Using Plasmac to draw with a marker

cmorley wrote:

tommylight wrote:

What about
/
Axis has a button for ignoring lines starting with
/
That can be used for many things, one of them was in axis splash screen where it would hide or show a part under the EMC2 logo, i think it was "powered by linux" or.....

That is block delete

I thought it was, but i was not sure.
Thank you for confirming that.

phillc54 wrote:

Another option may be to set you marker up like a scribe.

linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/plasma/plas...er-guide.html#scribe

As I understand it, the default action of the scribe is to evoke an output to drop the scribe (pneumatically for example), and then another to start the scribe.

What I think I would need for the marker to work is for the marker to drop to a preset Z height with each M3 command, and not require any float switch activity... as the spring in the marker is not stiff enough to allow the float switch to trip.

Although, a more elaborate marker setup could allow me to switch float switch inputs, and have the marker attachment have its own float switch. Then it would work exactly as the plasma torch does.

I guess there's a ton of ways to skin this particular cat.

snowgoer540 wrote:

As I understand it, the default action of the scribe is to evoke an output to drop the scribe (pneumatically for example), and then another to start the scribe.

Correct

What I think I would need for the marker to work is for the marker to drop to a preset Z height with each M3 command, and not require any float switch activity... as the spring in the marker is not stiff enough to allow the float switch to trip.

Mount the marker was on its own floating head.

Although, a more elaborate marker setup could allow me to switch float switch inputs, and have the marker attachment have its own float switch. Then it would work exactly as the plasma torch does.

You shouldn't need the marker to operate a switch.

I guess there's a ton of ways to skin this particular cat.

There sure is, one of the benefits of LinuxCNC.

So, since I seem to be digging up old threads... keep digging?

I had the opportunity to mess around with my marker setup this weekend, on my new Z axis I designed. The nice thing is that I can now run the program as if it was a plasma cut file, and leave the torch off. The marker spring is heavy enough to trip my float switch, and by changing my cut height to just above 0 (.004"), I was able to get just enough pressure to make the marker leave a mark. All in all, it worked really well!

I should point out that this system works well for me because I am going to just make different "heads" I can swap in and out via the magnetic break away. No need for a complicated air scribe with a solenoid to drop the engraver down, I just swap heads. And post one file with the "marker" layer, and another with the cut path.

My next line of thinking is this: I have a tormach diamond drag engraver that I want to try to use. My plan would be to isolate it, and somehow hook the ohmic to it. I am worried that I wont be able to get enough pressure on it though with .004", and since PlasmaC wont let me do .000 as as cut height, I'm assuming I definitely cant do a negative height....the thought would be, find the material height, then go down .125" to load the drag tip appropriately.

Any thoughts on how I could achieve this? Am I making it harder than it has to be? lol

You may be able to cheat the height by setting the ohmic offset to a negative number.