#linuxcnc Logs
Sep 27 2025
#linuxcnc Calendar
12:12 AM Deejay: moin
03:51 AM lcnc-relay: <meisterdippel@> moin
04:36 AM Tom_L: morning
05:08 AM -!- #linuxcnc mode set to +v by ChanServ
08:58 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> moin
08:59 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> mornin reading about flexgui, seems like maybe a good way to go
08:59 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> will at least try it
09:00 AM Tom_L: very flexible
09:01 AM Tom_L: several examples included
09:09 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> I like the idea of drag and drop the widgets that I want displayed
09:10 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> lots to do before I'm at that point tho
09:14 AM Tom_L: http://tom-itx.no-ip.biz:443/~webpage/cnc/JT-SHOP/flexgui/touch-probe3.png
09:14 AM Tom_L: one i did
09:14 AM Tom_L: http://tom-itx.no-ip.biz:443/~webpage/cnc/JT-SHOP/flexgui/touch-probe3-2.png
09:19 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> mine will probably be a fairly simple machine, standard X Y Z Milling machine, with occasional addition of a 4th axis
09:19 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> but there may be add ons, like various solenoids for air (mist coolant, chip blowout, etc)
09:20 AM Tom_L: jt did one that looks like axis
09:20 AM Tom_L: and mine is a 'simple' xyz mill as well
09:20 AM Tom_L: but i did that one to show what was possible
09:20 AM Tom_L: and for testing
09:21 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> _nodnod_
09:21 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> definitely part of the plan, at this point
09:21 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> waiting on some parts for the head, getting that functional, if not "restored" is the first job\
09:22 AM Tom_L: new feature requests are usually done in a couple days too :)
09:22 AM Tom_L: we tried to cover it all
09:22 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> the more I dig into it, the more it looks like someone started to go through the head, put all new bearings in it, and then never reinstalled it on the machine for some reason
09:23 AM Tom_L: if they make sense
09:23 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> Tom_L: yeah, admittedly part of the draw is being able to ask you guys for help if I get stuck
09:24 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> but reading the docs, it sounds like it's aimed at people like me, who aren't coders by trade
09:24 AM Tom_L: just drag and drop
09:24 AM Tom_L: jt handles all the code
09:25 AM Tom_L: fill in a few connections
09:27 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> I suspect that the person working on this mill previously got hung up on trying to integrate all the speed control stuff on the head into computer control. My approach is that phase one is just "get it functional", there's a VFD the computer can control, and all the other stuff can be set manually. Hi/low range, adjustable belt ratio, and brake don't immediately need automatic control
10:24 AM rdtsc: maybe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLLCnJw4oc&t=38s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puwd0-nLflQ&t=2325s will be helpful
10:29 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> could be, the 2j heads on manual machines have a lot of commonality with the ones on their cnc machines. The motors are upside down compared to each other, but most of the parts interchange
10:34 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> This is what my machine would have looked like, originally:
10:35 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R-J7oIR6Myo/UwrdjG68GCI/AAAAAAAAARo/k3q6CQE3a1c/s1600/2014-02-11_18-54-10_714.jpg
10:35 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCkgV6RB8apYefVXWj6qQ9TFCknlCJ4ATYKRd1VVGoXqVvTX-P2JqmtlXi1Nm0xwy3SLq1h9atmf5qGOhCsCVf0eoR3HylztPcBKeaVObJR1cWJ2q6t7TpT5XiLusp52ktVgPFuAWVaY/s1600/2014-02-11_18-54-00_422.jpg
10:36 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> all that plastic stuff around the head was gone already
10:39 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> https://preview.redd.it/arjhz3b77r681.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=e383cf2346fb341ebf6ad0a48f66259005b71ad8
10:39 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> this one shows it better, without all the plastic control housing
10:40 AM rdtsc: just losing the CRT and support boards likely saved 50lbs :)
10:41 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> and also answers a question I had. The hi/low selector on mine ran through a chain drive to something that was missing when I got it. The cast iron mount for it had a long arm which was broken, and in this pic, I can see it was manual, just mounted on that long arm instead of on the side of the head
10:42 AM rdtsc: i figured those may be helpful; not exactly intuitive how it works with the chain and all
10:43 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> probably the extra extension was needed to clear the control box
10:43 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> I'm going to try just putting the selector off a manual 2J on the side of the head, the bolt pattern appears to be the same
10:44 AM rdtsc: the worst that'll happen is it won't work
10:44 AM rdtsc: so go for it :)
10:44 AM rdtsc: chances are good it'll work
10:45 AM rdtsc: like you said, common parts between models
10:45 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> and if it doesn't, I can use it as a pattern to make one with the right bolt pattern
10:45 AM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> :p
01:40 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> Can anyone recommend a very low backdrag wrench?
