So here i go again i am trying to scan a part it’s to large to scan right to left so i have to scan it diagnaly to make it fit the scanner bay so no problem corel allows you to rotate the scan well no if i rotate the scan and send it out to the laser it dosent know what to do i have to import the image just as it was layed out in Gimp for it to cut i am already hating this software any help has any one else run into this.
Thanks
Dennis
The hate only grows. Sorry.
Smoothieboards will be in in about 3 weeks. I gotta try it. It CAN"T be worse than Chinese Corel & Laserdrw…
Hundred bucks, free software, motor drivers onboard, - all good,
SUPPORT here-priceless!
@Scott_Marshall Ooo that place is slightly cheaper than where I priced the 5xc (robotseed). Oh, but they ship for orders outside US from robotseed.
I think they actually had some though. Pretty sure it was just the 5 axis which is kind of overkill for the K40.
Are you going to do it?, It would be nice to know I’ve got a partner in confusion…
I just joined the Google Smoothieware Group. If I start reading now, I may have an easier time of it when I get one.
@Scott_Marshall Yeah I will be definitely upgrading in the near future. It’s just a matter of me saving the $. Works out to about au$260-270 including the shipping, so will probably be about 4-6 weeks before I have that spare.
I intended to get the 5 axis one because I have a few ideas/mods I would like to make on the K40 that require extra axis. E.g. attaching dremel head that needs to raise up & down between shapes when cutting (to make like a 2d cnc), or another idea for something similar related to my leatherwork, or another idea for a rotary cutting attachment, or even the idea for the bevelled laser cuts (by rotating the lenses/mirrors/etc similar to the concept drawing I recently posted). So even though 5 axis is overkill, it will be usable down the track for mods/add-ons or even for entire system builds for other machine concepts I want to try.
Looked at the smoothie board is this a direct plug and go or whats required also the web site says $135.00 for the board also whats the software that it runs on
Dennis
@Dennis_Fuente Peter Van De Walt here in this group is developing a software currently called Laser Web 2.0. He has already done Laser Web, but 2.0 I guess is adding improvements etc.
From what I posted recently, it seems that you need the board + something called a “level shifter” (which converts or regulates voltage from what I can gather). From there I have also been suggested to get a “middleman board” to connect the ribbon cable stepper motor (X-axis). If yours has a ribbon cable, I’d assume you need that too.
Other than that, I’m not too certain at the moment. If you check for my post (from a couple of days ago) on my profile, +1 it to keep up to date with any comments/suggestions for what is needed for the upgrade.
is there a place to see it like running a laser cutter before i jump into the boat i want to see if it floats first.
Dennis
@Dennis_Fuente https://plus.google.com/+YuusufSallahuddinYSCreations/posts/DoFyNaubJSc
This is my post the other day where people suggested what you need to upgrade. There are a few people in this group that have done Smoothie upgrades to their machine. E.g. @Ariel_Yahni_UniKpty . Check out his profile/youtube links as he has some videos of it in action, running Peter’s LaserWeb software.
Yuusuf
Looked over the post sounds like there is a lot to change out to make it work i will have to look inot it further thanks
Dennis
All you need in addition to the Smoothieboard is a small 5v power supply, and a 24v 100w max motor supply . The 3x inputs via USB, and the 4x & 5x have Ethernet support as well.
It has the stepper drivers onboard (up to 2.5a I believe - plenty for the k40 motors). along with some high current (10a) and low current FET outputs and a bunch of inputs, no BOB needed.
All that should be involved in the upgrade it to connect the K40 motors and Home optoswitches, one of the outputs to the power supply “laser fire”, load the software and you should be there. oh yeah, and wire up the 5 & 24v supplies. There is plenty of outputs for auto air assist etc if you want to play. Not sure if the software supports that kind of stuff, but it easy to do with relay logic if not.
.
I’m running an Ethernet Smoothstepper on my mill which is about $160 plus $45 for a C25 Bob and around $150 worth of Gecko 251xs(got a deal on them) so I’m in at about $350 plus supplies etc.
Oh, yeah, almost forgot and $175 for Mach 3… (worth it though) So into about $500 plus enclosures, spindle motor speed control, power supplies etc. Ow, never added it up before.
