Homemade, cheap, plasma CNC

rodw wrote:

Sometimes linuxcnc's persistent g code variables get corrupted, particularly when setting up a machine.
It has not happened to me for a long time.
You could try deleting metric_parameters.txt in your config folder.
 

Thanks Rod, I couldn't find this.

On a different note,
Could you let me know how to generate a g code with out the material settings? I have all my tools saved into QtPlasmaC, however whatever tool i set when creating the g code in sheetcam, is the one it will always use.

Cheers

Try this button code, it ought to do what you're after (at least it did in a sim here ):

Without seeing your g-code, assuming you're using the sheetcam post, if you remove these two lines from your g-code, you should be able to run whatever material is selected in the drop down above the graphics preview window:

(note that the lines may not be exactly this, and that XXX is the material number)

That ought to do it, but be sure to report back!

I meant to note that while you can run it with any speed, any kerf width compensation done in the CAM software will not be updated, and so the size of the cut material may/will vary by the size of the kerf.

snowgoer540 wrote:

I meant to note that while you can run it with any speed, any kerf width compensation done in the CAM software will not be updated, and so the size of the cut material may/will vary by the size of the kerf.

That is how I run my table, I only do garden art stuff on a limited size of thicknesses so kerf width doesn't bother me at all.
 

phillc54 wrote:

That is how I run my table, I only do garden art stuff on a limited size of thicknesses so kerf width doesn't bother me at all.

Agreed, for most stuff it's easy to just set the kerf width to 0 and let er eat, then you can pick any material to cut it out of you please.

It is air plasma after all

I did a cut with a finecut tip and then a cut with a general purpose tip on a mid range thickness material and averaged the kerf width and that is my SheetCAM tool zero kerfwidth. Tool zero is the only tool I need in SheetCAM then.