I will try to do this from memory so you can try it and I will double check it tomorrow since I don’t have my computer with me today.
First you go to the config tab in Mach3 and the General settings, on the left side you will see a box for M06, there you will choose the option that says wait for cycle start, not sure of the wording.
Second, you load your gcode file into Mach3 and choose Edit Gcode. It should open up with notepad. Once open then you choose Edit then Replace and on the top line where it ask “find what”, you type in M05 and on the line below you type M05 M06 then you hit “replace all” then exit out of that box and close notepad and it will ask you if you want to save, I choose yes and it should take you back to Mach 3 and if you scroll thru your gcode on every line that you had a M05 you should now see a M05 M06.
Now if you have it correct then when you hit cycle start you torch will take off and do the first cut and stop, you can manually jog in any direction that you need to so that you can remove the piece, then hit cycle start and the torch will go back to the position where it was before you manually jogged it and it will go to the next position and cut and wait until you hit the cycle start again. It will continue to wait for you after each cut.
I know that this isn’t ideal for production runs but for the beginner or cutting pieces that have a problem with tip ups this can be very helpful. It can also benefit those trying to do longer cuts with a machine with a lower duty cycle, as you control how long between each cut.
I hope that I got close enough from memory so you can try it today if you want.
It works for me, THANKS!
ISTM that a minor change to the post processor would insert the M6s automatically. Just pick which post you want to use for each run.
If you’e using sheetcam, it has a PAUSE feature that’ll let you enter how long to pause after every cut. I have mine set to 5 secs and it works great. no editing required as it’s added to the post process every time.
So it basically cut’s, cuts torch off, pauses for 5 secs then continues to the next cut.
I have used that also but I never tried to jog it out of the way to see what it would do. I’ll try that again and jog after the cut and see if it resumes.
I did like the pause when I started, it helps with light gauge warping when cutting allot in the same area but then I found where you can set sheetcam up so that it doesn’t cut within a certain distance from the last cut so I started using that and adding the M06.
you can also add an M01 below the M05 to pause before the next cut. I believe that will cut first, torch off, go to next cut and pause there until you hit cycle start again to cut the next part.
I was doing that at first before i found the sheetcam PAUSE. I would add an M01 after every 5 or so M05’s so it’ll cut a few pieces then pause at the end of the 5th one.
I like the idea of it going to the next cut and then waiting, I may try that and see if that works better unless the torch has to cross the tip up to go to the next cut?
I’ll be off starting tomorrow so I’ll have a few things to try.
I also just ordered most of the stuff to add the z axis to my table, then it will have limit switches and I should be able to use the home function so that zero will be the same every time, hopefully. Like tooljunkie does.
I just finished adding the home/limit switches on mine using tool junkies videos.
The only thing with the homing part is that it’ll home to 0,0 but them add .5 inches of “space” between the switches and bearings and it calls that HOME at 0,0 (this is called machine home). only way i figured out how to move the X and Y closer to the switches afterwards is to add code to the REF ALL HOME button, then still have to zero out the table.
Watch his PORTS and PINS tutorial and you’ll see what i’m talking about when he homes the table.
I just ordered everything today except for the proma thc, so that gives me a few days to watch his videos again.
What I was hoping for what to be able to home the machine then go about 2 inches up and 3 inches over and zero there to use that for the corner of the project, then if it crashes I can home it again then repeat the 2 inches up and 3 inches over and re zero and be at the same starting point.
It took me a while but I did finally figure out that there could actually be a machine home and project zero that were not the same numbers.
yes that can be done. I used this video to figure out code can be added to have a different start point after it homes. I had to back up the carriages about .5 inch to be closer to the switches after it homes. I need all the real estate i can get on this table.
also, if your stuff hasn’t shipped yet, you might want to consider looking at this video and getting that power supply instead of the one listed on his original parts list video in case you want to modify the BOB. It’s a 24V/5V PS.
My posts show M5, not M05. Not sure why that is, but I’m not too worried about it because my machine is working fine.
I just tried the M1 trick and it is awesome! I think I will use it on large surface areas so I can reset tip height to account for material warp/machine misalignment, etc.
I found that putting M1 right after M5, caused it to stop at the end of the cut, prior to moving to the next pierce location. So I put M1 at the end of the line after the M5’s, which pauses after the machine moves to the next pierce location. Like this:
I do have a question… when it is paused at M1, is there a way to manually jog the machine? I couldn’t figure out how to jog, it seemed like my only option to get it to move was resume cycle…