Pausing SB Link file while drilling with an air drill - DON'T

[dlcw]

PRS Alpha 96x60, 2.2hp spindle, SB air drill. ShopBot software 3.6.1.

I have found that if I press either the 'S' key or the space bar to pause drilling operations while using SB Link, somehow some variables are getting corrupted.

I have to do this on occasion to let my compressor catch up. Yes I have a brand new larger compressor (80 gallon, 2 stage, 13cfm@90psi (mailto:13cfm@90psi)), but the motor went out 1 day after I brought it home and have to wait for a new motor (10 days). So I'm forced to use my smaller compressor (25 gallon, single stage, 5.5cfm@90psi (mailto:5.5cfm@90psi)) until the large one is repaired. I have the Shopbot set up to start and stop the drill on entry into and exit from the material respectively.

Here's the scenario - when there is a pause in drilling, while the drill is transiting to a new set of holes to drill, press 'S' or space bar, wait for compressor to catch up, press 'R' to resume operations, from this point forward holes are not drilled to the correct depth (should be .375 and they are drilled at .25) and hole positions are out of position from where they should be. For the hole positioning part there seems to be no consistency in where the holes are out of position. I've even had holes skipped when I pressed the 'R' key to resume. I have repeated this three times in the same SB Link file.

When I finish the sheet with the messed up holes and start a new sheet, with the same job and nesting from SB Link, that has drilling operations, the holes are drilled to the correct depth and in the correct position.

I will have to go back and redo the parts that have skipped or out of place holes and increase the shallow holes to proper depth with a hand drill. Not a real time saver over drilling them all properly, by hand, in the first place.

Anyone have any idea what might be going on here? I will be sending this to SB Support to get them looking into it. Not sure posting on the Thermwood forum would do much good.

Thanks,

Don
www.diamondlakewoodworks.com (http://www.diamondlakewoodworks.com)

[Gary Campbell]

Don...
I am not sure here, but it seems that the offset variables are either lost, or the temp offsets (VO) for the drill are not being applied after the pause.

Any chance that the errors in XY positions are your XY offsets?

Did you by chance save the current variables after the error? I hate to harp on this, but it is close to the only way to tell what is happening for sure. In other words, if the variables in the system memory are correct, its a software problem. If they are not, then a totally different solution is required. When using another tool versus the spindle, an offset (read variables) are required. It is mandatory to know those values to troubleshoot.

I know that the offsets are reset (off) at file end, dont know what happens when a pause is encountered.

Is there a difference between the [S] key and the [spacebar]?

You might be better off with a 5mm bit in the spindle till the motor comes back.
Gary

[porscheman]

Don,

As a temporary measure while you are waiting for your new compressor motor to arrive, why don't you remove the air lines/fittings that enter into your large 80 gallon tank and connect this in to your smaller 25 gallon compressor (via some inexpensive quick connects and hoses). This will add a very large "reserve" of compressed air that may get you through 1 sheet of drilling, and then you could let the small compressor catch up while you are pulling parts and loading the next sheet.

Years ago, I had a compressor motor detonate and it was going to be as expensive to replace that motor as it would be to buy another big compressor. But I did as described above and permanently plumbed in the old tank to my system and I was able to purchase a slightly smaller CFM compressor because of my extra reserve capacity. This has proved itself very useful in my spray finishing and other shop tasks that occasionally call for a lot of air.

Obviously, when your new motor arrives, you can switch the plubming configuration back to stock when you install that motor.

John

[dlcw]

Gary,

I tried to dump the variable values but unfortunately ShopBot Control puts up a modal dialog box, prompting for the next sheet, that I can't get around to dump the system variables. If you know a way around this dialog please let me know. I would have dumped that variables if I could.

John,

That just might be the way to go. I would certainly relieve my little compressor from working so hard.

Don

[Gary Campbell]

Don you are right... not til the end of the file. JC's solution may be the best one.
Gary