TerryC Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi everyone, new here but desperate for some help. I have a gravograph M20 Jewel which has decide it's not going to play ball. No matter what I try, e.g. engrave or set the Z ref, the tool holder simply goes straight down until it reaches its maximum depth and then beeps like crazy, occasionally I get a message, something like, end of travel error. I think it's going to be an engineers call out but I'm between a rock and a hard place at the moment, so if anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. Oh, and and my thanks to you all for sharing your knowledge, I've been lurking on this board for the last few months and I've learned quite a lot. Thanks TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Do not call out an engineer there will be a simple answer. Someone will be along very soon to help you. Trust me. Sadly it won't be me I'm on a different set up. But I would suspect it's something in your software settings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi rlj Thanks for your quick response, I do hope someone can help, but I have the feeling that this machine, although only a few months old, is one of the rogue ones that appear every so often. Since getting it I seem to have had nothing but problems, although some are down to my inexperience. Anyway hope you have a nice weekend. TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 How long have you had it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 pop into the chat room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Don't then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Sorry busy replying to your post, seemed to have lost my reply and I've no idea how to get to the chat room. Some weekend this is turning out to be - I/m now lost in cyberspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 ok whizz on to the home page. Top of the page you will see an icon named ..............wait for it...........chat. click on that old son you will be in the room of madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Quick update. Managed to fix the problem. I needed to engrave some high dome wedding rings which will not hold when using the standard jaws. So I fitted the plastic jaws, then tried to set the zero point. Pressed the buttons and the tool holder went barreling across the machine and hit the ring vice, meanwhile the control cable connected to the tool holder was happily unraveling. I carried on setting it up and the cable appeared to go back to normal but it had got itself tangled and that was the problem. But, I am not comfortable engraving the rings using the plastic jaws because to set the zero point in the middle of the ring I have to offset by about 5mm, and it does not put the centre of the engraving in the bottom of the ring as it should, more like a third of the way round, not much use when you have to avoid hallmarks. I set up with the standard jaws and all works fine, so has anyone got any ideas how I can engrave high dome wedding rings using the standard jaws? TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 so are you engraving rings on the cylinder attachment or on the flat bed? dont know this machine seen pics of it but thats all. carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Morning hibsjo I'm using the cylinder attachment, but because the rings are high-domed there isn't enough area to grip and they can be pulled off quite easily, so I need something to increase the grip, any ideas? TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 so youve set your job up sent the job over to machine set the z reference to touch ring and its moving while enraving? try loosening the tension so the tool can "carry" the height? as for gripping the ring we have rubber/plastic sleeves to fit over the rods for holding rings dont know if youve got any? hope this helps carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Haven't got any 'proper' rubber/plastic sleeves, I'll search my junk box for something suitable and give it a try. Thanks TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Jo has a point there. Make sure the tension is slackened off so the diamond can move up an down freely on its spring tension. And is not locked down as if you were engraving a flat plate. Also a light touch cutter knob would be a useful addition if you haven't already got one. Terry when you bought your machine did you not get any training with it?...It bothers me that we have seen on here so many times guys that have purchased engraving machines but have not been taught how to use them properly...... You don't get that with Umarq. C'mon we have a Vistool Owners Club, someone set up a Gravo Owners Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Phew! done it. Used double sided carpet tape, set the spindle pressure to 0 (thanks jo), and prayed a lot. Still not happy with the machine though, looks like an engineer is in order. Gray you have mail, or you will have in a moment. TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 No I dont, lol PM or email? Oh chatroom lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 if the machine was supplied to you by gravograph phone them to sort issues you have with it. they wil deal with it they are watching carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 i find the thinner more rounded rings pop out easily or move when engraved, even with the little cone jaws i have i filed a groove into the jaws.... see below download/file.php?id=955&mode=view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Morning Andy Those cone jaws look much neater than the ones supplied with the M2oJ. A good idea and once I get the machine sorted I will probably adapt the plastic jaws in a similar way. I'm wondering just how accurate you have to be filing the grooves to ensure the ring remains centered. Meantime, Gray said you are THE MAN, have you any ideas what causes the machine to try and commit suicide every time I switch to the plastic jaws? Thanks and have a nice day. TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 from what you've said it could be something as simple as the wrong settings on the machining screen maybe if you could post 2 screenshots of your machining screen one of the normal flat work parameters and one of the ring parameters if you get the machining screen up, then hit the "Prt Scr" button on your keyboard then open up a paint programme and paste the image you can then save it and upload it here lets see if we can fix this puppy with the power of the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Andy, here's the two screen shots you wanted, flat plate and plastic jaws. I could normally just use the plate setting as is and it would engrave OK. The plastic jaw settings will not work as is, if I tried to engrave it will give an out of bounds error, I have to click 'side ring Black V' and then manually enter the ring parameters, for some reason it forgets what I've entered in the Material page. TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 that makes sense about the out of bounds thing flat plates are done center of machine and the rings are way off to the right, thats why you are getting an error message defo use the ring settings for rings on G5 the material page is just the surface area you wish to engrave, if i were engraving a large plinth ring with a year and name i would only enter say 60mm x 10 mm the machining page is where you enter diameter and retract etc never used this version of gravo software...can you explain why 2 rings and the chuck are ticked on the machining screen? i would have thought it should be either "ouside" or "inside" the ring or "chuck", not all 3? x, y, and z on flat work being zero makes sense but on rings the x should really show up as a number as it's way over to one side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 also when you're on your material page hit F1 this will bring up the help bumf you can navigate around this to get many "AHAAAAAA thats what it does" moments do what i did too, go get some brass rings from a plumbers merchants, great for practice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithm Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 do what i did too, go get some brass rings from a plumbers merchants, great for practice I believe they're called 'brass olives' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryC Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Thanks Andy From what you have said the software thinks I am machining a flat plate, even though I've actually set up for a ring in the Materials page - very poor. This only happens when I've selected the plastic jaw holder, the standard jaw works OK. With G6 you can set plate dimensions if you want, or use point and shoot to determine the bounding box. Now you've mentioned it why 3 icons when 2 would suffice, never noticed before but if I point the mouse at the left icon (just the ring) I get pop ups saying 'machine top left corner' or 'floating center' etc, doesn't appear to do anything and never seen it in the manual, the second icon means inside ring (you can engrave outside) and the third shows which jaws you are using. Just checked rings x setting using standard jaws and that shows as 0 as well - maybe I have a beta version of GS6? Got shares in the local plumbers merchant for brass rings (olives - well spotted keith). One thing that puzzles me is why the tool holder crashed (and not softly) into the ring vice, surely the software or machine has boundary limits to stop this happening. Will have to ring Gravo, anyone have a number or contact name? TerryC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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