Cnc Repairs

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Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Hi Apologies if this post is in the wrong place or if I shouldn’t be posting this question at all.
I live in East Yorkshire I am retired Firefighter & as a hobby play in my workshop using
Aspire with my 7 yr old 4 x 2 Cnc Router which I purchased from a company who I think went bust.
(Marchantdice) From down south.


My machine has been perfect all this time but the right rail on the Y axis as now started to pit on about 50% of its length.

I also have an issue which is probably related to the pitting, when I am bringing the machine down the Y axis it has started to judder instead of staying smooth.

Basically I am looking for someone who can come out and replace the rail and possibly assist me in upgrading my machine from its current Win 7 Pc to my Laptop.

Would anyone know of a company or even an individual who would be able to help me with issues.

Thank you in advance.
Gary Don

garylmast
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Location: Sandy, Utah

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by garylmast »

There's plenty of places to buy new rails, including Amazon, and are very inexpensive. Google "CNC Table Rails". Should also be very easy to replace. As far as upgrading to your laptop, simply download the software from Vectric to the laptop, and hopefully the company you got the CNC from gave you a thumb drive or disc with the controller software, which should have the installation on, which you should have, since it's on the P.C. Hope that helps.

Gary

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Thank You Gary i appreciate your time & your advice, unfortunately though I don’t feel confident enough to change the rail myself.

As for the upgrade I mentioned I think I must have worded it wrong.
What I am wanting to do is swap the old pc that came with the machine & which is running Mach 3 for one of my spare laptops.

I am very confident using a computer & my cnc and also Aspire, as far as Mach 3 goes I am fine having it do what I need it to do to complete my cnc projects but that’s where it ends.

If I had to reinstall Mach 3 on another computer that’s simple enough but if I had to then adjust settings from scratch that would be a real problem for me.

I read posts in this forum and I am completely baffled with the terminology I see, so it would not be a good idea for me to try doing something that I am not confident with.

Hopefully I can find someone who can do the job for me.
Thanks again Gary

Gary

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Leo
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Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Leo »

Mach3 needs a parallel port. Does the laptop that you want to use have a parallel port?

In Mach3 on your existing control computer there is a "configuration" file something.xml That has all the "settings". Once that is on the laptop is the main mach3 folder you are all set to go.

The rails are pretty much just bolt on.
Imagine the Possibilities of a Creative mind, combined with the functionality of CNC

garylmast
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Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by garylmast »

Mach3 needs a parallel port. Does the laptop that you want to use have a parallel port?


My first CNC machine used a laptop with a parallel port and was the reason I got rid of it. The laptop fell and a replacement with a parallel port was hard to find. New CNC's at the time all used usb ports, which I've been using Mach3 using my original licence. Since he bought his computer with his machine, he probably will need to buy another copy of Mach 3 and download it on his new computer.

Gary

MarshaJ847
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Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by MarshaJ847 »

Mach 3 can be also be used with an Ethernet or USB motion controller...

If his Mach 3 was from a reputable company, that actually licensed it properly, he should be able to transfer his license to a new PC.

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FixitMike
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Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by FixitMike »

I would suggest doing a Google search for "replace 'brandname' CNC rail" and seeing how difficult it might be before deciding you don't have the skills to do it.

Searching on terminology you don't understand can help, too.

There's lots of learning involved in getting skilled with a CNC. More than anyone expects when they first start.
Last edited by FixitMike on Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.

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adze_cnc
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Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by adze_cnc »

Non-commercial users (aka hobbyists) are permitted to use one Mach license for as many machines as they require. For commercial users (anybody who uses the software to generate profit), we require a separate license purchase for each machine. Mach1, Mach2, and Mach3 may all be used on one computer, but only one version of each will co-exist on a single computer.
Seems fairly straight-forward. https://www.machsupport.com/software/mach3/

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Hi
Thank you for your reply, i am a hobbyist user and Mach 3 came with the machine i purchased from Marchantdice are no longer in business. It is definately a licenced copy though.

I regularly back Mach 3 up by going to Mach 3 on my Pc c: drive and copying the whole folder.

If i were to then to install Mach 3 onto a laptop then paste the contents of the Mach 3 folder i backed up from my Pc C: drive into the Mach 3 folder on the laptop would that mean that all the previous settings from Mach 3 on my Pc would be transferred to my newly Installed version Mach 3 on my laptop (Meaning that i would be ready to use my Cnc & not need to adjust any settings in Mach 3 which is my big worry) ?

Saying all that i am also going to look into and see if there will be any benefit in upgrading to Mach 4.

Thank you once again in advance.
Gary Don

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Thank you Leo i appreciate your reply, its certainly going to save me some head scratching when i install Mach 3 on my laptop.

Leo wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 4:20 pm
Mach3 needs a parallel port. Does the laptop that you want to use have a parallel port?

In Mach3 on your existing control computer there is a "configuration" file something.xml That has all the "settings". Once that is on the laptop is the main mach3 folder you are all set to go.

The rails are pretty much just bolt on.

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Thanks for the advice Marsha.
Am i correct thinking if i buy a motion controller as (in the image) & purchase a cable then plug the Motion controller into the back of my control box.(Which is called 'Cnc Superbox)
then plug the usb end of the cable into my laptop, install Mach 3 onto my laptop that is all i need to do to carry on using my cnc machine with a laptop?

Thanks again Marsha
Gary Don
Image
MarshaJ847 wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:28 pm
Mach 3 can be also be used with an Ethernet or USB motion controller...

If his Mach 3 was from a reputable company, that actually licensed it properly, he should be able to transfer his license to a new PC.

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Hi thanks for the link. I do have a genuine licensed copy of Mach 3 which came with my machine.
Thanks again
Gary Don

adze_cnc wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:02 pm
Non-commercial users (aka hobbyists) are permitted to use one Mach license for as many machines as they require. For commercial users (anybody who uses the software to generate profit), we require a separate license purchase for each machine. Mach1, Mach2, and Mach3 may all be used on one computer, but only one version of each will co-exist on a single computer.
Seems fairly straight-forward. https://www.machsupport.com/software/mach3/

Gary Don
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am
Model of CNC Machine: Merchant Dice 3 x 2
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Cnc Repairs

Post by Gary Don »

Hi Mike Thanks for your reply. The problem with that is my Cnc does not have a brand, it was built by a family business who now are no longer in trading.

Thank you
Gary Don

FixitMike wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:00 pm
I would suggest doing a Google search for "replace 'brandname' CNC rail" and seeing how difficult it might be before deciding you don't have the skills to do it.

Searching on terminology you don't understand can help, too.

There's lots of learning involved in getting skilled with a CNC. More than anyone expects when they first start.

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