CNC Mill Retrofit: Mach3 to Masso G3 Touch
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2023
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I purchased an Intelitek Super Prolight 1000 CNC mill and initially retrofit it with a Mach3 Controller. I enjoyed using my CNC lathe with the Masso G3 Touch controller so much, that I decided to ditch the Mach3 and put the Masso controller on this machine also. While making the switch, I decided to go ahead and do a host of other upgrades, including: building an enclosure, wiring up a 4th and 5th axis trunion table, adding a hand-wheel pendant controller, adding a mist coolant system, adding a spindle clamp release button, adding a tool height setter, and wiring up a touch probe. This has turned out to be a really incredible machine and I can't wait to use it in upcoming projects!
Links to components used:
Masso G3 Touch Controller: www.masso.com.au/product/mass...
2 x Stepper Motor Drivers: amzn.to/3hNcyfL
Meanwell 24v Power Supply: amzn.to/3Gs1v6a
Terminal blocks: amzn.to/43nDDcL
DB25 cable: amzn.to/400Dc5h
DB25 breakout boards: amzn.to/41lqvmI
Push button: amzn.to/3Kvu4jj
20/20 Aluminum extrusion: amzn.to/40YpJML
Aluminum extrusion connector hardware: amzn.to/3ZVqCUU
Mist coolant sprayer: amzn.to/3zOHAJW
Mist coolant: amzn.to/3GwTn3p
Step down voltage converter: amzn.to/43o4qpl
Handwheel pendant: www.aliexpress.us/item/325680...
3D Touch probe: www.aliexpress.us/item/325680...
Tool setter: www.aliexpress.us/item/225580...
My website: www.id3ntitycrisis.com
My design portfolio: www.id3ntitycrisis.com/portfo...
100% Ed Norton from the side
Your productivity is insane!
The first sentence of the has video fully described the entire meaning of a hobby :)
Nice setup!
Epic work Travis!
Really great install video.
Looking forward to seeing the machine in action.
Cheers Peter.
Great stuff. Consider some fender washers between the handles and screw heads on the sliding plexy doors. Also step drills ftw on panel work. Looking forward to whatever you have in store.
I'm amazed with how patient you make this, very well done. Videos are also nice to watch. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that was impressive. You have a lot of cool machines. You should do a shop tour.
Please keep the Masso Touch videos coming! I am debating on converting my Centroid to Masso
the Masso looks like a great products for those new to CNC and not interested in stumbling through LinuxCNC or Mach3
nice work
Awesome! Happy to find this. Looking to rebuild my old desktop mill with the Masso touch. I love the laser. I sat my mini mill in a large but short storage container- the type you slide under a bed because I use flood coolant. The tool changer I like too but I think it uses too much table space on a mini. I’d like to build a gantry type and have spare space for it. I find a vise to be used little for my parts on a mini and opt for aluminum fixture plates instead. Nice shop you have! Tech.👍🏻 I indicate stuff in and touch-off with paper still. Your aids are nice and presumably inexpensive. 5 axis too, nice.. that’d be a ton of cash on a VMC.
I hope you have better luck with your mist cooler than I did.
Great job!!
Congratulations 👍👍👍
Great video! I have three of these in my manufacturing lab at school and we are looking at how we can update them from Windows XP into something worthwhile!
Danke. Inspiration. ✌
How long are you taking with each project, crazy how fast you go through these. Also, great fan, I am also very into general programing, cnc, fabrication and music composing. Can't say why but the random loop at the end of your videos is supper catchy. This is a great channel to have found, your a hobby hero!!
Thanks! This was actually quite a long project...I did most of the work and filming at the end of last year, and just now finally had a chance to wrap it up and edit the video.
Maybe at dummy point where tool drops you could mount a small 3d printed box with soft PU layer so the tool can just drop in there on release, so you don't have to attend at that moment.
Super!
So many toys yesssss
Wow, great job! The whole setup looks great. On the enclosure side panels, do all 4 edges of the plastic fit in the T-slot grooves? Or only 2 edges? I'm wondering how you bent the plastic if all 4, or maybe you slid the T-slots over after inserting the plastic like you did on the front?
All four edges fit in the slots, the Coroplast is flexible enough that for most of the larger panels I could just bend them enough to fit them in.