That Smoothie for even $200 is looking pretty good!
That’s for 3 axis , the laser is 2, but any way you stack it, even the 5x Smoothie is a great deal. add to it the Laserweb and it sure sounds like the way to go.
Just to clarify I run a laser diode not a k40
@Scott_Marshall I guess your background in engineering assists you with understanding all this stuff a bit more than me. I think I will be the one confused during the upgrading process, not you. Haha.
I like the idea of 3 axis smoothie, because we can then rig up z-axis for the z-table. I imagine Peter already has that ability in his Laser Web software (to control the z-height), although if not, I’m fairly certain he could add it to the list of improvements/features (maybe with a few drinks $ donation). One thing I like about the whole Smoothie/LaserWeb combo, is as Peter does the software, he talks & listens a great deal to this community as to needs/issues/etc. Which is great for providing us all with machines that will perform the tasks that we wish to perform.
@Ariel_Yahni_UniKpty Oh, I didn’t realise that. Thanks for the clarification though.
I ordered an MKS clone of the Smoothieboard 5C for $59.00. I couldn’t wait for stock at Robotseed or Uberclock here in North America. I will probably buy an original smoothieboard once they have stock for my 2nd laser cutter. I would like to support Arthur for his incredible job on the smoothie project.
Hi Scott i run Mach 3 on my mill with gecko drives i retro fitted a Lagun CNC servo mill it was bit of work but the results were great, so were can some one purchase these smoothie boards, also would i have to change out the power supply or just the main board whats a bob board.
Dennis
You can buy the Smoothieboards from Robotseed in Europe or Uberclock in North America. If you are OK with using a clone board of the smoothie, Ebay has the MKS Sbase (A clone of the 5x Smoothieboard) for $59.00 (Less than half the price of an original Smoothieboard.) Stephane has posted an upgrade procedure for the K40 that is very easy to understand.
Hi Anthony
Thanks for the response are the clone boards any good i am in the US the price sounds great any thing additionly i would need.
Dennis
I ordered a clone board but haven’t received it yet. But from reviews I have read it is decent quality. Check out the upgrade guide Stephane made (http://smoothieware.org/blue-box-guide) it will explain everything you need and how to install it.
@Dennis_Fuente I just got a 5X Smoothie from Ebay, full price, but it’s going to be about 3 weeks according to the Smoothie guy until the new stock comes in, and I don’t know if the existing price will hold. The 3X is all you need for the K40, but as I like to play, the 5x has extra outputs as well as 2 more stepper channels.
Bob is Breakout board, basically a bunch of opto isolators that take your PC parallel port outputs, (or an Ethernet converter - I use a Smoothstepper on my mill) and isolate and buffer them to drive stepper drivers to move your motion control motors.
Normal logic flow is PC parallel port to Bob to stepper drives (Gecko or Chinese, (I prefer Gecko) to motors. The Bob also buffers the limit switches or opto interuppters back into the PC.
The Smoothie does it all, it takes your PC output and takes it all the way to stepper drivers, all you have to do is power it. The 3X is USB, but the 4X & 5x models have Ethernet connectivity so you’re not limited by parallel speed and line restrictions,.
You will need to add 2 power supplies, a 5v one, maybe 5A (more then enough) to run the logic, and a 24 to 48v one to run your motors. The K40 motors are quite small so a 100w supply would do it with room to grow. the 5v supply is around 20 bucks and the motor supply would be under $50. You could probably tap from the K40 supply, but it’s advisable to make the controls standalone.
The US supplier is Uberclock. There’s another 5x on Ebay starting bid of $89. It’s opened, but the guy just bought it and never used it.
My Mill is a Seig X1 with a bit of upgrading, oversized table, belt drive, KBIC-240d DC drive, Belt drive and other odds and ends.
I went the X1 as the dovetail column is stiffer than the X2 setup which tilts. It’s surprisingly rigid and runs a 5/8 emill thru aluminum shockingly well for a ‘toy’ mill.
I’ve been lusting after a Grizzly G705, but keep spending my money on lasers and such…