Starter cnc software?

[Jag]

Im 100% new at this and will probably ram a cutter into something it shouldnt but im looking forward to the try. It came with lots of bits and options but at this point id like to start basic.

It came with a few discs from 2010ish but the only one i can get to work and move the motors around is winpc-nc. What else do i need to start carving something out?

 

[JohnnyJ]

Mach 3 is the one I hear about most frequently.

Fusion 360 for makers for CAD/CAM or another CAD program and Sheetcam.

 

[cervelorod]

You need to find out what NC language it speaks. I have 2 machines I built and both use MACH3. My router came with GRBL controller, which I changed out for a Gecko G540 controller.

I use QCAD for drawing/designing and Sheetcam for gcode, but I am very old school and never got the hang of Fusion 360, etc. I do 2.5d mostly, cutting out flat pieces.

 

[Jag]

You need to find out what NC language it speaks. I have 2 machines I built and both use MACH3. My router came with GRBL controller, which I changed out for a Gecko G540 controller.

I use QCAD for drawing/designing and Sheetcam for gcode, but I am very old school and never got the hang of Fusion 360, etc. I do 2.5d mostly, cutting out flat pieces.

How do i find that out? Its a factory built machine but im completely new to this.

 

[cervelorod]

How do i find that out? Its a factory built machine but im completely new to this.

I would guess grbl from their website,cnc-step.com . Myself, I would open up the controller and see what is inside.

There is other software that does grbl, but if you can get winpc-nc to work, you should probably start off with that.

cnc-step.com sells sheetcam, so it must be able to generate gcode for your machine, I have never looked beyond MACH2/3 for outputs. It also looks like winpc-nc can import some formats directly and generate Nc code.

It’s a steep curve, but it’s pretty cool when you get it. I am trying to find space to do a cnc plasma cutter, but my buddy has a water jet that he doesn’t hardly charge me anything if I hand him drawing files…

 

[bgaidan]

As old as it is, I bet it's Mach3.

 

[Jag]

Im using an old shop laptop from 2015 that may have been part of my issue.

Ive got it running somewhat better now and i can get the free milling template plt files to open up in winpcnc.


Am I right in thinking winpcnc and mach3 are essentially the same? Its software that actually controls movement on the machine but isnt really for making new files? Ill also need something like coraldraw?

 

[JohnnyJ]

There's 3 pieces:

CAD / Drawing : Autocad, Fusion 360, QCad, Turbocad, and many others with "CAD" in name.I guess for artsy drawing maybe coraldraw works, I've never done artsy work on CNC.

CAM : Turning your CAD/drawing into CNC code. Sheetcam, Fusion360 are common.

CNC Machine Controller : Mach3, grbl, winpc-nc; these read CNC files and execute them

 

[bgaidan]

Im using an old shop laptop from 2015 that may have been part of my issue.

Ive got it running somewhat better now and i can get the free milling template plt files to open up in winpcnc.


Am I right in thinking winpcnc and mach3 are essentially the same? Its software that actually controls movement on the machine but isnt really for making new files? Ill also need something like coraldraw?

There's 3 pieces:

CAD / Drawing : Autocad, Fusion 360, QCad, Turbocad, and many others with "CAD" in name.I guess for artsy drawing maybe coraldraw works, I've never done artsy work on CNC.

CAM : Turning your CAD/drawing into CNC code. Sheetcam, Fusion360 are common.

CNC Machine Controller : Mach3, grbl, winpc-nc; these read CNC files and execute them

I missed the part that you actually had winpcnc.....so my thought that it was running mach was clearly wrong.


If you're able to jog all of the axis in winpcnc, then most likely the control is working fine and you just need something to generate the cam for you.


It looks like there's already a post for fusion for winpcnc

Post Library for Autodesk Fusion | Autodesk Fusion

Autodesk Fusion CAM Solutions

cam.autodesk.com

You can still get a slightly crippled version of Fusion360 free under a hobby license. I think they limit the rapid speeds and you can't do tool changes with the hobby license, which probably won't affect you until you get a little more comfortable with that machine. For tool changes, you would just need to export a new file for each tool.



If you want, tell me what diameter of tool you have available and the thickness of whatever scrap material you have on hand and I'll try to export a simple contour file or something that you can try out.

 

[RM222]

I use Fusion360 with a student license, exported to Mach 3 to generate the G-Code. An upgraded laptop would be much easier to work with in my opinion, not to mention good internet. Fusion360 does a lot of stuff on the cloud and you're going to spend a lot of time researching stuff, might as well make that part as painless as possible if you can swing it.

 

[Jag]

I missed the part that you actually had winpcnc.....so my thought that it was running mach was clearly wrong.


If you're able to jog all of the axis in winpcnc, then most likely the control is working fine and you just need something to generate the cam for you.


It looks like there's already a post for fusion for winpcnc

Post Library for Autodesk Fusion | Autodesk Fusion

Autodesk Fusion CAM Solutions

cam.autodesk.com

You can still get a slightly crippled version of Fusion360 free under a hobby license. I think they limit the rapid speeds and you can't do tool changes with the hobby license, which probably won't affect you until you get a little more comfortable with that machine. For tool changes, you would just need to export a new file for each tool.



