file which calls a macro routine. In this CNC macro routine the tool change is then converted into a G54 shift. This moves the reference point in the X/Y plane to the selected tool. The axis remain as is. +X on a lathe moves the tool away from the workpiece. On a mill +X moves the spindle to the right side (or the table to the left side). No change necessary. Same applies for +Z. I hope this gives you an idea.

@@Hi_Tec thank you, but my Stepcraft post-processor do not working properly. How to set is it, what I need to modify? Actually I use generic 3 axis machine. My spindle slides along X axis. I use Stepcraft Fusion 360 post processor, if can modify it for me and sent it to my email, I will tip you without proble.. I really I will appreciate your help

@@DianTomov_ST_Dupont_Lighters Sorry, but I cannot modify your post processor. I even don‘t know the purpose of the modification. I recommend studying the post processor code and implementing the necessary changes yourself. You will find tutorials online. It is not an easy job and it will take many hours if time, unfortunately. You also can generate a machine configuration in Fusion 360, which represents your actual machine.

@@Hi_Tec thank you, I appreciate! On kinematics I need make some configuration to represent my machine. Unfortunately I know that I need exchange the roles and directions of all axis + spindle axis. I don't know this one should be rotary or linear. I know that I need exchange the direction of z axis

The CNC-programming is done (or CAM generated) as if this was a lathe. However, to enable the mill to be programmed that way requires a lot of special routines. How this can be done depends very much in the type if control. And it will not be possible with all kind of controls. Example: A tool change like T200 in the part program must be catched and be redirected to a change of the program reference point, as all tools are already in place but at different positions in X, Y, Z.

I use fusion360 and am looking at a milling machine with mach3 controller hoping it will be possible as it appears to be a very handy machining op for a variety of different parts to be made 👍👍

I can share the step file, no problem. Where to send to?

I can share the post processor if you provide an E-mail address or so. The key, however, is special subroutines for the CNC which, e.g. translate tool changes in a shift of the coordinate system. These programs are control specific. The post processor provides, i.a., the calls to these routines.

@@Hi_Tec Thanks. I got the post processor working (I'm using Tormach PCNC 1100). How are you automatically probing the length? Also, where did you get those clamps holding the lathe tool?

@Scott Goldthwaite: I made the clamp from stock (what do you need a mill for? To make parts which you otherwise wouldn’t need...). Regarding probing: what do yo mean? Electrically or how it is processed in the software?

@@Hi_Tec For probing, I mean software. Right now I manually set the part length with the tool length probing routine in PathPilot and my electronic tool-setter. I'd like to learn how to have my NC program automatically go to the tool-setter, probe the part length in the spindle, then continue on to the machining operations. BTW, I use Fusion 360 for CAD/CAM.

In detail this is specific to the control in use. I programmed a subroutine which uses the probing cycle G38.2 as it is called in my control. All the rest is controlled by #-parameters, which are partially set fix (like the coordinates of the probe, the Z-search window, the probing speed...) and are partially variables in the program based on user-dialog input (like the approximate stock-length). At the end the G38.2 will return the machine coordinates in the moment of contact. From there I can calculate the stock length, which is sored as the tool length of tool 99 (in my case). The stock length always becomes tool length 99 whereas the selection of a turning tool moves the WCS to the appropriate position (G54). A lot of #-variables are needed. It is important to pre-plan and to allocate and document fix and temporary #-parameters and to make sure you do not overwrite the fix parameters in other subroutines. Another way to do this is to reconfigure the control as a turning control (which is possible in my case but I went the other route for various reasons).

The clamps have a small step at the front and back. Therefore, the contact with the tool holder is in the center and with the base plate as far back as possible (more favourable leverage).

Yes there are ribs on the clamping block. Two on the side of the fixed jaw (top and bottom) and one (middle height) on side of the moving jaw. The fixed jaw should always win if there is the slightest deviation in parallelism.

@@Hi_Tec That's a good idea.

@@Hi_Tec Is the piece that's clamped between the jaws just screwed to the upper fixture plate, or do you have pins (or something) for alignment of these two pieces?

@@ScottGoldthwaite I have milled a flat groove in the underside to ensure that the mounting block rests at a right angle. Other methods also work, of course.

Step or Fusion360 archive file?

@@Hi_Tec Fusion would be best for me: arjan.dijk@gmail.com

I can send you a step file or a Fusion 360 file.

@@Hi_Tec I would really like to see the Fusion 360 file, especially for programming, would you be willing to share?

@@theodorewendorff3847 No problem. I need an E-mail address to send the file.

Yes, I can. Where to send them files?

@@Hi_Tec Thanks. Every time I try to give you my address, even splitting it up, KZfaq deletes the comment. I've tried 3 times already. Are you on one of the machining forums, like CNC Zone?

@@SRG216 I‘m not on the forums. Can you split the E-mail address in two answers. On before and on after the at?

Maybe even a third msg for aft the dot.

I can share the post processor if you provide an E-mail address or so. The key, however, is special subroutines for the CNC which, e.g. translate tool changes in a shift of the coordinate system. These programs are control specific. The post processor only provides, i.a., the calls to these routines.

@@Hi_Tec Thank You very mouch. I have several options, I want compare and see differences. My email is zambrano.arjona@gmail.com

Sorry, I saw your response only now. I will send you the post tomorrow.

@@Hi_Tec hi, can you share me?

@@nguyenminhthanh1122 I did so more than a year ago. I resent that E-Mail a minute ago.