Info for Dan Noren (and anyone else who wants to read)

Bill Arnold

1974
Staff member
Messages
8,622
Location
Thomasville, GA
Dan,

Your message was on our answering machine after our power was restored this evening. We had some serious storms in the area and lost power shortly after you called. Anyway, on with it.

The bit I used is a single-flute 1/8". The other parameters are in the header of the gcode file as seen below.

(Generated by SketchUcam V1.3)
(File: CNC_SpindleBracket.skp)
(Bit diameter: 1/8")
(Feed rate: 30"/min)
(Plunge Feed rate: 5"/min)
(Material Thickness: 1/2")
(Material length: 3 1/4" X width: 5 3/4")
(Overhead Gantry: true)
(Multipass enabled, Depth = 1/16")

This is from the gcode for cutting one bracket. It's the same in the file for two brackets. At the 30ipm feed rate, I got good chips and no burning.

One thing to check if you haven't already is which way your spindle is rotating. I've mentioned this before, but when wiring according to the published instructions my spindle was spinning the bit clockwise. I didn't catch that at first. Obviously, it makes a big difference between melting the plastic and cutting cleanly.
 
now is that clockwise looking from the top of the spindle (silly question i know, but needed to ask, just the way my day has been going)?

The correct direction will be clockwise viewing the top of the spindle. That means the bit is being spun counter-clockwise which is correct for a router bit.
 
Then you should be good to go. The spindle speed I set is 5000rpm. You can see that near the gcode header on the line "M3 S5000". If you're using the variable spindle speed module, it should read that speed.

The bit I used can be seen here on ebay.

!B,TR9SQBmk~$(KGrHgoOKicEjlLmYvG8BKq8ZTsvqw~~_12.JPG
 
With the manual control, you can set it about mid-point and that should give you 5000-6000rpm.

I've ordered most of my bits from drillman1 on ebay. He has a lot of bit types and I ordered my 1/8" 1-flute in this package of 10.

$(KGrHqVHJBME63Uw3)jSBOywL+hICQ~~60_57.jpg


Back to speed control: Have you updated your grbl to 0.9i? That, along with the appropriate jumper changes, will enable speed control from gcode.
 
Top