CNC Shark Forum

Excuse me but I think it would be more beneficial for NWA to update their controller box so that it can accept both types of routers (Electric Hand held and the water-cooled spindle). It would be ten times easier for everyone who purchases a CNC unit to just plug either type router into the control...

We're definitely interested in adding laser capability to our shop. Seems to me that it might be possible to attach a laser head to the system, define the offset from the center of the router, and run that, not having to buy another table, guide and motor movement set. Anyone heard of this being po...

If the VFD (spindle controller) is like most others, and you can find a manual for it, there probably IS a way to connect them. Most VFDs have a provision to turn it on and off via external control, and even to adjust the speed. If you can figure out how to configure the VFD for remote turn on/off, ...

The other thing to keep in mind is that the plunge rate cannot be so fast that it deflects the plastic head. If you watch carefully as the bit plunges, you can see how the whole z-axis flexes during that push downward. That definitely can lead to out-of-round holes. I generally do quite slow plunges...

Were you able to find the old thread and see if somehow the settings had become undone?

Does the simulator in VCarve show that errant cut?

Okay I see what rapid z is now and why it needs to be what it is even though I don't have any hold downs near the cutting area. The home setting can be .8 except when I started my project, the router did not move to that hoe position...perhaps if it did, the plunge would have been the .2 that was d...

Oh...except now I see Z axis setting of .8 inch in line 27 as well as further up at home position too....hmmm.... And I see M3 that seems to be grayed out. Is this the router on command? Mine shows an M03 (Emm-Zero-Three), but I'd think it would be fine. The S block above it supposedly sets the spi...

If you re-install the current version, it might "find" the registration information in the registry and play nice.

I have mine set at the upper setting, and it works fine at that height, and I'm milling aluminum and getting 0.001" accuracy and repeatability. There's a lot more issues with the Z-axis carriage being plastic HDPE than the added flex from moving the gantry up. I saw a picture somewhere online where ...

Yup, mine does too, though in my case it's from the heavier water-cooled spindle. If I need to keep Z overnight, I "park" the head on a block that consists of (bottom to top) 3" block of "florist foam" with 1/2" anti-fatigue-mat foam rubber on top. I go ahead and jog the head down so it depresses ju...