Dave at Honley Tank

Has anyone any experience with the Danak or any other dragknife in a cnc engraver.

Gosh this forum has got large! Can't find my way around now-a-days!

So forgive me if I'm in the wrong section or if my question has been raised before.

Has anyone here had experience with any make of dragknife in a cnc machine?

In particular can anyone recommend  the Donek version.

What success,  with what materials and what thickness of materials?

It's a pricey outlay with only sellers to say it's good; so any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

David,

 

Just found this entry coming top of the pile in a search for "grbl setting different working 0,0"

 

https://github.com/grbl/grbl/issues/257

 

and there seemed to be a lot more in a similar vein which I haven't dug into yet. :-)

 

Jim.

Thanks again Jim?

I've got a goodish bit forward since I started this thread, thanks to yourself and others who joined in.

However I'm working at Manchester M R exhibition this coming weekend (demo stand) and I now need to prep for that so the cnc is going on the backburner for a few days at least, but I may have a rest from it for this year and come back fresh in January.

Have a good xmas evry body

Dave

Dave,

 

I think you might be falling foul of the way GRBL works.  I use it to drive my Emblaser 1 laser cutter and, basically,  I have to work to the 0,0 set by GRBL.  Here's a web page discussing it.

 

https://github.com/grbl/grbl/issues/257

 

I suspect you want to work as if using a controller like Mach3 where you can position your head then zero the counters and that becomes the home position for the job in hand

 

Jim.

Jim,

I've now gone through the "grbl issues" pages you quoted. This makes me think that my meager knowledge of programming is perhaps behind my problems with grbl controller.

Mach 3 sounds more user friendly and I ' ve seen frequent referrance to it.

Are you aware of any problems in using Mach 3 with one of these cheepo things?

Am I correct in thinking that the trial version can be used indefinitly and that even though 'watered down', this version is ok for us modellers?

Thanks for any further guidance

Dave

I am wary of teaching granny etc., but you have have configured GRBL to your cnc machine? When I cnc’d my Proxxon mill I had to invert some of the axis (axes?) to achieve machine homing in the location where I wanted it. The work coordinates system are different...

I found the configuration and faq pages of the GRBL depository on github really helpful. If you haven’t read these, I would recommend them.https://github.com/grbl/grbl/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions

Davey

Thanks Davey; I have been trying to get to grips with the info on github for about 6 hours a day over the last few days, I'm pretty well brain dreary but getting there. However I think perhaps Grbl will not give me what I want.

When I started this thread I thought I had configured the machine but I have since found some errors which are now corrected.

Strange that you have cnc'd a Proxon because thinking I may do mine was part of the reason for buying this cheepo T8 as a learning cnc journey. Perhaps I'm getting too old to learn!

Dave,

 

I think you might be falling foul of the way GRBL works.  I use it to drive my Emblaser 1 laser cutter and, basically,  I have to work to the 0,0 set by GRBL.  Here's a web page discussing it.

 

https://github.com/grbl/grbl/issues/257

 

I suspect you want to work as if using a controller like Mach3 where you can position your head then zero the counters and that becomes the home position for the job in hand.

 

Jim.

Yes Jim, you've got that right.That's what I want but had not considered that Grbl would not allow it.

I'll have a look at other controllers, might even pay for one!

Dave is this any help?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opJ4ZbKACTA

 

Al

Thanks for trying Al, but eveything up to the referal to " laser software" in that video I have done, but I dont understand that reference; certainly I got no "laser software".

That bit of the vidoe seems to be relating to the machine's settings and I'm fairly certain that that is where my problem lies; in the original gbl input to the Aduino board. It would help if I had any worthwhile understanding of programming, and indeed cnc'ing!

Perhaps my assumptions of what the machine should do are incorrect: I expectd "home" meant "take the tool head to x/y zero and take z to its upper limit"; I thought the gcode compiled by CAM from my CAD, related the machine's "home" to the work piece "home".

