Wilson's Workshop Waffle

[RobWilson]

Hi Rob,
By the way - I've just made some space to get the CNC Hobbymat I got from you out of the garage and into the workshop! It might still be a long time before it's cutting metal though!

Phil.

Hi Phil, well at least it has now moved into the workshop  , It must be a few years since you pick the machine up from me, Are you going Mach 3, Linux CNC or one of those Banggood CNC controllers for the retrofit? Anyway looking forward to seeing what you do to it.


Rob.

[philf]

Hi Rob,
By the way - I've just made some space to get the CNC Hobbymat I got from you out of the garage and into the workshop! It might still be a long time before it's cutting metal though!

Phil.

Hi Phil, well at least it has now moved into the workshop  , It must be a few years since you pick the machine up from me, Are you going Mach 3, Linux CNC or one of those Banggood CNC controllers for the retrofit? Anyway looking forward to seeing what you do to it.


Rob.

Hi Rob,

Mach3 for now. I already have a licensed copy from my CNC mill. I've had the stepper drivers and break-out board since shortly after picking it up. (It was July 2013!)

I wish I could try the Linux CNC route but I had a go with Linux on an old laptop a couple of years ago and it's just too 'nerdy' for me. Some swear by it but it seems so much more complicated than DOS or Windows. It certainly wasn't just a case of popping a CD in and automatically installing and running it. (It may be now?)

I've ripped all the old control out of the lathe as it was designed to run on a BBC computer and apparently the software was not very good.

All that will remain is the motor driver and maybe the power supply.

I did get a new 3-jaw for it with inside and outside jaws.

Any nearer getting back on with your CNC mill?

Cheers.

Phil.

[RobWilson]

Hi Phil,

               (It was July 2013!) you say, where does time go!

Any nearer getting back on with your CNC mill?

I still have a fair bit to do around the shop before I can get back on with the 626 CNC conversion or any other project come to that, the new additions to the shop need a bit TLC and there are wiring and the likes still to do. So with any luck, I could be back on with it around about March-ish.

Maybe I may have my CNC project done before yours. 





Rob

[AdeV]

I wish I could try the Linux CNC route but I had a go with Linux on an old laptop a couple of years ago and it's just too 'nerdy' for me. Some swear by it but it seems so much more complicated than DOS or Windows. It certainly wasn't just a case of popping a CD in and automatically installing and running it. (It may be now?)

Hi Phil,

Linux has improved leaps and bounds, depending on whether your "couple of years ago" was actually 2 years ago, or more like 5-10 years ago.... I've installed Linux Mint on a few laptops now, and in general it's been very simple, with the desktop being ready in anything from 10 minutes to about 45, depending on the hardware. Worth trying again, if you have a spare machine lying about.

As for the "nerdiness" of Linux itself - yes, it's definitely more of a "hands on" OS than Windows, but most things can be accomplished without resorting to a terminal window these days (or, in Windows parlance, a DOS box). Avoid the likes of CentOS though, or anything RedHat based; they're more industrial strength Linuxes than Ubuntu or Mint (both Debian-based), but I find them harder to manage and less intuitive through the UI.

At home, I now use nothing but Linux. Still using Windows 7 at work, and apart from the fact my network card is slowly dying, I've so far had not had to re-install my machine (unlike my Windows 10 colleague, who is up to 2 rebuilds now)...

[philf]

Hi Ade,

It probably wasn't much more than 2 -3 years ago and I think it was Mint I tried.

From memory it still wasn't that straightforward (for me anyway) and the download didn't create a useable OS without some messing about. I remember having to create partitions and there was something to with GRUB (whatever that was) I had to sort. The laptop really was old - something like a 233MHz Dell and very little memory - and it was incredibly slow. I did a complete wipe of the hard drive and took it up to a local charity shop.

I've just binned the last of my old PCs to earn some brownie points with my wife. Perhaps I'll get one of the very cheap small form factor Dells off eBay and try again.

