Thread: 6040 CNC questions

Originally Posted by phomann

A controller that won't destroy itself if you look at it sideways.

I have lost count of the number of G540's I've sold to people who are replacing those blue controller boxes. I know it sounds like I'm just trying to make a sale, but the difference is like chalk and and cheese.

With the G540, you are buying the best 3.5A/ph stepper drive system that there is. it's a 4 axis stepper drive system for under $300. I don't know of any driver that has anti-resonance for the price. It's not the cheapest, but you won't have to replace it in 6 months either.

Cheers,

Peter.

Yes Peter, I hear what you are saying, BUT there are a number of people successfully using the "blue box". So I am looking at a potential failure vs a definite outlay of $350.

Originally Posted by phomann

As a caveat, Artsoft do not support Mach3 running on laptops. This goes back to when laptops had parallel port. Many laptops manufactures used proprietary chipsets in laptops that can cause issues with Mach3 driving through the parallel port. Also laptops have a habit of shutting down modules that it determines aren't being used to save power. This can also cause issues.

That said, when using the Smoothstepper, the problems with the parallel port are no longer an issue. I've run Mach3 on Toshiba laptops for years. Both when they had parallel ports and now without, using a Smoothstepper.

If using a laptop, or even a desktop, go into the power settings and change the settings so it doesn't turn anything off or reduce power. With that, you should be OK to use the laptop with Mach3 and a SmoothStepper.

Cheers,

Peter.

Thanks for the feedback on the Smoothstepper Peter, I will can the laptop idea, even though it would have been handy to have it all in one package with screen, keyboard and mouse.

So, today I decided to update my spreadsheet with the "bare bones" machine and put in the costs for getting it working with a VFD/Spindle+G540 controller+power supply+associated hardware.

This shows that the bare bones+4th axis+VFD/Spindle+G540 etc works out to $140 more than the Carving CNC+4th axis complete "blue box" machine.

If I then factor in a potential upgrade to G540 down the track to the "blue box" it would then potentially be cheaper, by $313, to buy the bare bones/G540 package.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Yes Peter, I hear what you are saying, BUT there are a number of people successfully using the "blue box". So I am looking at a potential failure vs a definite outlay of $350.

Yes, that's correct. It's a gamble, and the coice is yours.

Cheers,

Peter

i was surprised how much better my machine ran on Gecko's , like he said , chalk and cheese , blue box bits were still running when i replaced mine noise problems , ibut i purchased a " brawl " of G201x's with the plan on upgrading the steppers at a later time

I picked up the first bit for my CNC setup today, the computer and monitor that will be used to drive this thing and I will be ordering the basic machine - no electronics, but I will be getting the 4th axis minus the controller board.

Just waiting for a cheque to come in and my order will be on the way.

Have started designing the stand and electronics enclosure as well.

Hi Fred,
That is the hard bit done - making the decision. You are making a fairly substantial purchase and making that decision from an overseas buyer on an unseen product. Heck I am getting cold feet already.

IMHO you have made the correct choice and while there is a bit more work not getting the turn key option you will have a reliable machine assuming you get Geckos. The electronics can seem daunting at first but it will be good grounding for problem solving down the track. Plenty of people here to help if you strike a snag.

Thanks Rod, the decision process (sometimes referred to as "paralysis by analysis") has been made much easier by the amount of information so freely shared by people on this forum.

Reading through previous threads by people such as yourself has been, and will continue to be, an enormous help.

I can now start to read through these threads, and their asscoiated pictures, to help in designing my base for the machine and to incorporate the electronics in to that.

Having (finally) made a decision on which way to go I spent some time today sorting out what to get and from where.

Looked for a 1.5Kw air cooled spindle and VFD in 65mm diameter from love-happyshopping (where do they find those names??).
As he didn't have one of those listed I sent him a question whether he can supply one of these and, if so, what the cost + posatge would be.

This is the answer I received:

Thanks for your interests in this item from us.
Our total price (price + shipping cost) already is the lowest price on eBay.
It is nearly no profit sale.
So the total price(price + shipping cost) for 1 piece is $366.00
Hope you can understand.
We will provide the best service to you including the delivery service and warranty service.