01:41 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> Just a regular ratchet style wrench, optimized for low backdrag above all else
01:41 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> doesn't need to be strong, because when I torque down the nut, I'll just use a regular wrench
01:42 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> mostly the fine toothed Snap On ones are very low drag on the backswing, but $$
01:42 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> I would normally use an air ratchet or electric ratcher, but those have rather bulky heads
01:42 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> have been somewhat dissatisfied with the Ikon ones, as the direction lever wants to trip all on it's own at the speeds I'm going
01:43 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> * its
01:43 PM roycroft: the husky ratchets get good reviews
01:43 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> I have a SnapOn 1/4" that I use so much I've warranteed it 3 times for wearing out
01:43 PM roycroft: folks suggest they are better replacements for the old, pre-asian-made craftsman ones
01:43 PM roycroft: if you can't afford snap-on
01:44 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> roycroft: Yeah I have one, they are indeed good and low backdrag, still typical ratchet though. I just googled and apparently "zero tooth" is what I'm looking for
01:44 PM roycroft: husky tools are exclusive to home depot
01:45 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> if zero tooth means roller locking, I have a pair of those
01:45 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> don't remember what brand, but once in a while they get used for tight clearance stuff
01:46 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> I have absolutely no idea why electric ratchets focus on "torque". That's what your arm is for. The entire point should be speed. The only toque you need is for spinning on a nylock nut lol
01:46 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> * torque
01:46 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> as far as regular wrenches go the gearwrench flexhead 120xp is my favourite overall. Very compact and nice design
01:47 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> torque test channel's spreadsheet is totally worth it. I almost never buy things if I can pirate but I paid the $10 for their data + lifetime of updates lol
01:47 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> sometimes torque is good, like removal of nuts that are not coming without a fight
01:48 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> but that being said, I've really banged up my hands a few times with super torquey air ratchets
01:48 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> lesliet@: your arm can put more torque than any regular air/electric ratchet though, so what's the point? It'll just smash your hand into something.
01:48 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> I wish they'd make an electric reactionless ratchet.
01:49 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> bottom line here, is my air ratchet quit years ago and I never replaced it- so you can see how important they are to me
01:49 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> lol
01:49 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> Only reason I use my air cat air ratchets is because they're reactionless, otherwise I'd just use the electric
01:50 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> lesliet@: I usually break loose with a regular ratchet, then spin off with an electric ratchet
01:50 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> I use an impact diver for anything stuck.
01:51 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> if there's clearance to get an impact on something, yeah, me too
01:52 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> but yeah Huxky hand tools are surprisingly good quality and the metal has always been hardened well as far as I can test
01:52 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> * Husky
01:53 PM lcnc-relay: <nein.9s@> Same with "pro point" which is princess auto's brand in Canada. Princess auto is like your harbour freight
02:05 PM Tom_L: friction ratchets aren't that reliable
02:06 PM Tom_L: https://chadstoolbox.com/friction-type-ratchets-1/
02:06 PM Tom_L: might be better than some
02:33 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> blondihacks used her shaper again
02:33 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> lol
02:38 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> I gotta watch her vids with the shaper
02:39 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> got some work done today on the tractor I need to assemble and get out of the shop ( limited space)
02:39 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> my derusting solution needs replenishing, but I found a better source for bulk citric acid
02:40 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> and a way to make manganese phosphate solution for parkerizing hardware, but a lot cheaper than what I was doing before
02:41 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> so should be up and running again tomorrow with both of those processes
02:55 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I am seriously thinking about puting the hyster in the shop this winter and try to figure out what needs to be done with it.