That's what I can't achieve; but are my assumptions correct?

Dave

 

Before loading the G-code and running the job, you will need to zero the X, Y, and Z axis.

 

Have a look at this page which will explain how to do this on a cubic workpiece.

 

http://www.kronosrobotics.com/cube/

 

Good luck

 

Davey

 

 

Thanks Davey.

I had already done that  but the machine still cuts in some random area.

Assuming the tool stays within the workpiece area then it seems to cut exactly

to my drawing dimensions but with the drawings left hand bottom corner

becoming the workpiece top right hand corner.

I thought perhaps the stepper motors were somehow in reverse conection but

using the Grbl Controller's buttons every thing moves in the correct direction.

It seems to me that the grbl bumff fed to the Arduino at first fire up does not tell

the machine where its X/Y zero point is. Certainly I expected that prior to

starting a job, and after completing a job, the tool would park up at its natural

"home" over the drawing X/Y zero.

In summary, I think that the machine basic setup is in some way incorrect,

rather than the pre-job setup being done incorrectly.

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In order to teach myself cnc, I purchased the smallest ("1610"), cheapest (about 170gbp) cnc router kit from Banggood. Not a good idea if you simply want a cnc machine!

Assembly without instructions or even an illustration, not even in Chinese, was achieved only due to many childhood hours with Mr Hornby's Meccano.

Long, cut short, I eventually located the required software to fire up the Arduino board but then had problems with something called gcode!

If you have the good sence to purchase a ready made cnc machine from GB company all that is done for you and you get plug and play cnc. I went through a massive learning curve and learned a lot that I don't need, in order to drive a cnc machine. That said, I'm still not cnc' ing because I cannot get the tool head to "home" to x/y zero I've had the tool correctly cut following my Cam drawing but only at some random position on the workpiece?

If we had to pay to watch You Tube I would now be bankrupt but I have been unsuccesful in finding what I want

So my hope in coming to rmweb is that some kind reader can kick me in the right direction.

I use Sketchup Make as CAD, Sketchucam as CAM and grblcontrol as the controller.Im sure that it is the latter that I am some how using incorrectly. Is any one here using that combination with success and can you help me?

I use Sketchup for 3d printing so wish to stay in that camp. l know of other control programs such as UGS and Mach 3 but why can't I get grblcontroller to work correctly?

Simply put, my question is how do I set up my machine to go to zero when I tell it to "go home" using my existing set up. It must be possible but how?

Hi Dave

 

Looks good, it's almost how I do it. And I agree with Mick's method as well. The only thing I change is that you don't have to actually delete any parts, just turn the colours on and off in the cutting options panel. I've been there with deleting and relying on undo to get things back - for one reason or another, they don't always undo.

 

cheers

 

Jason

That was my next intended try; cut by colour. Slow learner or what?

Some of us owe you a lot Jason! Without this thread I may not have decided to dip my toe in; Thanks again - that includes all on here who give guidance.

Dave

Looking good, Dave.  Leaving the blade at setting 10 and adjusting the thickness to achieve the depth of cut is what I do.  I am cutting several times at different thicknesses to achieve cutting through 20 thou, though it does seem to be hit and miss as to whether it does actually cut right through - perhaps different type of plastic cards are differing hardnesses. 

 

I think it was Ron Heggs who suggested cutting first at thickness 5 to provide a suitable guide to avoid the blade wandering on later (thicker) cuts.  I then use thickness 15 or 20 and finish at thickness 33, using double cut each time. I have found that I need four or five passes at double-cut 33 to achieve a cut through, or snapping depth for 20 thou.  I haven't though tried a comparative test to see whether this actually produces a better cut than straight in on thickness 33 for a particular job.

 

Mick

 

Edit:  It is scribing all lines/colours which gives the guide for the cutting blade; the successive cuts at different thicknesses (pressures) replicates the manual cutting technique for plasticard.

