In article ,
Allan Adler wrote:
Thanks very much for answering my questions about Frogs and Taigs and other
details. I think I understand a lot better now.
(DoN. Nichols) writes:
Note that you do not *need* a computer at all. The frog
contains a keypad to allow you to enter commands to it. (A computer is
[ ... ]
I just took a look at http://www.sourceforge.net and did a search for cnc
and found a number of projects in progress aimed at using Linux for CNC.
Apparently most of them haven't released any free software yet, but it
is only a matter of time. One that has released some stuff is at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/cnccodegen
and is described as follows: "CNC code generator is a software to generate
CNC codes (G & M codes) for maching operations like milling, drilling. At
present CNC code generator is limited for end milling. we working on other
machining operations like turning, drilling etc."
That is good news. I look forward to it.
But the G and M codes are probably meaningless to the Frog -- it
is its own world. :-)
Two items that look especially interesting are the OpenCNC, which simulates
what happens when you run a program on a lathe and does some error checking,
and the Linux Multiple-Axis Control Project. Unfortunately, neither has
released any files yet, according to sourceforge.
Hmm ... there is a simulator built into the EMC project -- built
around a modified linux kernel to add real-time capabilities.
Meanwhile, maybe it's time I learned to read and write G code. I vaguely
recall that there is something on this in Machinery's Handbook and it
doesn't cost me anything to look at it in the bookstore.
O.K. Though I suspect that without a context (a machine to try
things on, or at least a description of a machine) you may find the _MH_
description not too clear.
Hmm ... one posibility would be for you to download the
programming manual for the Compact-5/CNC, which would give you an
example of a real machine -- I know this, as I own and use one.
Go to:
http://www2.d-and-d.com/EMCO/index.html
One of the sub pages has the programming manual, broken up into a
separate PDF file for each chapter. Most of the others show various
features about my Compact-5/CNC which I have seen fit to document from
time to time for discussions here and elsewhere.
I seem to remember you mentioning the lack of a dog and a
faceplate (somewhere in the trimmed text, I suspect).
I searched for "dog" and "faceplate" separately in this thread at
http://www.dejanews.com and only found your article mentioning them.
But the information about them is still welcome.
O.K. It must have been another thread -- and perhaps even in
another forum.
P.S. I suspect that you would get more immediate positive feedback if
you bought the Taig with as many accessories as you can. Making
your own is best done for a later machine, if needed, when you
have the skills needed.
I agree. I'm not in any way in a position to make my own. For one thing,
I can't cast molten aluminum in a crowded apartment.
You've been paying too much attention to the Gingery books. You
can simply start with a piece of aluminum, or cast iron, large enough,
and remove everything which does not look like a faceplate. :-)
For a dog -- start with a thick enough piece of metal, drill a
hole, file one side of it to a V, and thread a hole for a setscrew
opposite the V. Then, drill a hole parallel to the other, but out
beyond the end of the V, tap it, and screw in a pin to engage the chuck
jaw or the slots in the faceplate.
One benefit to an aluminum one is that you are less likely to
mar the finish on the workpiece when turning a workpiece between centers
end for end. Just be sure to put another scrap of aluminum or copper
between the setscrew and the workpiece.
Where the casting helps is that it produces less waste material,
and less required machining. This is more important as the size of the
project scales up.
I should be able to
find enough space to do some work on a lathe when I get one, though. I was
only mentioning Gingery's book because it enabled me to do a comparative
anatomy of lathes in various stages of completion.
O.K. A Taig is a nice sized desktop machine. The old Atlas or
Atlas/Craftsman 6x18 probably should be bolted to a workbench in a more
permanent setup. The Taig can be lifted clear and put away in a cabinet
when the job is finished.
And at least the one which I have has a couple of dummy spindle
nose threads on the plate to which it is mounted -- useful for storing
the faceplate and chuck not currently on the spindle.
Enjoy,
DoN.
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