03:03 PM Tom_L: skunkworks, trying to remember if you finished up your little lathe project
03:05 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> which one.. the monarch is working and probably good for now
03:05 PM Unterhaus_ is now known as Unterhausen
03:05 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> the emco that I was converting to bigger ball screws is not done yet
03:06 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> the cincinati malicron is not even started..
03:06 PM Unterhausen: machinekit mailing list needs a moderator, or maybe I should just unsubscribe
03:06 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> the nebel is about 3/4 to cnc..
03:07 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I was very productive last summer - this summer not so much I feel
03:07 PM Tom_L: the little emco i think
03:08 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> It is to the point that I need to figure out the oil and electrical
03:08 PM Tom_L: the one you made the D hole for :)
03:08 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> yes - that is the one
03:08 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I need to get some cable drag for it..
03:09 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I would like to get it all buttoned up and semi professional.
03:09 PM Tom_L: i used 2 sizes on my mill
03:09 PM Tom_L: don't recall what they were now
03:11 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I have 3d printed some before.. But I think I want some that will handle the temp and such
03:55 PM xxcoder: blindy hacks. new name for blondihacks
04:23 PM lcnc-relay: <connor_9220@> xxcoder: ?? Why
04:24 PM xxcoder: autocaptions always mangle channel name there lol
04:25 PM xxcoder: darkest name for that channel was bloody ax
05:34 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> my favorite Viking machinist!
06:07 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I have to get the turret back together too
06:12 PM Tom_L: you got alot of todo
06:21 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> maybe a little
07:22 PM roycroft: i spent half the day today shopping for a broom
07:22 PM roycroft: it's ridiculous how hard it is to find a decent one these days
07:22 PM roycroft: i ordered one off amazon, thinking that would be the safe bet, but what i got was a counterfeit that was uselss
07:23 PM roycroft: it makes one think that folks don't do any tidying up these days
07:23 PM xxcoder: with handle made from wishes?
07:23 PM xxcoder: that is, it wishes it can be a real tube
07:25 PM roycroft: i did finally find one, but i had to go all way the way to west eugene to get it, and it was the dozenth or so store i went to to find a broom
08:23 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> topper machine talked about brooms recently...
08:23 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> he buys cheap ones from somewhere and is very happy with them
08:23 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> (I can only take him in small amounts - he can be quite 'get off my lawn!'
08:30 PM lcnc-relay: <pink_vampire@> Do you know about off there shelf gt2 belt holder for 2020 aluminum?
08:31 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> those words make a sentence...
08:31 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> but it must be too late for it to make sense
08:43 PM Tom_L: no it really didn't
08:44 PM xxcoder: I guess belt holder designed to mount on 2020
08:45 PM Tom_L: walmart has em for a buck seventyfive
08:45 PM Tom_L: amazon want's six
08:46 PM Tom_L: https://www.amazon.com/PZRT-Timing-Fixing-Aluminum-Printers/dp/B07PCLPYTJ
08:46 PM Tom_L: if that is in fact what is in question
08:46 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> oh - that
08:47 PM xxcoder: man thats expensive for small cast alum part
08:47 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> lol
08:47 PM Tom_L: walmart has them for a buck seventyfive
08:47 PM Tom_L: https://www.walmart.com/ip/GT2-Timing-Belt-Stabilizers-for-3D-Printers-9x40mm-Aluminum-Gear-Clamp-Mount-Block-Enhances-Print-Quality-and-Stability/15228018964
08:48 PM Tom_L: it's in the muffler belt isle
08:48 PM xxcoder: plenty on ebay too
08:48 PM xxcoder: 10 for 16 bucks
08:49 PM Tom_L: i doubt pink needs 10
08:49 PM xxcoder: I dont know too
08:50 PM Tom_L: good job for a shaper :)
08:50 PM xxcoder: yeah
08:51 PM Tom_L: skunkworks would try to write a comp to cut it on a lathe
08:51 PM xxcoder: I wonder if its possible to make "printable" shaper
08:51 PM xxcoder: it wont be as good as real ones but yeah
08:52 PM Tom_L: too much force
08:52 PM Tom_L: would fall apart
08:54 PM xxcoder: yeah likely outcome. or soft stuff only, like wood and possibly bronze
08:54 PM Tom_L: i'm afraid it would only tear the wood
08:54 PM xxcoder: I guess it just cant be used in a shaper
08:55 PM Tom_L: especially cross grain
08:57 PM xxcoder: plastics?
