Actually Building the Machine!

[Nena]

Shure you can find one nearby (i think) i placed a message on facebook if someone could do some things for a reasonable price and just 10km away someone mailed me that he can cnc mill and a friend of him can work with the cnc lathe, that guy has also made the conusus for the laps.

But let it made can be expensive so ask for hobby prices! These conusus 20 pieces made from my own drawing and made out of stainless steel cost me around 350 AUD.

Greets,

Christian

 

[Mackka]

Hey LW I am looking forward to that photo mate.
Cheers
Mackka

 

[LONEWOLF]

Yes no worries, a bit of a delay as We got smashed with the Storm yesterday and I have to clean up.... But it will be up in the next day or so.... Biggest Hail I have ever seen yesterday....

LW.....

 

[Mackka]

Gees mate I hope all is ok?
Mackka

 

[LONEWOLF]

thanks Mackka Yes we are good, just a tree down next door that took out part of our fence and clean up around the place as there's leaves and branches everywhere.... Next door got it worse than us, so I have been helping him too.. ... At least he is shouting the beers... :beer:

LW...

 

[Mackka]

Thank God you are all ok and what a great neighbour serving the malts.
Mackka

 

[vonG]

Christian, any updates?
How is the motor programming coming along?
Did you get the laps to work the way you wanted?

 

[Nena]

Hello,

Yes, redoing my complete programming :- ) Again! lol, i came along something what i didnt thougth about earlier... And thats is continuous execution of the functions. So im already programming for two weeks now to write a function server. This server executes all commands that i give the server and the server can route all the commands so that i can write little functions for it like goto position x and grap lap 200 grid en contineu cutting :- ) al those sort of little functions can be easely executed then. Also started to program the motors but together with the server. Its again more then i wanted but it should be a nice feature in the future! It will say if i want to add a motor or i want to get some pneumatics in it can be done in a few clicks. Also something nice is that i can interact between cutting, pause the machine, stop the machine and contineu the next day etc etc etc.

And the laps are fine didnt had any time to look to them closeley but they are oke!

Greets,

Christian

PS:

Uhm Lets do an example:

C:\Server>perl test.cgi
>Server Command: 0x0001 192.168.2.190 0x1b25000102010f0000000000000000000000020640031e84800205dc010a00000001320d0a

HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Cache-Control: no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate
Cache-Control: post-check=0, pre-check=0
Pragma: no-cache
Content-Type: text/event-stream

0x0000 0xFF 0x00
0x0001 0x01 0x00 Machine Command Execution
0x0001 0x02 0x00 Teensy Data for Motor Control
0x0001 0x03 0x00 Command Doesn't Exist! Mayby! Yet?
0x0001 0x04 0x00 Sending: 1b25000102010f000000...
0x0001 0x05 0x00 Receiving:
0x0001 0x06 0xEE EE051B0D0A
0x0001 0xFF 0xFF Command Execution Done!

C:\Server>

What you see is that im giving the server a setup command for the motor microcontroller the server (running at at the background) the server is handeling the command im giving. I can send a complete list of commands and the server is executing the commands to the right microcontroller. Above is just one command. It also means when i use the database instead sending loose comands i could turn off my computer :- ) but the machine is still doing its thing till its done or when it is paused.

Mayby not that readeble for you but at the end its for me verry easy to controll the machine without programming. Its becomming so easy that i can say: X axis you need to goto position 200mm. Or change lap to grid 800 or or or... etc

 

[vonG]

That sounds really smart. Do you know any other machines or robots that function the same way or you just thought of it yourself?

 

[Nena]

Dont know, i was hanging on the fact that i could do it the way i first intended to do but came along some problems for executing tiny functions, so the best solution i could think of is program a server that can handle all the functions at once, or parts, or (what ever). Lets say i want to use the machine for engraving, before i would write a new program to do that, but with a server that can handle all the functions it should then work by a few simple clicks.

When i want to use for example G-Code on my machine i need to program only the function once but i could use it for everything to controll the machine. Mmmzz its a bit understandeble i think but you will see it soon in a video

The basic Server is almost done, still need to do some error handleing. Next thing is tet the motors run... when that is done ill continue building on the machine itself and complete the basics.

 

[vonG]

I get what you mean.
By eliminating the bad ways one by one I think you will get there in the end.
You want a universal machine and then you should go the universal way for the programming too.

 

[Nena]

One word and smiley: Exact

Yes, it wil be whay more fun if everything can be changed or also used for other things! Soon more!

Just finished error handleing by the way lol

Christian

 

[Nena]

Hi Thomas and the rest,

But it is still a lot of work. But the main thing is, stopping = not an option, spend too much into the project. Also there is a fun side at the story, i can use it as a multifunctional tool. (If it is all going to work, lol). And as the Image says:

We keep going!

And the fun side is that it is all working now! So i can continue with the motors... First the main setup then uhm... homing?!

Christian

 

[vonG]

Great you got it working.

About the motors, do you have the solution for them too or are you still trying to find the way for them to work?

 

[Nena]

Hi Thomas,

Yes, again a step further! And about the motors, yes that is going to work, i hope (lol). One of the first tests i did with the motors in the beginning was on the same principle as i use now. So i think it will work. Not tested yet but it will work (so i think it will). If this is all going to work as i think it will then i can concentrate on the rest of the machine and also do the rest of the programming and even go to work for controlling the motors together, still got inaf space on the teensy for a another motor control. I also know now how i can let the motors run together but this will be added later when im going to make a g-code converter.

