Hewing hall millgrav

[Swarfing]

Oh by the way he has changed all of his tronics out for up to date stuff and is running Mach3

[cncezee]

Hi New Member ( name and address withheld ), i have gutted my machine as i was dismayed how BASIC the controller was, i felt that someone had found my old BBC basic computer and given it back to me to use again!!!
I have so far rebuilt the z axis to use a Chinese water cooled spindle motor and inverter and therefore done away with the belt driven spindle and the very noisy motor mounted top central of the mill grav i have also stripped out all of the original electronics and i am currently building a PC mother board with a smooth stepper to give two IO ports and a serial port to control the inverter, i am intending to use one port to work with a MPG and the other port as limits and over travel switches all of this is to be run under windoz and Mach3 much to 2e0poz's dismay and his attempts for me to run Linux... i am stead fast with this windoz rubbish

So far everything seems to be going to plan ( if i had one ) and i am now wiring and configuring the MB and all of the IO's.
it is possible that i may be able to obtain some software for your apex controller..... but do not hold your breath, the chap i bought my machine from has another with the apex controller and my be willing to run off a copy, but he is an excellent engineer not a software wizz...!!

I think your design building on a large surface table is an excellent idea, but impossible to move is it compleatly cancelled or will it fly again??

Roger

[Mill Grav Newbie]

Hi Roger
Many Thanks for your reply, I am not fully sure if your machine had the Apex controller which you have removed or had the original electronics in the machine cabinet. I notice Newing Hall show Apex controllers on there current engraving machines but I understand them to be a later model.
Re the "Table" engraver, I will probably keep the table and sell off the other components when I can get the MillGrav running.
One idea I incorporated was to have the surface table long edge skirts machined parallel with a register so they could take ball slides. As a cost saving experiment I machined a flat bottomed 90deg vee groove centrally in a 80 x 20 flat this held a 30 x 30 square rail with the corner removed, held with recessed socked head screws at close centres. Essentially creating a bolt on adjustable vee guide. By shimming the upper and lower faces of the vee groove the rails could be adjusted parallel to the tables surface and to each other. Thats the theory but never put to the task. The gantry "saddle" was to be a machined vee with a 2mm PTFE "gasket" type gib strip. pre loaded again by shimming.

[cncezee]

Hi New Member ( name withheld ), i have spoke to my friend and he has asked what software you want>> also what controller you have, he describes it by the number of buttons along the top of the front panel. perhaps you can take a photo of it this would help greatly.

Roger

[Swarfing]

Mill Grav

Roger may not see your reply so i will give him a knudge for you

[Archersigns]

Good afternoon All
We have 3 millgrav in our business and have been running them for nearly 2 decades from the JLS software,
We have decided to upgrade the software and are going for CADLINKS engraving lab but we seem to be hitting various issues when handshaking the apex controllers we have both 2 key anf 3 key versions
any help would be appreciated if some has some experience of this I really dont want to flash the Apex controller as if it doesnt work their scrap and getting the firmware again is nowon impossible except from pantograph in leeds
like I said any help would be appreciated

[milesinfront]

Good afternoon All
We have 3 millgrav in our business and have been running them for nearly 2 decades from the JLS software,
We have decided to upgrade the software and are going for CADLINKS engraving lab but we seem to be hitting various issues when handshaking the apex controllers we have both 2 key anf 3 key versions
any help would be appreciated if some has some experience of this I really dont want to flash the Apex controller as if it doesnt work their scrap and getting the firmware again is nowon impossible except from pantograph in leeds
like I said any help would be appreciated

I'm triple jealous! You have 3 times more MillGrav in your life than I... ;)

These guys are the original manufacturers of the Apex controllers: www.irridianindustrial.co.uk

They should be able to advise if what you want to achieve is possible.

Please let us know how you go. I'm happy enough with JLS but I do have EngraveLab and could be useful alternative. :)

[JAZZCNC]

any help would be appreciated if some has some experience of this I really dont want to flash the Apex controller as if it doesnt work their scrap and getting the firmware again is nowon impossible except from pantograph in leeds

The folks at Pantograph are the most helpful company I've ever had the pleasure to deal with, I would speak to them about this.
I was there a few weeks ago regards a Router/engraver I've got to build and they freely allowed me to pick their brains and vast knowledge regards engraving machines. They showed me around the whole place and spent best part of 2 hours offering advice and making suggestions knowing full well the only business they were likely to get was for a £130 engraving spindle. They really are Genuine helpful people who want to help and they have forgotten more than most so-called experts think they now about engraving and it instantly shows when you meet and speak to them.

[cncezee]

my new Z

[cncezee]

Hi New Member

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but my friend john has been unable to find any of the software that came with his machine, he informas me that he never used it anyhow as he uses a really weird program called casemate this outputs a hpgl type of language and machines in layers and colours...way too weird for me and this prog is well locked up with dongles

So perhaps you will go a similar rout to me......Wire cutters...................

I have this weekend i have got the MPG ( manual pulse generator ) working and calibrated along with the spindle inverter working under Mach3, i will soon be fitting processing power back into the box on Millgrav..

If you want any tips on how to do this i will be very happy to help

RH