Regards

- love-happyshopping

Big Shed,
There was a thread on cnczone.com about the speed rating of the air cooled spindles. They were advertised as 24000RPM but after querying it, the vendor admitted that they were actually rated at 18000RPM.

Thread here.

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Big Shed,
There was a thread on cnczone.com about the speed rating of the air cooled spindles. They were advertised as 24000RPM but after querying it, the vendor admitted that they were actually rated at 18000RPM.

Thread here.

Thanks Geoff, are you saying I shouldn't go for an air-cooled spindle?

BTW, the only 65mm 1.5Kw aircooled spindle I can find on Ebay is this one

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/65mm-DIAM...item3a72928e19

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Thanks Geoff, are you saying I shouldn't go for an air-cooled spindle?

Not at all, just pointing out something that I saw that may or may not be important

rodm can better answer questions on the air cooled spindles.

Big Shed
A couple more thoughts to help add to your confusion
I saw some spindles with 4 bearings although i have not seen any threads anywhere about if they are a better device. No idea what the diameter was but i would be getting a spindle i like and then worying about how to mount it.
Water seems to be quieter so that may be important to u. I suppose if the water ever gets into the electrics it just pops a fuse but make sure the ground is good.

This bit confuses me
The 1.5KW are 2HP but they use a 1/4 shaft cutter. That just doesn't add up to me. If I needed that power i would be looking for a ER16 collet version, 3/8". The ER20's don't start till much bigger.
With an ER11 collet and the limited range of cuters likely to be used wouldn't a 1Hp spindle be enough

Mike

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Not at all, just pointing out something that I saw that may or may not be important

rodm can better answer questions on the air cooled spindles.

Thanks Geoff, hopefully rodm will chime in here.

A couple more thoughts to help add to your confusion
I saw some spindles with 4 bearings although i have not seen any threads anywhere about if they are a better device. No idea what the diameter was but i would be getting a spindle i like and then worying about how to mount it.
Water seems to be quieter so that may be important to u. I suppose if the water ever gets into the electrics it just pops a fuse but make sure the ground is good.

Mike, the link to the 65mm spindle above is for a 4 bearing one, one would assume they would be better, but I don't assume anything any more where it comes to these things.

The reason air cooled appeals to me are 2 fold, again this only comes from reading numerous posts on this subject, so take my conclusions with a large grain of salt. First is that there is no water and second they have an inbuilt fan, so yes more noise, but it was said in several places that this helps with dust.

This bit confuses me
The 1.5KW are 2HP but they use a 1/4 shaft cutter. That just doesn't add up to me. If I needed that power i would be looking for a ER16 collet version, 3/8". The ER20's don't start till much bigger.
With an ER11 collet and the limited range of cuters likely to be used wouldn't a 1Hp spindle be enough

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's confused then.
I don't see myself needing 2hp, BUT the 1hp units cost at least as much and in most cases more. They are also still supplied with the ubiqitous 1.5Kw VFD. So, my reasoning is, if it doesn't cost anymore why not go for more power?
I would have to say that at this stage I can't see myself using/needing 1/2" cutters.
The only benefit that I can see from going with a 800W unit is that they are 25mm shorter and this could help with the 4th axis clearance.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-FOUR-...item3a78034e21

Originally Posted by Big Shed

The only benefit that I can see from going with a 800W unit is that they are 25mm shorter and this could help with the 4th axis clearance.

with the cylindrical mount , you can mount them at any height , my mount is 65mm higher than the z axis clearance , with 60mm adjustment , 25mm shorter isnt much

how much lighter are they? , might play a bigger part with acceleration with small steppers, air cooled will be lighter again ( how much water do they hold with there hoses ( 250ml ?) 1/4 of KG ), but to select it on "acceleration " is getting a bit too involved , it wont make that much difference , less than 1/2 a second getting to full jog speed

but a 2 HP spindle will snap your 2mm bits cleaner

Originally Posted by Big Shed

The only benefit that I can see from going with a 800W unit is that they are 25mm shorter and this could help with the 4th axis clearance.

Length of the spindle shouldn't make any difference here.