Thanks Mick; yet again you've helped me; this time to make-up my mind. I had been considering that the initial scribe should include the cut-through lines. So my personal "How to ..." notes will be modified so that the first move is to scribe everything with the knife blade. I'm waiting for two cb09 holders, a set of 45 degree and a set of 60 degree knife blades. As to a diamond scribber, the modern pen holders for the Portrait don't have collets so small, and there sounds, from input to this theme, to be other problems too. May end up turning my own scribbing tool(?). but weight on the head may raise issues.

Incidently a good few days back I tried to order the 1/8" diamond scribber from Amazon uk but they have introduced a system where they only allow you one if the total order for Amazon products exceeds some figure. My order well exceeded that figure but the majority of the order was via third parties and my scribber was " put-by" for some future order!!!!!

Dave 

First solo attempt – a GCR 6 wheel brake

After much following of tutorials, re-reading pp1 to 37, groping around in the dark, test drawing, test cutting, raising questions here and with my friend RalphR, swearing, more swearing, I’ve finally started on my first ‘Portrait’- assisted project.

I think I’ve settled on drawing in CorelDraw X6 (full version); using my normal settings and drawing full model size in mm; using layers of differing line colour, matching layers to cut or scribe methods and saving as .dxf.

Open this in Studio3, ensuring that dimension units are mm, and that Edit>preference>.import dxf, is set at: “centred”; and that “white lines black” and “polylines” are ticked. (I’ve no idea what all that means, but it works for me!  However the file sizes come out much larger than expected and this can/does slow down Studio).

That done, I revert the Studio drg to its original using the “undo” button and repeat the select by colour & delete to leave only the cut lines. Set the m/c to “cut 10” .

I have decided to leave the blade set at depth 10 (‘cause I kept forgetting to change it anyway!?!)  but as yet I’m not sure that I’ve found the best cutting pressure (thickness) for my m/c and the various materials I wish to cut. The machines seem to vary in this area – what works for one seems not to work elsewhere.

Another decision is to design around using 0.010” styrene and laminate as needed. I have been totally unable to cut through 0.020”, and even ‘snap-off depth has not always been achieved; - ~OK for marking-out and achieving a reasonable scribe depth for cutting by hand, and future research will be looking at that feature and its application to brass/nickel silver sheet.

The following pictures show up my poor camera ability but, for what it’s worth, here they are:-

The two examples are; one in laminated 2 x 0.010”, the second is in 0.020”.

From above

From the side, with pencil dust rubbed in to high-light the scribe marks

End & Three-quarter views

Hi All

 

Does anyone know if there is a limit to the file size that Studio can handle?

 

As always TIA.

 

SS

Sorry for delay in picking this question up; - I've been bashing my brain trying to get to grips with CorelDraw, Studio3, my 'Portrait', cdr versus dfx', plasticard versus styrene sheet, scribing and cutting and keeping alive! So I've done very little 'ontinternet'.

I'm trying to cut and scribe the sides and ends for a GCR 6 wheel brake van. The .dxf file is only 4.1Mb but the studio3 file comes in at 6.3Mb and it has certainly slowed down 'Studio'. It keeps sending me the " not responding" message, but if I'm patient (like go and have a cup-o-tea!) then its worked by the time I return.

The scribing of two sides, two inner ends & two outer ends took my 'Portrait' almost two hours to complete. Cutting was a bit quicker but some where along the line the 'digitals' got their nickers in a twist and the whole lot ended up in the bin. Looked as though the hick-up had been while scribing because nothing lined up. Swear time!!!!!

So, Yes! it looks as though there is a large-file problem

Dave

Machine and laptop close to going through window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am totally unable to get the 'Portrait' to cut direct from either Corel or Inkscape.

The driver is installed but.....................?

Just now ,I've gone back to page four, and Mike T's posting of 2.12.13 and followed that to the letter (incidentally my 'print pref>basic setup' page is like Mike's not Jason's).