@@diyfiberlaser Thanks. I've been putting off making an enclosure for my Taig for 5 years, ha ha. Did you put any sealant? Or just the T-slot is good enough? I run mist on mine also. Ps, have you tried a fog buster. I had the $15 mist setup that you have, and made the entire house full of mist one day (no enclosure). I switched to the smallest Fogbuster, and it was perfect (still with no enclosure).
@@nickp4793 I didn't use any sealant, it seems to be good enough. I have not tried a fog buster, but would definitely consider it if the cheapo one causes problems.
Great video, thank you
How come you didn't just add another tool holder position for manual swaps? You can then just drop whatever you want in that extra slot? It seemed like it would be easy for you to add another row of tool holders? What am I missing?
I tested using a different top plate for the tool rack that held 8 tools and it worked, but I lost a lot of cutting area. With the current setup my usable cutting area is about 7” x 5”, with an 8 tool rack the cutting area was only about 4” x 5”, so I just chose to go with extra space over more tools. I was told the optional manual tool change logic was going to be added in a future software update, so that should help.
@@diyfiberlaser Thanks for the reply, that all makes sense. I know that some people have increased their cutting area by making servo actuated tool trays, or simply mounted the tool holders on a rotary disk and rotated the tool in, but that's no good for the probe with its wire, and no good if the controller doesn't support it. Anyway, keep up the great work!
I wish I had enough money to grind around my electronics.
Cool tool changer! I thought the stock tool changer on the prolights were pneumatic so the stems of the collets wouldn't hit the spindle housing. How did you get around this on your tool changer?
You need the pneumatic type if you’re going to approach the tools from the side, but if you approach from the top like this, there is a pocket underneath the spindle housing that gives clearance for the other tools.
Great job on everything, I have recently purchased the MASSO Touch controller to pair with a Taig 4029 CNC ready Lathe., I purchased the MASSO steppers also, I also picked up the G-Penny pendant. By any chance could you post the pinout for the G-Penny handwheel 4 Axis(G-Penny wire color to Masso pin #) it would really help me out. I purchased a 5-volt power supply as opposed to the voltage stepdown to use with the G-penny. I am new to this all so any help would be greatly appreciated. I also got the same probe and the tool setter (not sure yet if I can use either on my lathe) I do have a FoxAlien Vasto mill I may be able to use them on. I did watch this video a while back, maybe that's why I ended up getting some of the same accessories as you.
Here's how I wired the pendant, scroll down to the bottom and see the post by Gomond....good luck with your build!: forums.masso.com.au/threads/mpg-will-not-work-with-my-masso.1570/page-2
@diyfiberlaser Thanks for the information. You have a nice collection of machines, very impressive. I really like the laser you put together, unfortunately substantially out of my price range. Have a nice day 😊
Great Vid, have you done anything with the prolight lathe ?
I still have and use it every time I need a turned part
@@diyfiberlaser I stumbled on to a deal I couldn't pass up several years ago, the mill, and lathe both with auto tool changers. Life gets in the way, but I finally have a place to work on stuff again. Just started digging on info for converting them to modern controls. Do you have, or know of any resources for the lathe tool changer?
If doing it today would you use mach3, masso, or something else?
Thanks for the great videos!!
If you haven't yet, join the Prolight FB group, that's the best resource I've found for working on these machines. I still prefer Masso over Mach3, it was easy to set up the tool changer. Some of the other people have used Centroid Acorn and Linux CNC: facebook.com/groups/566786733924484@@ACatKrom
@diyfiberlaser how well are you long the masso so far? I’m looking at buying a Queen Ant V2 or ultimate bee. Thought about going with a masso for controls. I’m brand new to the cnc world, and the masso looks pretty user friendly compared to the Mach 3 or DDCSV4.1 (Chinese).
I just bought 2 more of them…one to replace mach3 on my cnc router, and one for another cnc mill conversion
umm... Isn't that fan on the driver box going to be a problem when you run the mist cooler? That fan will intake mist into your electronic enclosure? Shouldn't you duct the fan "hole" to the outside to prevent mist collection?
Thanks for pointing that out. I have several ducts and exhaust fans for all of my laser fume extraction...I was considering cutting a hole in the enclosure and using that to exhaust it outside.
Where did you get your fixture plate for this thing? Or does the prolite come like this? I have the TMC1000 and im also looking to upgrade the drive motor for the spindle. Have you come across any good options in that department?
