I followed the recent YouTube video posted about using Intercon to flatten slabs. Everything went exactly as it should with the G-code generation and part zeros. However, when I run the job, the motor won’t spin, but the machine will run the toolpaths.
Any ideas where im going wrong? I can draw jobs in Aspire, export and run them, no problem, but the motor won’t spin up this time around after following along with the video.
Did you add a spindle start command in your program?
You can also check out this thread:
I have header, tool, face, and program exactly as the video I assumed after entering the feed rate and spindle speed in the facing section that it would automatically handle that portion. What am I missing?
Post the g code here and I’ll check it for you
Nevermind, I spotted your issue:
You toggled the spindle to be off. You need to click that until it says “CW M3” (this stands for clickwise M3) M3 is the spindle start command.
What you have right now is M5, which is “spindle stop”
I ended up using your slab slayer tool, which works flawlessly. Thank you.
Will give it another try next time the way you showed in your video now that you pointed out spindle was off. Thank you.
Oh sweet! Glad that worked for you!
So, I watched the YT video on using Intercon to create a facing toolpath. Overall I have liked this quick and easy method. Like the person in this thread, the first time I created the g-code I didn’t have a command to turn the spindle on - so this thread was helpful on that front. But after using this successfully a few times - I’m feeling slightly confused about how the Z-axis is being handled.
Normally when my Z-axis is fully raised - my Z-axis in the DRO is reading around 12”. When I go down to the work surface, and set Z zero and then come back up - I am still in positive numbers on the DRO. If I’m using a Vcarve generated pocketing toolpath - if I want to repeat the cut I just manually go back and set the Z-axis position to whatever it is + the depth of cut. I rinse and repeat this over and over until I’ve gotten things where I want it.
Using Intercon approach - it is just feeling off when after the Intercon G-code finishes and the spindle raises back up - the DRO is showing my Z-axis as a negative number. Not my usual positive number.
Why is that happening ?
Thanks as always !
-scott
Are you doing a tool change in your intercon program?
You could also try this:
Yes I do have the tool change “line/cmd” in the program.
I’ll check out your slab slayer app.
Thank you for your oh so quick response to things here in the forum - your participation is invaluable !!
-scott
So after playing with the slabslayer web app for just a few minutes - I have one suggestion … I think it might be help to relabel “depth” to “depth of cut”.
I think I was in a V-carve autopilot mode when I was specifying the length, width, and THICKNESS of my slab. I was slightly confused for a sec - until I realized depth was not thickness, but rather DOC.
Again thank you for your help here !
-scott
I’ll see if I can make that change… probably will take me a while 
PS, CAREFULLY check over that G code you get from that app. This was a little experiment I did. It works well for me, but I have not battle tested it with every possible variation one could put into it.
best thing to do is make your G code with it, and preview in CNC12 in detail using GRAPH.