If you want, tell me what diameter of tool you have available and the thickness of whatever scrap material you have on hand and I'll try to export a simple contour file or something that you can try out.

These are pics of most of the parts it came with when I picked it up. When i got everything over to my shop i also found some larger mills that are maybe 1/2”ish.

Also came with 6061 6’ ish pieces of round from 1/2” up to 3.5” and 6’ ish pieces of rectangular 1/2” x 6” and x 8”.

I probably should get some cutting lube and fresh grease for the motors before I get to learning though.

 

[cervelorod]

If you are not doing true 3D machining, using a regular(?) CAD program is much easier, and very adequate to do 2.5D stuff. It looks like they still support WinPC-NC, so you could run it on a faster laptop/pc if you have one. GRBL was created to not have to have a parallel port. Old USB controllers didn't emulate a parallel port well enough to do CNC with.

 

[cervelorod]

These are pics of most of the parts it came with when I picked it up. When i got everything over to my shop i also found some larger mills that are maybe 1/2”ish.

Also came with 6061 6’ ish pieces of round from 1/2” up to 3.5” and 6’ ish pieces of rectangular 1/2” x 6” and x 8”.

I probably should get some cutting lube and fresh grease for the motors before I get to learning though.

Thats a good selection of accessories, rotary table, touch-off sensor, etc. Nice!

 

[Jag]

If you are not doing true 3D machining, using a regular(?) CAD program is much easier, and very adequate to do 2.5D stuff. It looks like they still support WinPC-NC, so you could run it on a faster laptop/pc if you have one. GRBL was created to not have to have a parallel port. Old USB controllers didn't emulate a parallel port well enough to do CNC with.

For now i need to start simple so probably not going to mess with true 3d, but it does have some type of laser 3d scanner for down the road. For now I was thinking something simple like a badge for my F250 or something.

This version of Winpcnc is usb from around 2011 so it maybe problamatic but the motors seem to move around smoothly now that I cleaned all the screws and shafts. The buildup just from sitting for years in a greasy environment was enough to stop them.

 

[CarterKraft]

You could convert it to LinuxCNC or Mach3 pretty easily I think.

Do you have any pix of the "control" cabinet?

 

[Jag]

You could convert it to LinuxCNC or Mach3 pretty easily I think.

Do you have any pix of the "control" cabinet?

I dont. Ive been meaning to go into work all day and play with it but I actually decided to sit here and read everything I can find instead. I have the manuals here with me that has a picture of it.

 

[CarterKraft]

My suggestion is to to convert it to a "modern" control.

Mach3, arduino/grbl, LinuxCNC etc. because while it will be more work up front it will be much easier to troubleshoot and use with the huge population of users each platform has.
A proprietary control from 2011 is likely going to be hard to get help with.

 

[cervelorod]

My suggestion is to to convert it to a "modern" control.

Mach3, arduino/grbl, LinuxCNC etc. because while it will be more work up front it will be much easier to troubleshoot and use with the huge population of users each platform has.
A proprietary control from 2011 is likely going to be hard to get help with.

This is great advice. I use Gecko, G540. 4 axis in an easy packaging. Get a power supply from Amazon and mach3, and off to the races!

 

[bgaidan]

These are pics of most of the parts it came with when I picked it up. When i got everything over to my shop i also found some larger mills that are maybe 1/2”ish.

That's a nice spread. Along with the 4th axis, i see a tool setter and a mist system.

For now i need to start simple so probably not going to mess with true 3d, but it does have some type of laser 3d scanner for down the road. For now I was thinking something simple like a badge for my F250 or something.

This version of Winpcnc is usb from around 2011 so it maybe problamatic but the motors seem to move around smoothly now that I cleaned all the screws and shafts. The buildup just from sitting for years in a greasy environment was enough to stop them.

You could convert it to LinuxCNC or Mach3 pretty easily I think.

Do you have any pix of the "control" cabinet?

My suggestion is to to convert it to a "modern" control.

Mach3, arduino/grbl, LinuxCNC etc. because while it will be more work up front it will be much easier to troubleshoot and use with the huge population of users each platform has.
A proprietary control from 2011 is likely going to be hard to get help with.

If the control works, I see no reason to ditch it. Try it out first and see if it's usable. It's still made and supported and there may even be updates or patches for it.

Mach 3 is no newer than that control and has long been discontinued and the last update is almost as old as OPs setup. Though yes, they have far more current users floating around out there. It also doesn't play well with windows/usb unless you add in an additional motion controller. If anything, he'd be better off at least going with Mach4 if he's trying to get an updated control.


From the quick reading I did on their website, that control doesn't all that bad. I'd give it a chance and see what it can do.

These are pics of most of the parts it came with when I picked it up. When i got everything over to my shop i also found some larger mills that are maybe 1/2”ish.

Also came with 6061 6’ ish pieces of round from 1/2” up to 3.5” and 6’ ish pieces of rectangular 1/2” x 6” and x 8”.

