Re: Homebrew digitiser

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Alan Marconett KM6VV <KM6VV@a...> wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> I don't remember much (if anything) about the MicroScribe. URL?
>
> You could wire a probe just to indicate contact, and "drive" the
mill
> yourself (Ouch!) to take tons of measurements. So you select a YZ
> plane, and move the handwheels to get to several points on your
part in
> this plane. Move the plane over in X, and repeat! The probe is the
> part you need! Later, you can add CNC to your mill, and do the same
> thing (more points?) with a digitizer program.
>
> Check for a posting of pix to the files list on the Renishaw. A
few on
> this list are making similar probes.
>
> Undercut areas will be a chore for anyone digitizing! Look at the
MaxNC
> site, and see what they get when they digitize!
>
> Alan KM6VV
>
> PAbbott@w... wrote:
> >
> > Alan,
> >
> > thanks for the reply - I don't have any CNC stuff, yet! I have a
> > manually operated mill & lathe. I have been reading the old
postings
> > and I am still trying to work out what the Renishaw is. One of
the
> > things I forgot to mention was that I was prepared to do the
> > measuring manually - cost & lack of experience reasons. I have
been
> > examining (online) the MicroScribe (?) digitising arm. I have
come
> > up with a manual system that could be refitted with steppers later
> > but I'm not sure if it is operationally viable and I am unsure of
the
> > type of probe to use. One of the issues is trying to probe
undercut
> > areas. The intial use of the the digitised information is to
simply
> > generate a cross section in my CAD program (TurboCAD).
> >
> > I'm looking at getting a manual arm going first, then some sort of
> > CNC 3D router/mill to work within the same envelope and then I
would
> > like to automate the digitising arm.
> >
> > Paul Abbott
> >
> > --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Alan Marconett KM6VV <KM6VV@a...>
wrote:
> > > Paul,
> > >
> > > You don't say if you have a CNC mill for that envelope! Ww were
> > talking
> > > about Renishaw digitizers a while back, good for a mill. If you
> > don't
> > > have a mill, then how about using the guts out of a plotter to
move
> > a
> > > Renishaw type probe around in the envelope you describe.
> > >
> > > Don't know about any kits, but you would "drive" the plotter,
> > stopping
> > > an axis travel when you "sensed" a surface.
> > >
> > > Humm, not a bad idea! Dust off the old plotter stuff in the
> > garage...
> > >
> > > Hope this gets you thinking!
> > >
> > > Alan KM6VV
> > > P.S. I'm told HSM (Home Shop Machinist) did an article
recently on
> > a
> > > digitizer.
> > >
> > >
> > > PAbbott@w... wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I am trying to design/build a digitiser - there aren't many
> > > > affordable options here in Australia. Has anyone got any
info,
> > > > designs, tips or know of kits that they would share with me.
I'm
> > > > working with an area of approx 500mm x 350mm x 150mm. I want
to
> > feed
> > > > the thing into my PC, possibly via the serial port.
> > > >
> > > > thanks ...