Indexer Help Needed

[jimmya]

I am trying to make a cut file of the attached STL file to have it turned on an Indexer. The first picture is of the set up and the second picture is the out come. Can anyone of you Indexer experts tell me what I am do wrong or make me a Aspire file.


Thanks For Your Help!!


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[steve]

I can't open your stl file. Could you post the .sbp file?
Is you indexer parallel to the X or Y axis?

[jimmya]

I have not made a cut file yet. I seen no need to do so, seeing results in the preview in Aspire. The set up would be like the first picture I posted.

Thanks For Your Help

Jimmy

[steve]

I suggest you make a .sbp file and do a preview cut in the shopbot software.

[jimmya]

Here is what I am getting when I try to make a tool path.

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[steve]

I was able to open the file in partworks 3D. If it displays the same as Aspire ( which I don't have) is seems that you Z depth is 18".
If I were doing this in Artcam the Z depth would be 1.75, and the page I would draw it on would be 10.9956 high (Y) x 18 wide (X). My indexer is parallel to the X axis. Maybe you need to redraw the leg. As for the grooves , they would need to cut as a seperate file in Artcam. Maybe someone with Aspire experance could step in and provide some insight on how this is done in that software.

[jimmya]

It does the same thing as the picture above.

Thanks For Your Help
Jimmy

[steve]

Jimmy,
Can you send me the vector used to make the leg?

[jimmya]

The DXF file say's that I need there permission to use it, which I didn't know until I downloaded the DXF. So I'll find another one and post it.

Jimmy

[rcnewcomb]

I'd recommend rotating it in your original program (X for Z).


I tried some different orientations and the best I could do was this:

[jimmya]

Randell,
Thanks for your help. I was getting what you got, but, I can not use the file. I'll come up with another one if I can find or make one.

Jimmy

[myxpykalix]

Have you tried this instructions?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sG7x210qgY
Jim McGrew unwraps his king model. The thing i might wonder about is whether you can unwrap this stl that you posted that is more sylindrical then something like his king.
I don't know how it would work on the square top.:confused:
Also there must be some confusion on the thickness settings for your model in order to wrap it around a center so that the object doesn't distort like he shows

Maybe jim could clear up your confusion...:D

[Brady Watson]

This model seemed to have its origin point in a weird place. The attached one unwraps fine.

-B

[jimmya]

Thanks Brady
I know how to change the origin point on something in Aspire (under Edit/Job, size and position) but can you explain to me where the origin point was in this model and how you changed it? In case i run into this issue again.

Thanks for your help!
Jimmy

[Brady Watson]

Pull it into Rhino, set it on the origin & export it as a binary STL.

-B

[jimmya]

Pull it into Rhino, set it on the origin & export it as a binary STL.

-B


Thank You Brady!!!!

[Brady Watson]

No problem Jimmy. Sometimes you have to run problematic 3D files through another program to clean them up...Many programs reorder things and fix attributes that get jumbled, just by pulling them in and spitting them back out again.

-B

[mservis]

I may not be the brightest apple on the tree, but I am ready to purchase a cnc router and a cnc lathe. but I looked at the indexer and from the very limited information available it is a lathe and is limited to turnings not designs on rounded stock. Please re direct me if I am wrong.

[steve]

Mary,
The indexer is not a CNC lathe, that's a different beast.
I would not have bought my machine if I couldn't have gotten the indexer with it. It does do turnings, and much more. Here are some examples.
Don't think of a shopbot as a tool that does certain things, if your open to it, the machine will challenge you to do things you can't imagine now. That's why I bought mine.

[myxpykalix]

Mary,
I'm sure you know a lathe spins in one direction and with hand tools you are limited basically to beads and coves. An indexer uses a stepper motor just like what moves the shopbot in the X and Y directions and the motors are omnidirectional.

With combinations of different bits you can make many different types of NONsymetrical designs on the indexer. Here are some things i've made.
You may want to tell us what you are interested in making so if someone has already done it we could post pictures to show it can be done.

[jdervin]

Jack--

Nice stuff. That's the first time I've seen picture #1. I like that one in particular.