Torch firing after program starts ( late)

[richard_horn]

You can edit the G code “*.TAP” file with notepad directly. There is a function in Mach 3 “Edit G-Code” but initially it won’t work since the install config file was from Windows NT.
There is a thread here explaining how to fix it in Mach 3

Using Edit G-Code in Mach3

I tried this several times the screen would flicker but nothing opened and I ended up going straight to the tap file manually with notepad and editing the tap but that was a few more steps. [Edit] I was looking into the Mach3 Config today and saw the default folder for notepad.exe was WINNT not WINDOWS. [WINNT%20as%20installed] Use the browse button direct it over to the WINDOWS folder and select notepad.exe and click open [Notepad] and done [Done] Now if you click edit G-Code in will op…

Here is some example G code. The line G4 P0.5 is the torch delay.

M3
G4 P0.5
G1 Z0.125
G1 X8 F 80
G1 Y8
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M5
G0 Z 0
M30

The “M3” is Rotate Spindle basically fire torch “F5” on your keboard.
The “G4” mean dwell (wait) “P0.5” is the Dwell time 0.5 seconds in this case.
The “M5” near the end is spindle stop basically stop firing the torch.
The last line is “M30” Program end and rewind

I hope this helps. A touch more than you were asking.