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Thread: Probably an insane post editing question but Im gonna throw it out there anyway

  1. #1

    Probably an insane post editing question but Im gonna throw it out there anyway

    WinCNC. We surface thick material regularly and I am thinking (not really thinking, I want to) I want to be able to surface with the pins up so I can rely on the support and alignment of the pins as opposed to screwing support to the spoil board on those two sides. I am not a Gcode wizard but I have edited our post several times to allow for pins up at the end of a run, locations for the machine to move to at the end of a run, jaws open, jaws, closed, etc.. some macros. But trying to figure out what in the post drops the pins has got me confounded. I just want to have a separate post that leaves the pins up when the file starts to run. I dont really want to add a line that pops the pins back up after they have retracted because even the slightest shift in the material due to some pressure applied to the screwed down supports could cause the pins to pop the material up off the spoil board and then the ensuing crash.

    Any input is appreciated.

    Here is the header for the start of the file in the post:
    +================================================
    +
    + Block definitions for toolpath output
    +
    +================================================


    +---------------------------------------------------
    + Commands output at the start of the file
    +---------------------------------------------------


    begin HEADER


    "G90"
    "G0 [ZH]"
    "G0 [XH] [YH]"
    "M5"
    "M51"
    "T[T]"
    "[S]"
    "M3"
    "g4 x 4"
    "M50"
    "G0 [ZH]"
    "G0 [XH] [YH]"
    [F]

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Marquette, MI USA
    Posts
    519
    Mark...
    Look in your "CNC.MAC" file and see which macro is used to put the pins up or down. That macro may be called in the "M3" as a macro (.mac file) or as an output toggle (M11 or M12 some "Cx" ) don't change the macro, just use the "pins up" macro to put them back up in the postP
    Gary Campbell
    CNC Replacement & Upgrade Controllers
    Custom 9012 Centroid ATC

  3. #3
    Thanks Gary,
    So your saying I will have to live with the CNC.MAC dropping the pins by default and then popping them back up by adding the line? I know code to pop the pins up and down manually from watching the screen when I toggle them via the screen button but I guess that CNC.MAC is run somewhere Im not seeing in the post?

    My concern with the pins dropping and then popping back up is if I have a series of boards on the machine being surfaced and I have sprung them, or the clamping board, tight against them when I screw it down, then kick off the file, and the pins drop, the boards will shift towards (over) the pin locations and then my added line to pop them back up will flip that first board up. With a 0.20" Z clearance that will end badly.

    Im going to look at the CNC.MAC here in a bit. I was hoping to have a way to just have a post that doesnt drop the pins in the first place but may be confused (easily accomplished).

    Thanks as always for your help.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Marquette, MI USA
    Posts
    519
    Mark...
    What I am saying is to look, I think the pins down is in the M3 macro, and you do not want to remove it. Nothing good comes from that! You could use another postp that uses M4 to to turn on the spindle without dropping the pins. But first I would verify what M50 and M51 do. If either drops the pins, then make a new post without that command
    Gary Campbell
    CNC Replacement & Upgrade Controllers
    Custom 9012 Centroid ATC

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