 When I then click on 'print' I get a  Silhouette Series drop-down that asks me to click 'print' if I'm ready to cut.

Pressing 'print' results in the cutter giving a brief grunt, and then nothing.

Disgruntled of Honley.

edited27.12.14

I have bought the Studio 3 Designer Edition (which costs £30 from Yolo).  So far, I have only tried a couple of tests and I have yet to try cutting a big job, such as a coach side; I will report back when I do.

 

Mick

Hello Mick, (and others!)

I had a sizing problem with Corel12, dxf & Studio, in November; you gave me the answer then - thanks.

Getting the latest, albeit the cheaper version of Corel, lost me the ability to save Corel in dxf.

It looks like you have given me the answer again, therfore double thanks! In your November 17th posting it looks as though you gave the answer before I asked the question.

Curses on 'old-age-memory'! Curses too on 1s & 0s and their digital ability to tie things up when you don't know what your doing.

Dave

Hi everybody,

I think I worded my last post rather badly and caused some confusion among the ranks!

 I’ll try again with my full CorelDraw story:

1.   I had a free download version of issue x5. This worked but with too many hiccups
 for my comfort. However I produced about ten drawings suitable to send to an
 etching company and these are on my hdd & back up. Then it started to lock-up

      the computer every time I tried to boot up the program.

2.   A friend loaded me CoreDraw 12 when we both got our Silhouettes. He is able to
 cut directly from CorelDraw 12 but we could not get my system to do so.     

       However, I could save in dxf, and Studio3 could then drive the cutter. All hunky-

       dory.   Except version 12 could not read version x5 so my etching drawings were      still unavailable to me.

3. Next I found Amazon offering CorelDraw X7 Home & Student at about 60GBP and decided that owning that would solve my problems and the cost would be worth getting my etching drawings back.

4. On delivery, and to save any possible conflicts, I deleted both X5 and 12 versions and loaded my new ‘all singing, all dancing’ new program…

5. Result:- I now have access to my etching drawings but I find that Home & Student will not save in dxf so now my cutter drawings in CorelDraw cannot be read by Studio3, so I have no access to the Silhouette for them.

6. I no longer have versions x5 or 12 available otherwise I could open .cdr from X7, in either of them presumably, and then save as dxf. A bit of a bind!

7. I’ve contacted Corel who basically say” buy the full version”  (GBP600+!!!)

8. I’ve contacted Silhouette America who suggest buying their add-on program and using .svg files, but I seem to recollect reading on here that that was doubtful.

A some-what frustrated Dave at Honley Tank

 With so many pages to look through I was hoping someone with a better memory than I could advise.

I'm sure this has been covered but with 36 pages how does one find an answer quickly?

I've been using CorelDraw12, converting to dxf and opening in Studio3: No problem!

However CorelD12 will not open some files I have archived and drawn with CorelDx5.

In deep frustration of being unable to open the x5 I purchased x7.

Result? I can open all my old x5 files but I can no longer save cdr files as dxf; version x7 does not support that feature.

I can find no way of saving my corel files to a form accepted by Studio3.

There must be a way!

Any reliable guidance from any one here please?

A very frustrated Dave at Honley Tank

I think I've got to where I want to be in order to use this machine in my modelling, treating it as an aid similar to my lathes; miller, profile miller etc.

I want some windows for a factory for my EM layout and that will be my next drawing job; using CorelDraw and Studio3. I doubt my ability to reach the standards some of you on here have already reached but if I live long enough, who knows?

My steep learning curve over the last two or three weeks has left me with four little huts I shall probably never use:-

From the left:

From Jason's tutorial about Studio3;  

From Mike's tutorial about Inkscape;

From my Corel Drawing, poorly converted to DFX and luckily(??) very close to 3mm scale;

Finally, from my Corel drawing but correctly exported to Studio.

