Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Cam Axial engine cam track code

Hi John, Dan,

OK I give in. You use an Excel spread sheet to generate coordinate
pairs (sets) for conversion to Gcode. Do you then export comma
delimited files (CSV)? And HAND edit them into Gcode? Or do you use a
program to do the work?

About all I ever do with spread sheets is to print them out. But as of
late, I keep seeing them more. Just this week my boss (president of the
small company) wanted a developer schedule in Excel. I got it out
(just typed in dates into his spread sheet). Next, I'm talking to a
lecturer (ham buddy) at the Engineering College of UCSC. He's telling
me that he uses a spread sheet for calculations! So I guess it's time
to give it a try.

John, I don't see any equations in your spread sheet, and I think I
recall you saying you entered it by hand? I don't have access to the
original article(s) in "SIC". What did you work from (raw data)?

Dan, Your Celtic patterns are quite interesting, as I've observed
before. I believe you said before that you DO use calculations in your
spreadsheet to generate your patterns. Did you do a sheet for this
cam? I'd be curious to see it, or a simple ring pattern as I haven't
written a spread sheet before.

I can write an equation and generate Gcode from it in a 'C' (or other
language) program, but I was thinking a program to generate Gcode from a
.CSV file would be just the ticket. I have already done a menu-driven
DOS program that generates Gcode for cutting timing belt pulleys (and I
should shortly have a new Sherline 5400 mill that is big enough to hold
the rotary table, tilting table, etc to cut them).

Or maybe a "Math Cad" type of program would be even better (never could
afford real MathCam). As far as that goes, a "Windows" program could
evaluate an equation entered, and generate Gcode from the equation and
several parameters. My son needs something to do!

I'd appreciate hearing more about how this process works for you guys.

Alan KM6VV


John Guenther wrote:

>
> I have created a folder, Cam-Axial-60 , in the files section and placed the
> spread sheet and a gcode file in this folder. The gcode runs one iteration
> of the track based on the coordinates provided in the construction article
> in SIC. My rotary table is set up so that the y axis in the published
> coordinates is the X axis on my setup. The code ran in TurboCNC without
> problems although from listening to it I am not sure it will cut a smooth
> track. Some refinement may be necessary to get a smooth cut. I will
> attempt to cut it later when I get my current project off the rotary table.
> I will probably cut it in wood just to save my round stock.
>
> John Guenther
> Sterling, Virginia