08:57 PM xxcoder: plastic shaper for plastics
08:57 PM xxcoder: tools definitely still have to be metal
08:57 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> I have a shaper.. I would use that. maybe
09:03 PM Tom_L: https://makercise.com/metal-shaper/
09:03 PM Tom_L: why?
09:08 PM wolfluffyf: making a shaper attachment for a cnc mill is probably a lot easier than making a whole shaper from scatch.
09:10 PM lcnc-relay: <ccatlett1984@> Is this just a tool to get two surfaces that are parallel to each other?
09:12 PM Tom_L: i tried on my mill with poor results so i bought a broach
09:13 PM Tom_L: http://tom-itx.no-ip.biz:443/~webpage/cnc/rotary/Broach/Test_Keyway3.jpg
09:15 PM Tom_L: wasn't the ideal setup either
09:18 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> ccatlett1984@: shapers can make just about anything, they're just not super fast
09:19 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> great for splines and internal keyways, can make dovetails, flat surfaces, lots of stuff.
09:20 PM wolfluffyf: just about everything... everything but a profit, as the saying goes. :P
09:21 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> can even make a profit!
09:21 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> Just have to be a youtuber
09:21 PM Tom_L: shapers are an exercise in patience
09:22 PM xxcoder: theres that old drill style too, keyhole driller
09:22 PM xxcoder: its pretty strange tool but now not used anymore
09:23 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> rotary broaches seem pretty cool, too, just not sure I'm up for building one
09:23 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> expensive to buy
09:25 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> wish I knew what the machine we used for making keyways was called. It was a vertical arrangement with a motor driving a flywheel and stroking a cutter up and down through the part.
09:37 PM ywolflufff: I saw one a while ago that was a right-angle gearbox tool that you just put in the spindle, and it used a little cutting wheel to directly cut the keyway... seemed like a cute idea, but I dunno about rigidity.
09:39 PM ywolflufff: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pqUAAOSwK4Nlbo1q/s-l1600.webp these
09:41 PM ywolflufff: lesliet: vertical shaper?
09:50 PM lcnc-relay: <skunkworks8841@> There are still shavings all over the place were the shaper was originally.. in the trusses . I don't remember what dad was making.. but the shavings were huge and go 'ping' at the - and go flying .
10:21 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> ywolflufff: closest things I'm finding are a vertical slotter or a vertical keyseater
10:22 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> for the project soon to be at hand, I'm just going to do the ol "make a holder for an HSS cutter, and run it back and forth with the lathe carriage"
10:27 PM ywolflufff: vertical slotter and vertical shaper are the same thing iirc.
10:29 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> vertical keyseater is pretty cool, but kind of a one trick pony compared to a shaper
10:30 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> https://www.worldwidemachinetool.com/product/1-1-4-used-d-c-morrison-keyseater-2/
10:31 PM lcnc-relay: <lesliet@> just oscillates a cutter up and down, you move the table to get your depth
11:12 PM ywolflufff: https://i.imgur.com/zaD7LFu.jpeg hehehehe.
11:13 PM xxcoder: perfect loop