It comes with that fixture plate. I haven't looked for any other spindle options.
hi is the d-b 25 cable suitable for carrying the stepper motor signal when taking into account the ampage . I purchase a break out board and a d-sub 25 computer interface cable after watching you video, but then started wondering a about amps
Yes, I have the stepper drivers power wired separately, only the step/dir signals are through the cable
@@diyfiberlaser thanks for the reply i am using a open builds black box which has the the stepper driver built in so the wires out of the control board go straight to the stepper motor, for a second i thought i could pass them through a d-b 25 cable ( probably best i dont though) . The masso g3 looks great
Is this mill now discontinued? Couldn't find it on Intelitek website?
now that you have used Masso and Raytools for a laser do you think the masso could control your laser also?
I'm in the planning stages of trying to do just that...so hang tight, it's going to take me a bit to put it together
I saw in this video a 4th and 5th axis attachment in the background. Is that something you made or bought?
I bought it used, so I don't have an exact link, but this is similar, but mine is 100:1 ratio: www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803632185882.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.41.7f1b47eexWoDlw&algo_pvid=22515f0c-ecd0-4c73-b180-e87a95aad33e&algo_exp_id=22515f0c-ecd0-4c73-b180-e87a95aad33e-20&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%21926.0%21787.1%21%21%21%21%21%40211bea7b16827941420447231d07d7%2112000027264908846%21sea%21US%211789045272&curPageLogUid=YtSy9ulOuO4V
I notice the tool setter you are using is a normally closed one, how will you wire it to the Masso?
Thanks, Pat
I wired it just like they showed: docs.masso.com.au/wiring-and-setup/touch-plate
@@diyfiberlaser I should have phrased the question different, the Masso instructions show a tool setter with normally open contacts, the tool setter you used appears to have normally closed contacts?
Thanks, Pat
@@patraymond3791 You can just select the input and press the spacebar to invert the signal.
@@diyfiberlaser Perfect, thanks for the help
Pat
I am pleased to see that you have accomplished these tasks. I had been considering discontinuing my subscription, as it appeared that your channel's focus would be on tool upgrades for the foreseeable future. I eagerly anticipate your return to projects that are more in line with my interests.
Where did you source your vise?
amzn.to/464ggFm
I will say I am confused, the build list says "Meanwell 48v Power Supply" but links to a 24V one. Is that the wrong one, or is the list off?
keep safe
Glen
Sorry, it was a typo...the Masso runs on 24v
@@diyfiberlaser heh, typos happen to the best of us.
I am curious, do you know if this would this work on a proLIGHT 2000? I ask as when I got it, most everything electronic guts wise was missing, except for the stepper motors and the overtravel sensors. Not even the speed control for the motor was intact, instead a separate black box brand, manual speed control was on it. Unfortunately I have tried asking various forums, and no one seems to be able to give me any advice on building a control box/unit, for the milling machine. Hence my asking you
I've never retrofit a 2000, I could be mistaken, but I thought those have DC servo motors w/ separate encoders instead of stepper motors....like what was on my Benchman (czcams.com/video/ojRP2vu1XdQ/video.html). I believe the original spindle motor control was from here, not sure which model though: www.minarikdrives.com/dc-motor-controls
You could use Masso, Acorn, Linux CNC, Mach3...whatever controller you like.@@LTCDRRAZOR
I forgot to mention...I still have all of the original parts I pulled from the Benchman...the spindle drive, servo drives, etc...likely the same parts (or compatible) with your original missing components. Let me know if you're interested in any of them.@@LTCDRRAZOR
I would be interested, though how could I contact you?
I also have more details on this Prolight 2k as it did have a computer that came with it, with some form of home brew setup that "worked" with Mach 3. Yet everything else either removed or disconnected, and I have no idea how to figure out which wires go to what in the bundle that was strapped to the back of the computer with no labels. Yes, he crammed the home brew controler inside of the bottom half of the computer case that was also the computer running Mach 3, making it a single unit computer. On top of that, i am not super tech savvy, so just building something new so I know what goes to what and where. The only other real option is find someone who could help decipher this computer's cnc controller wiring components.
But yes, I would be interested.@@diyfiberlaser
But Masso dont support RTCP...so its almost useless for 5 Axis...🤔
You dont like using Mach3 or "YOU" dont know how to use it?
I have been using Mach3 for years now without fail.
Masso do good controllers but are overpriced for what thay are.
Maybe its just a Bling Bling syndrome.
Masso doesn't require a separate computer like Mach 3 does. So, it is cheaper than most controllers when you add the price of a designated computer to the system.