Re: Model Engineers are here

Hi Ian,

In understand what you are saying. Their are a few companies here in North
America that are servicing the Model Engineer market. It still costs a few
thousand C$ to implement. Dan Mauch does provide a low cost solution to the
DIY types.

From my own experience I see the Model Engineer having some large steps to
overcome in getting their systems running:

Learning a CAD system;
Familiarising themselves with gCode;
Learning to setup their machines for program execution (setups are not
entirely the same for CNC as they are for a manual system); and
Becomming comfortable with the CAM portion of the equation.

I think some regular contributers are MEs but have not come out of the
closet.

Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Wright <Ian@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com>
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 7:20 PM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Model Engineers are here

>From: "Ian Wright" <Ian@...>
>
>Hi Paul,
>
>I realised that there are a few MEs on the list but they tend to be a bit
>reticent and I wondered if this is because they feel overpowered by the
>professionals who ooze experience. The point I was trying to make -

probably

>badly, is that there is a 'market' for good but inexpensive software and
>electronics. Many of the MEs I know would, like me, be unable to persuade
>the keeper of the domestic purse strings, of the need to expend hundreds of
>pounds (or dollars) on a piece of software which, in an essentially hobby
>situation, is unlikely to ever repay its cost and, more importantly, is of
>no direct benefit to her! Neverthless, these same people would love to try
>their hands at computerising equipment they already have or could make and
>would, with the lateral thought processes which seem to afflict most MEs,
>soon be able to inject a lot of useful ideas and tips into the forum. This
>is where the inevitable 'them and us' situation of professionals who can
>repay the cost of a suite of software on one job and the penniless but very
>enthusiastic HSM causes difficulties in understanding. Fortunately, some
>software houses are now realising this situation exists and are making
>programs available free or at very reduced costs for 'private,
>non-commercial users' but this concept doesn't yet seem to have percolated
>into the realms of the types of program in which we are interested and the
>software producers don't seem to realise that, if they allow users to

become

>'addicted' to their programs, they are likely to have a regular future
>income from purchases of updates which may make up for the initial lost
>income.
>
>Ian
>--
>Ian W. Wright
>Sheffield UK
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Paul Devey <pdevey@...>
>To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com>
>Sent: 19 October 1999 21:19
>Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Model Engineers are here
>
>
>> From: "Paul Devey" <pdevey@...>
>>
>> Ian,
>>
>> Their are some model engineers on this list. Maybe we are a bit quite. It
>> takes some effort to juggle carreer, family and workshop.
>>
>> I am working towards producing tangable products with a CNC lathe and
>mill.
>> I am surprised at the efforts that are involved. I am finding that their
>is
>> alot to learn for the casual player. My hats off to the professionals.
>>
>> Paul Devey
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ian Wright <Ian@...>
>> To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 2:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] What do we want?
>>
>>
>> >From: "Ian Wright" <Ian@...>
>> >
>> >Hi gang,
>> >
>> >The one thing we are desperately missing at the moment is a Linux based
>> >program to produce the g-code files from a drawing. We have the machine
>> >control in EMC and we have one or two potentially useful CAD programs
>(I'm
>> >playing with Varkon at the moment and, with perseverance I reckon I
>should
>> >have mastered it by the next millennium!!! ;o) in the meantime, there

are

>> >others well under way in development and, for anyone who gets really
>> >desperate, there are commercial programs which are very comprehensive
>but,
>> >it seems to me, we are still dependant on Windows based conversion
>> programs.
>> >As I am retired and thus quite cash-limited I would have difficulty
>> >justifying the cost of many of the commercial programs and therefore see
>> >linux and GPL programs as an ideal way forward. Any time penalties in
>> >swapping between applications are of little consequence to me as the one
>> >thing I have in plenty now is time! I'm surprised that we have not, so
>far,
>> >attracted many of the model engineering fraternity and wonder if this is
>> due
>> >to the high cost of commercial programs - if so it is a shame as people
>of
>> >that ilk often have a wealth of very useful information and expertise
>which
>> >they are only too willing to share.
>> >
>> >Ian
>> >--
>> >Ian W. Wright
>> >Sheffield UK
>> >
>> >
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: Bertho Boman <boman@...>
>> >>
>> >> Any suggestions for converting programs?
>> >>
>> >> Any suggestions for plugins in AutoCad?
>> >
>> >>Welcome to CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...,an unmoderated list for the
>> discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories.
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there.

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>> >bill,
>> >List Manager
>>
>> > Welcome to CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...,an unmoderated list for the
>discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories.
>> To Unsubscribe, read archives, change to or from digest.
>> Go to: http://www.onelist.com/isregistered.cgi
>> Log on, and you will go to Member Center, and you can make changes there.
>> For the FAQ, go to http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
>> bill,
>> List Manager
>>
>
>>Welcome to CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...,an unmoderated list for the

discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories.

>To Unsubscribe, read archives, change to or from digest.
>Go to: http://www.onelist.com/isregistered.cgi
>Log on, and you will go to Member Center, and you can make changes there.
>For the FAQ, go to http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
>bill,
>List Manager