Mach3 can only use a one pulse per rev encoder on the spindle so threading can be hit or miss particularly if you don't have much spindle power and the speed can vary. I think LinuxCNC can take an input from a multi ppr encoder which gives a much more reliable result.

I've still got a 6" Abwood vice waiting here (for your shaper?) if you still want it.

Cheers.

Phil.

[philf]

Hi Phil,

               (It was July 2013!) you say, where does time go!

Any nearer getting back on with your CNC mill?

Maybe I may have my CNC project done before yours. 

Rob

Hi Rob,

You may well be right or maybe that's enough to spur me on to getting it done!

Cheers.

Phil.

[awemawson]

I downloaded Mint and it all went very smoothly - the download was an ISO CD image which ran pretty well automatically. It was intended as a base for LINUX/CNC which was where it all went pear shaped.

There seem to be so many oddly named files / processes / systems whose names seem to be chosen to confuse what with gits and grubs and the like I gave it up as a bad job and reluctantly crawled back to Windows 7 

[AdeV]

Hi Ade,

It probably wasn't much more than 2 -3 years ago and I think it was Mint I tried.

From memory it still wasn't that straightforward (for me anyway) and the download didn't create a useable OS without some messing about. I remember having to create partitions and there was something to with GRUB (whatever that was) I had to sort. The laptop really was old - something like a 233MHz Dell and very little memory - and it was incredibly slow. I did a complete wipe of the hard drive and took it up to a local charity shop.

Maybe, if the computer was that ancient, some of the HW drivers were no longer in the distribution. Dunno... I've not had any problems installing Linux on newer HW - a super-cheap Lenovo laptop I got for about £100, and my main desktop which is some no-name brand (cheap off eBuyer). I've built numerous virtual machines as well, they're a doddle of course, much easier than "real" hardware...

I've just binned the last of my old PCs to earn some brownie points with my wife. Perhaps I'll get one of the very cheap small form factor Dells off eBay and try again.

Why not look at the latest Raspberry Pi? Performance of the Pi 3 will easily eclipse the old Dell, the "Model B" has great connectivity, and of course we know it works well with Linux (it's also supposed to be able to run Windows 10, but I've not done any reading up on how well it does it). Plus at £35ish, you can probably get it from the workshop slush fund without 'er indoors ever finding out (also it's small and easily hidden  ).

I've still got a 6" Abwood vice waiting here (for your shaper?) if you still want it.

Crumbs, I forgot all about that... Tell you what, I'll swap you a Raspberry Pi 3 for it... I could call in Sunday I think, if you're around (after that, it'll be February sometime).

[John Rudd]

Plus at £35ish, you can probably get it from the workshop slush fund without 'er indoors ever finding out (also it's small and easily hidden  ).

Hmmm.....you try hiding summat from my missus.....     See my signature....

[philf]

I've still got a 6" Abwood vice waiting here (for your shaper?) if you still want it.

Crumbs, I forgot all about that... Tell you what, I'll swap you a Raspberry Pi 3 for it... I could call in Sunday I think, if you're around (after that, it'll be February sometime).

Hi Ade,

But how do I get from a Pi to a breakout board without a parallel port. Or can LinuxCNC communicate by normal i/o pins? I haven't gone into it that much as I got nowhere with Linux.

I already have the previous Pi version which is similar to the 3 but without Bluetooth and WiFi.

A vice for a Pi 3 - thanks for the offer but it would probably sit on a shelf doing nothing.

The vice is the large opening version of the 6" Abwood. It opens to about 165mm. It's pretty heavy so bring a truss when you collect it.

There is also swivel base for it when I can find it. I've just been grovelling in the cellar and I knew where the base was - once upon a time - but not now!

If it's not raining, snowing or icy on Sunday we'll be out cycling until about 3:30pm - after then would be fine. Almost any other day would be OK.

I'll have another good look for the base - I'll never use it even though I have the standard 6" Abwood as well. My little Aciera mill isn't really built for such a vice - especially with the base. I have a 4" version which is more in keeping.