I probably should get some cutting lube and fresh grease for the motors before I get to learning though.

I really doubt that little spindle motor can handle a 1/2" end mill. Does it even have collets big enough? Most likely just orphan tooling that ended up in your boxes.

I'd recommend getting some wood or MDF to start out with. It's far more forgiving when you fuck up the cam and drive the tool in to it at full rapids.

 

[CarterKraft]

It looks to me like this is now a USB ran system, maybe it allways was?

WinPC-NC Software for cnc machines, engraving and milling machines

Simple, intuitive operation for cnc machines with WinPC-NC CAM Software. Easy to use high efficience for your professional cnc use

www.cnc-step.com

Uses this gizmo now to emulate the parallel port.

WinPC-NC USB | Control software for your CNC machine

WinPC-NC USB CAM-Software for your versatile cnc machine. Milling, engraving G-Codes. Much import formats for professional use

www.cnc-step.com

 

[Jag]

My suggestion is to to convert it to a "modern" control.

Mach3, arduino/grbl, LinuxCNC etc. because while it will be more work up front it will be much easier to troubleshoot and use with the huge population of users each platform has.
A proprietary control from 2011 is likely going to be hard to get help with.

Id like to get an idea of what it takes and play around a little using whats there.


Once I see its it capabilities im more then then willing to dump some money into it and modernize.

I actually have a very basic piece we outsource at work that should be easy to make, im currently paying about 20$ each and ive ordered a few thousand this year so far. If i can do it on this machine it would definitely show its value and be worth doing upgrades.

 

[Jag]

It looks to me like this is now a USB ran system, maybe it allways was?

WinPC-NC Software for cnc machines, engraving and milling machines

Simple, intuitive operation for cnc machines with WinPC-NC CAM Software. Easy to use high efficience for your professional cnc use

www.cnc-step.com

Uses this gizmo now to emulate the parallel port.

WinPC-NC USB | Control software for your CNC machine

WinPC-NC USB CAM-Software for your versatile cnc machine. Milling, engraving G-Codes. Much import formats for professional use

www.cnc-step.com

 

[CarterKraft]

Id like to get an idea of what it takes and play around a little using whats there.


Once I see its it capabilities im more then then willing to dump some money into it and modernize.

I actually have a very basic piece we outsource at work that should be easy to make, im currently paying about 20$ each and ive ordered a few thousand this year so far. If i can do it on this machine it would definitely show its value and be worth doing upgrades.

That's smart if it will run as is.
I just hate trying to resurrect old shit that is obsolete, missing drivers etc. not compatible with the newer PC's etc. because you can spend all your time on this "useless" system and technology instead of just learning the current system.

 

[CarterKraft]

So you have the laptop and everything to run this as is?

 

[Jag]

So you have the laptop and everything to run this as is?

Yes, i cleaned up a junker black friday special HP from 2015 and it seems to work, i can manually use the software to move the steppers around. I havent tried running a cut or even putting in a bit at this point though.

Edit: i trust getting some info from you guys first more then just firing it off and seeing what happens

 

[CarterKraft]

Yes, i cleaned up a junker black friday special HP from 2015 and it seems to work, i can manually use the software to move the steppers around. I havent tried running a cut or even putting in a bit at this point though.

Edit: i trust getting some info from you guys first more then just firing it off and seeing what happens

Oh hell yeah I'd say get going then haha.
How does the CAM work on this deal, anyone know what the workflow is?
I know enough to know I don't know anything about that setup.

 

[Jag]

Oh hell yeah I'd say get going then haha.
How does the CAM work on this deal, anyone know what the workflow is?
I know enough to know I don't know anything about that setup.

Instead of working today I spent all day reading up on this but im on beer 3 at this point. The VW came from the cnc-step website. It has a bunch of templates I downloaded today just playing with Winpc-nc.

 

[Jag]

Beer 5, fairly certain im not making it to work today but after im done cooking dinner i might have the wife run me over to push some buttons. But with my luck ill be CNCing the stop sign down the street.

 

[Jag]

It’s a steep curve, but it’s pretty cool when you get it. I am trying to find space to do a cnc plasma cutter, but my buddy has a water jet that he doesn’t hardly charge me anything if I hand him drawing files…

I finally decided to start up a test run. Still no cutting but i wanted to see the steppers run around itself like it was trying. Your absolutely right about the steep learning curve, there is a ton of settings and options i have to look into before i load a bit but so far so good. It was kind of exciting actually knowing the thing works and watching it move around the table like it was cutting out a Harley logo.

Next I think im going to turn off the router and see if I can figure out the touch sensor thing.

 

[CarterKraft]

I finally decided to start up a test run. Still no cutting but i wanted to see the steppers run around itself like it was trying. Your absolutely right about the steep learning curve, there is a ton of settings and options i have to look into before i load a bit but so far so good. It was kind of exciting actually knowing the thing works and watching it move around the table like it was cutting out a Harley logo.

Next I think im going to turn off the router and see if I can figure out the touch sensor thing.

Like eating a elephant, one bite at a time.