GearHeads Corner

I've been watching your adventures for a while now and am pretty close to jumping in, but I have some lingering questions.

The backstory is that I have some older Epilog laser engravers and some parts are just no longer available.  Epilog has been fantastic over the years helping me keep these things running, so I cannot fault them at all.  Also, while hardware wise these are built like tanks, the software is for Windows XP or older and you get the idea.  I have spare laser tubes and just cannot bring myself to abandon these machines quite yet.  They are pretty easy to use for my folks, all they need to do is print from corel draw and it just works.  I've been a bit leery of the homebrew solution in the past.

So, another one quit today and while troubleshooting I hooked up a Gecko 320 servo controller and a copy of Mach3 I had and got it to move around really nicely so am I thinking it's either the servo amps or the motherboard, both made from unobtainium.  This was the push I needed and I am ready to jump in the pool.

It seems to me, that all I need is the POKeys board and I am pretty much all set (I've made several CNC machines, so I know a bit about what I am in for).

My questions.
  The lasers are Synrads and take that "tickle" signal.  I assume that it's not an issue to make that happen?

  I have a set of drawings (pretty much line art and text for trophies and awards) in Corel Draw.  I am thinking I can export them to DXF, then into Vexx and then GCODE for Auggie.  I starting playing around with this and not everything is coming over, but I could probably redraw it.    Has anyone tried sheetcam and the laser mode it has? 

  I should also be able to customize Auggie/POKeys to make a pretty simple interface and deal with the on/off of the air assist and making a dial to up/down on the Z axis.  Maybe even reading the pot from the existing control panel?  I don't want to make running these an adventure.

Any big gotcha's with this plan?

Hi Sky:

The lasers are Synrads and take that "tickle" signal.  I assume that it's not an issue to make that happen?

 
>>Both of my main laser are synrads. A 20 and a 50 watt RF tubes. Auggie runs them fine. Tickle is adjustable.


  I have a set of drawings (pretty much line art and text for trophies and awards) in Corel Draw.  I am thinking I can export them to DXF, then into Vexx and then GCODE for Auggie.  I starting playing around with this and not everything is coming over, but I could probably redraw it. 


>> Here you hit a bit of magic , dxf's.. They vary widely, so its quite possible that
Vexx's input wont read some items. (Though Id be interested in any files that dont
come across as I can use them for testing why..  I do use Vexx's output for my dxf's,
and it hasnt failed me yet. But the entitites in the drawing will define what can or cant be
loaded. ( Try both DXF modes in the setup though in vexx..)

  Has anyone tried sheetcam and the laser mode it has?

>>>Havent tried it personally.

  I should also be able to customize Auggie/POKeys
to make a pretty simple interface and deal with the on/off of the air assist and making a dial to up/down on the Z axis.  Maybe even reading the pot from the existing control panel?  I don't want to make running these an adventure .

>> You can modifiy the main laser screens I have.. though I do caution you, Auggie isnt easy,
it isnt made for ease, its made to do things like 3d photos that others cant do. It will
run a synrad pretty much out of the box as its what I use, but too much modification takes
a bit of study.. Check the thread on Ports &Pins where Ive been helping gary make it run normal cnc
and youll notice the thread is many pages long.. :) ( And Gary's pretty damn good )...

>> All that having been said, Im constantly amazed by those that contact me after the
fact about a running system they have made work with no help at all. SO its all doable.. :)

Art




 

I started with Mach2, then Mach3,  used Gearotic motion, then Gearotic Thoughts and now Gearotic so I like to think I pretty adept at following your logic by now.    I still have fond memories of getting tangential gear shaving to work.

Attached are a DXF of a sample Corel Draw output and the PDF of the drawing.  Corel Draw doesn't like to close curves for one and it generally takes me some cleanup to get it to work with other programs.

I ordered the POKeys and I am sure to be asking plenty of questions I have no doubt.