Well I got tired of searching for an answer. Should be easy to find, but it isn't. My friend bought a barely used MKll with a mechatronic 3-axis board. It was supposed to have a computer all setup to go with it, long story short, the wrong computer was sent so now I have no software. I am good with sketchup, and I am sure I will have no trouble designing and using sketchUcam, and the plugin. However, just what program do I use to send the gcode to the printer, and how do I set it up? I have a computer running XP, with a parrallel port hooked up, and the computer sees the printer.
Thanks, Anthony

 

Actually no, I was not happy about having to buy software to make this work. I also went to my shop and got the name of the board in the machine and decided to take my question here as you suggested. I was hoping for an open source or free solution like FCplot that I saw someone using on youtube. If I could contact the person who it was bought from, I would have already.

 

Linuxcnc is required to run on linux. I do not have time to set up a linux machine or the time to learn how to. I am looking for a simpler solution.

 

Thank you for all your help guys. I did find the CD's, although they are very badly damaged from being transported across a few states. Someone decided to put all 3 in an envelope, and then got bounced in the bed of a pick-up truck for 14 hours. I did manage to get Mach 3 off the 3rd disk and installed. I watched most of the videos, but can't retrieve all of them. I managed to get the printer working, but I am unsure how to proceed after loading in some gcode. I sent a message to ask about replacements, hopefully someone will respond. I think I need to just watch a few more tutorials from disk2 and then I will know more what I am doing.
Anthony

 

Anthony, did you get your machine to manually jog in Mach3? If yes, than getting it to cut g-code is easy. You load the g-code by clicking on the 'load g-code' button. If it's a long file it will take Mach3 a minute or so to make it's calculations and then you click on the green button. I think it says 'start' on it. Make sure that before you start the g-code you jog the gantry to the position you want it to be the 0,0 position and then ZERO THE AXIS'S BY CLICKING THE BUTTON NEXT TO THE DRO (Digital Read Out). Don't even ask how I know how important it is to do that and not to forget.

If you didn't get it to jog manually then you'll have to look at the videos or just RTFM.

 

Yes, I can get it to jog manually. I even loaded a cnc file from one of the designs in this forum. It started cutting, but it wasn't really doing the right thing. The z axis started slowly going down as it cut, then went all the way past the end of a 4ft sheet. I am also not sure of where 0,0 should be, or what height the bit should be at to start. My first try, I started the bit on the wrong side. Maybe I should try and generate the gcode myself? I 3d print a lot, and before I run a print, I examine the layers in the slicer. Have to figure out how to do that here.

Also, the blue foam I was using seemed to sometimes lose its grip on the rollers. Haven't figured that one out yet either.

 

First, yes, the blue foam, or pink (for that matter), do lose traction. The rollers are sanding a groove into it. I found it out too. I use dollar tree foam as the carrier and have no more slipping problem.

On the PhlatPrinter III the 0,0 point is on the right bottom corner of the material you cut. I don't know where it is on the MK II since it's 'upside down'.

I don't know which 3d printer you have but mine uses Marlin and it starts by homing all the axis'. You have to do the same on your PhlatPrinter (and any other CNC mahine, for that matter) by determining where you want 'home' to be, where 'home' is the 0,0 point.

BTW, did I mention to look at the videos and RTFM (Read The F***ing Manual)?

 

The manual is unreadable. I always rtfm. Disk 2 is completely screwd. Fortunately, Mark and Trish are going to make some copies and send them out. I got the reply today.

I am not sure what you mean by using the dollar tree foam as a carrier? You mean tape the 2 foams together to make it thicker and more likely to grab? Which one on top?

 

Yes, you 'glue' the dollar tree foam to the blue/pink foam. I use spray adhesive. I spray mainly the dollar tree since it has the paper on it. The blue/pink foam melts with the spray foam. So use it very lightly on that foam. The reason the dollar tree foam works good in our printers is the paper. It prevents the rollers from sanding it down which is what had happened to you.

You could use double sided tape just make sure you apply it where you don't cut since it will clog the bit.