No2 was drawn to what I thought a more likley size/shape; its not an error! No4 was modified to a right-hand side, outward opening door with cast steel hinges (too big- that is an error).

Thanks gentleman, I knew I could rely on those using this forum.

Cromptonnut:- thanks but everything was set for A4

Siberian Sleeper:- thanks, but Mick's answer worked so I did not need to try yours.

Mick Ralph:- spot-on! Problem now solved so a perhaps bigger "thank you" to you.

My 'Portrait' is currently doing the 0.010" cut of doors & windows & my third hut should be ready for inhabitation later today.

That's three huts; one from Jason's tutorial with Studio; one from Mike's tutorial with Inkscape and one from my own efforts with Corel.

What a learning curve!

Now for a respite while I read a few more pages of this lot; only about 12 more to go!

Dave

Hello all,

Can anybody save me reading all 34 pages? I'm still only up to p23!

I can't remember anyone listing this problem so far.

I've mastered drawing in CorelDraw and saved as .cdr leaves no problem. ("mastered" is perhaps not really true!)

Equally, saving in .dxf(autocad) is no problem.

However when opening the dxf in Studio the dimensions are incorrect- I've got a nice little shed that is meant to be to 4mm scale but which is closer to 3mm scale.

I must have missed something but what?

A very frustrated Dave

Hi All,

Just put a picture of my hut on Jason's thread about the cutter. It proves my photographic ability is even below my modelling ability but I have an end product from my investment......

Ralph R is visiting me later this week; the real purpose is to discuss the modelling tutorials we run at Manchester Model Railway Society but I bet that the word "Silhouette" crops up too.

Subject of a new course perhaps. - Talk about the blind leading the.....

Now get out of that armchair and start cutting!

Dave

Fantastic! Erm, nearly.

 

You need to make sure your photo file is less than 1Mb in size. I generally shrink my photos so that the longest side is between 800 and 1000 pixels.

 

Assuming you are using the basic uploaded, and not the Flash uploader, to upload a picture:

 

1. Click on the reply with attachments button

2. Click on "choose file"

3. Locate the file on your hard drive

4. Click on attach this file

5. Click on the Add Post link

 

This will upload the pic at the location of your cursor. If you don't do step 5, the photo will be appended to the bottom of your post.

 

Cheers

 

Jason

 

 

Do you mean like this Jason?

 

Thanks a bundle for that, and for starting this thread, and your tutorials and,  .........?

Anyway, THANKS - sorry for shouting!

 

Good luck

Dave

Since Tuesday I've drawn a Silhouette file produced by following Jason's tutorial and on Friday cut some plastic.

End result I have a tiny shed. Photographed it, then found that I don't know how to load the pic here. Blasat!

Thought I should let you all know that I ordered  a 'Portrait' from Yolo on Saturday and it was delivered on Tuesday.

So I've cut my first bit of card!

Now I need to finish drawing that dam*** coal hut or yard office, first in 'Inkscape', then in 'Studio' and yet again in 'Corel'.

Whether I shall make three huts remains to be seen. Possibly one in card and one in styrene and perhaps cut a third in card just to see which program best suits me.

Without this thread and without Jason's thread it seems unlikely that I would have gone down the path of machine cutting laminae.

Please accept my thanks Mike & Jason; brilliant tutorials

Dave

Hello all,

I'm new to this thread and am about at page three with the yard office tutorial.

Thanks Jason!

I've also worked through Mike Trice's thread in this forum, using Inkscape.

Santa has come early - looks like I'll get an empty box on the day!

Ordered a 'Portrait' from Yolo on Saturday, took delivery and cut first bit of card on Tuesday, using 'Studio'

I hope to start doing my own thing using Corel-Draw when I'm happy that 'dipping-my-toe' in via the tutorials has worked.

Thanks to all on here and on Mike's thread too,- the tutorials and the other inputs have proved very very helpful

Dave