"Ignoramus6562" wrote in message
...
I am not an expert on CNC, or anything, but I remember that I also
made a mold cavity for my kids toy.

I started out with this job taking 1 hr 50 minutes.

After some optimizations, it became a 10 minute job.

I can't remember the last time I did a CNC job that only took ten minutes.
LOL.

I did bump the rapid speed on my smaller machine though, and on certain
types of jobs with single direction milling (for reasons of accuracy) it
shaved as much as 30% off the job time. Not sure how I could have optimized
this one. Its running in CV mode at what ME Consultant Pro says is close to
the maximum feed rate for the pass. CV mode is pretty fast with this as
most of the longer cuts are G3s in X & Z, with only very short G1 stepovers
in X & Y. Its cutting in mixed milling as well. Accuracy is not as
important, but a small stepover is required for a smooth finish.

The next thing I am going to do is make some bearing supports for my smaller
machine so I can move some of the detail intensive small stuff off to it.
It rapids quite a bit faster than this machine, but the designer of the
machine was really cheap supporting the leads just by the motors. ICK!
There is some end play developing in the motors, hence the need to add
bearings and bearing supports on the leads.

Then I need to start the retro on the newest machine. I picked up a router
that claimed stupidly fast rapids, but the reality is they are a bit
optimistic about the dinky steppers they used. It will go that fast if you
constantly douse the ballscrews and linear bearings with light spindle oil,
but ten passes and it will stall. With a heavier way oil it just stalls.
LOL. Its going to get a Gecko Drive and some 270 or 380 oz motors. Have to
mod the Z as they set it up for a Nema 17 ICK!

Anybody want some 140 oz motors and a Chinese controller? LOL. (It does
have integrated speed control for a brush motor, but it wouldn't handle more
than 200-300 watts.)