Cheers.

Phil.

[philf]

I downloaded Mint and it all went very smoothly - the download was an ISO CD image which ran pretty well automatically. It was intended as a base for LINUX/CNC which was where it all went pear shaped.

There seem to be so many oddly named files / processes / systems whose names seem to be chosen to confuse what with gits and grubs and the like I gave it up as a bad job and reluctantly crawled back to Windows 7 

Andrew,

If you gave up what hope do us mere mortals have of understanding it? 

Phil.

[awemawson]

What got my goat is the response you seem to get in unix groups - they foul mouth you for asking simple  questions as though the entire world should have been initiated at birth.

I appreciate that Windows is horribly top heavy and unstructured, but I just wish those unix 'experts' could be a little more worldly in their responses to those not born  with Debian GNU  as a mother.

Years back I managed a group of engineers supporting AIX on IBM machines - every one of them was a prima donna that needed a lesson in practical skills that were actually useful 

[RobWilson]

Evening Chaps.


       After reading the past few post I think I will be sticking with Mach 3.

Well, one of the jobs done tonight in the shop was to trim off the excess expanding foam.





My weapon of choice, the multi-speed vibrator tool, fitted with a scraper blade freshly purchased for this job. 




It sliced through the foam with ease, precisely and no mess.


Rob.

[jb3cx]

Good choice of tool for the job rob ,had one for years one of the best and most used power tools I have ,nice mods to the shop ,some nice new machines as well ,puts my shop to shame ,
Keep it up rob excellent work as per .


Peter

[philf]

I've still got a 6" Abwood vice waiting here (for your shaper?) if you still want it.

Crumbs, I forgot all about that... Tell you what, I'll swap you a Raspberry Pi 3 for it... I could call in Sunday I think, if you're around (after that, it'll be February sometime).

Ade,

I've now found the base!

The vice and base are about 45kgs so not as bad as I thought but still heavy enough to do some harm to your back (or toes if you drop it).

Are you coming round on Sunday (after 3:30)? If not I'll put it somewhere safe until you get back from China.

Cheers.

Phil.

[Pete W.]

Rob,

I recommend that you paint that bare foam surface.

Otherwise, the effect of exposure to air and sun/day light will, over a period of time, cause that foam to look like dog poo! 

[krv3000]

brill

[Joules]

Rob,

I recommend that you paint that bare foam surface.

Otherwise, the effect of exposure to air and sun/day light will, over a period of time, cause that foam to look like dog poo!

Paint it brown, Rob   

[RobWilson]

Rob,

I recommend that you paint that bare foam surface.

Otherwise, the effect of exposure to air and sun/day light will, over a period of time, cause that foam to look like dog poo!

Hi Pete, 
   
         I will be painting over the foam,      I plan on giving the whole workshop a fresh lick of paint.

Paint it brown, Rob   

  Hi Joules,   

Rob

[Pete W.]

 If you don't paint it, you don't need to paint it brown!!  If you see what I mean.          

[RobWilson]

  That is definitely cack brown Pete. 



Rob.

[John Rudd]

Has he got a problem with his drains?.....

[Pete W.]

Has he got a problem with his drains?.....

Well, actually it's a time management problem rather than a drain problem.  A residual task from redecorating the room that I didn't get around to in time.

Up there, I fear it became out of sight so out of mind! 

[John Rudd]

Pete,
Good to hear I'm not alone when it comes to jobs around the home.....
'Er-indoors' is always chasing me to finish something.....or other

[Pete W.]

Pete,
Good to hear I'm not alone when it comes to jobs around the home.....
'Er-indoors' is always chasing me to finish something.....or other

I rather fear I've dragged this thread  , sorry.

However, I've started so I'll finish:

For most of my life I was a free-holder but when I married my lovely but shy assistant I became a joint Housing Association tenant.  So, nowadays, apart from interior decoration, I do any necessary house maintenance with the telephone.  Happily, our landlords have a pretty effective maintenance and repair system.