Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Free Software

HI Annie!

I ran into lots of problems and was unable to get help from Roland or the dealer. My dealer was in MN, and I'm in CO, so it's rather hard to return it with a quick trip.

However, I was able to solve all the problems myself except for a few...that CANNOT be fixed.

First I scanned some custom bas relief artwork and saved the file in .dsf format. Other than the slow speed, I had no problems there.

Upon opening the file in Rhino, the part was about 25 times larger than the original! I asked the dealer about this and they couldn't figure that out. fortunately, there is a "scale" button in Rhino that lets you shrink or expand a part to the size you want....and it works really fast!

When importing a .dxf file to modela, the file shrinks! So then you have to know EXACTLY what your final part size needs to be...in at least one dimension before you can enlarge it to the size you want to machine.

Why the @#$#$ they can't fix these two items in their software, I don't know....and expect they don't know how either. It just creates a lot of extra work.

The nest thing I tried was machining a wax part. This part was 1/2 a firearms action receiver. In the process of machining it, it turns out the RPM on the cutter is so high, the wax melts and sticks to the cutter. So I have to pause the machine FREQUENTLY to clear the wax. Another problem is the EXTREMELY LONG time the generated program is to machine a simple wax part. The time was something like 3-1/2 hours or so...provided I didn't have to stop the machine.

I also noticed the generated tool path "STINKS". While watching the machine do it's thing, I noticed the tool path would repeat the same path several times in some cases and would cut AIR unnecessarily....even after setting the cutter area to the minimum for the part being machined.

As you may know...the RPM cannot be set on these machines.
There is no way to change the generated tool path.

So, what I'll be doing is cutting small aluminum molds I can use for pouring wax into for casting purposes, micarta, possibly wood and a few other easy to cut materials...but no wax!

I needed the scanner feature so I can carve my artwork in larger sizes to get greater detail and then machine the finished parts or molds in much smaller sizes.

BTW...since you can drive to your dealer...where are you...TX, MN or ??

Smoke
-----Original Message-----
From: Anne Ogborn <anniepoo@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@egroups.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@egroups.com>
Date: Friday, October 27, 2000 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Free Software


Smoke wrote:

>
> You have a Modela? I've got an MDX -15. I can draw the part using Rhino, save the file in .dxf format and
> the Modela software automatically generates the machine code for machining the part.
>
> Granted, machining a complicated part is really slow but for the contest, no one says the part has to be very big do they?
>

Hey, I don't machine big parts anyway -
and with an envelope of 1.5 x 4 x 6 I can't.

But most of my parts are HO scale buildings and people.
The people are about 3/8 x 3/8 x 3/4

I draw my parts in Ray Dream and Poser and put them
through the Modela Player.

I like the fact that it's an integrated package. I came home
with the machine thursday and was making parts monday.

I've found a few things I don't like, though, and definitely
wouldn't spend $3K on upgrading to the MDX-15.

I've had a couple struggles with bugs in the path generation,
and Roland's tech support has been clueless, clueless.
I finally called my dealer and told them if the problem wasn't
addressed within 48 hours I'd be at their door with the machine.
Finally the guy who knew something called me.
The dealer's accounting is equally brilliant - I just got an overdue
bill for the machine. I paid for it in full when I picked it up.

It was billed as doing soft plastics and soft metals. Truth is,
I've basicly quit cutting styrene on it, it drops steps too often.
I cut in foam and wax.
Another modeller has one and he routes a lot of styrene on his.
What do you cut on yours?

For the most part it's been doing it's job.
For what it's worth, here's some parts off of it.

http://www.idiom.com/~anniepoo/eng/walls.JPG

Annie

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