Greets,

Christian

 

[vonG]

Hi Christian.

Do you have the quill and dopsticks already finished for the machine? If so, have you measured the run out on them when attached together in the faceting head?
What kind of material are you using for the dopsticks?

Reason for asking is that I red some articles about run out. It made me think of the precision needed to get meet points and polishing to look good in faceting, atleast if you want competition grade gems and not just commercial.
When faceting by hand you can easily cheat or change angles if you see that it is needed. I guess you can do that too in your machine, but think you want that to be automatic or have the precision so good that it will not need any fixing.

 

[Nena]

Hello Thomas,

I dont have dopsticks yet, i probebly draw some for test and let them made. (In the first cases) I also dont know what the total run out is at this point, but what i have measured (this was the last time i checked) was around the 8/1000th of a mm. This will now be bigger while i have changed some things and didnt measured it again. But there are manny things that needs to be reset and calibrated again. I think it will cost me two full weeks to do that so. Thus it will be one of the last things i will do, if everything is working. Also because this isnt easy. But...

There is a feature i want to add into the machine and that is software calibration. Because i can use a 3d laserscanner i could measure everything and put all the measurements into a database so that i could use software corection in all axis. But im not there yet.

The thing is im doing my best on all i can think of, and the need i have at the moment is getting the machine work as it should. With errors or not, it has to run first. Then i can take the time for changes etc. Because it isnt a simple project. Mayby some think it is, so let them do the same :- ) they will get back on it for shure.

There is also some other things im thinking of after i have the axis working. Wich i should test this week... but i have catched a cold... But if im correct and programmed my mcu correct it will now home and positioning will also work. That is for next week.

I was thinking about another cutting head with an variable preasure head. So that i can change the preasure that wil be pressed onto the stone onto the cutting lap can be variable, and can set with some variables. Uhm. Ya, uh 10.000 euro's... ($ 15,860.00 AUD) For a cutting head! But i can build it, im for shure! But i think that wil be better than what i now have. But first the standard machine must be completed first. Its going to be more a combination of motor/pneumatic head. But with high precision.

Uhm back to your question:

When i get the multi axis control done as i want it to get then the run out can be set to 1/1000th of a mm. (unmeasureble small) When run in normal mode i think i can get it to about 1/100th of a mm. In inches will that be:

1/100th of a mm: 0.0003937007874 inch
1/1000th of a mm: 0.00003937007874 inch

When i get the axis control done i could correct the head axis with manipulation steps of 0.0045 degrees.

But these are all theoretical measurements. I realy dont know what the run out will be. It will be small. But how small i dont know. So it is still a gues :- ) I think the next machine (a small one) will be more precise then the one im building now. lol sorry said to much lol Yes there are plans to build also a small one ONLY for cutting gems.

As where im now in the software:

if (__x[9][x_i] == 3) {
__x[9][x_i] = 0; // Turn Off Homing
__x[5][x_i] = 1; // Enable Axis
__x[7][x_i] = 0; // Reset Counter
}

Yes, i can test next week Homing and Positioning!

All with all, it will be a big challenge to get it all work, polishing will be something that isnt easily solved, but with the next cutting head in mind this will be less than a problem and even possible to polishing onto soft materials, like wood, plastics etc.

For me? It is still a quest, and im lerning! And there is always room for improvement. And forgive me if the first stones arent that nice :- ) hahahaha But i know there are more roads to rome!

But i wont give up! There are some things i can try and i should try!

Oh and simple cheating with a automatic machine isnt simple. So i need to come with some solutions that can handle those 'cheats' as with a the new head it wil be much more easier to polish. But is expensive, but i already have the main parts at home :- ) So............

 

[Nena]

Uhm,

By the way, its still a hobby but i think i could get a job out of it lol

Yours,

Christian

 

[vonG]

It was not my meaning to overwhelm you with my questions. I was only curious about your thoughts on run out in the machine.

I see the weak link in the material and I think the dops will bend some if using the wrong material. I wonder how good run out and rigidity that is needed to get perfect meetpoints and polish. I guess the weakest link can F--- all things up.

This is why Im really impressed that you only use expensive precision material when building the machine.

Further more the pressure will be on all angles of that dop too and forced from the axes, not like faceting manually when the force is on the stone using your fingers.
Will the dop be in the same spot all the time even if it is taken out from the quill and then back again. How much can it differ when the gem is transferred from the crown to the pavilion. Sorry for rambling my thoughts.

Im sure you will figure out the way to solve all this and I know this is a bit further down on your list of things to do and think about right now.

As you wrote before - this is not an easy project.
I personally just think it needs somebody crazy enough to do it. :lol:

 

[Nena]

I personally just think it needs somebody crazy enough to do it. :lol:

Hehehe, you met one O

Ya, i know al those points, i also overthought those. But the coolest thing is, when the machine is working (hopefully soon) i can change things The fun side is that i can change everything easily. But it needs to run first... Like i said, with error or no errors

There are some questions with some of the features but its so cool to be the first hobbyist to get a full automatic machine.

Im saying this: A conventional machine you can buy on the market is fun but not for my goal All the materials that are used on those machines are all weak. I also have some flaws in it but when you take a commercial machine and you want to rebuild it i think i would change everything on it as example the base plate. A thin metal sheet with a wooden box... Duh... sorry 0.0003" run out? only at the quell i think, and the rest?!