[Steve Seebold]

My 1100 is 5 1/2 years old and all I have ever done is run the hell out of it.

I keep the computer plugged into the wall, and I make sure the machine is well lubricated.

Although I don't recommend it, I have done work as close as +/-.00075, but I do +/-.001 work all the time.

The first 4 years or so I had the machine I took in job shop type work, but in the last year I decided "hey, I'm 72 years old now and I don't want to work that hard any more", so now I just concentrate on making stuff for my remote control boats and trucks.

I do that when I'm not seeing the country in my RV.

[Philbobb]

There is an issue with the Tormach version of Mach 3 losing/gaining Z height with helical moves, I ran into it several times. One of the later versions solves it, I think 66? I can't remember the exact steps, but I recall downloading and installing Mach 3, then moving the new Mach .exe to the PCNC3 folder. It's been a few years, I've since upgraded to PathPilot.

[RussMachine]

I'm still waiting for PathPilot to arrive.
One question: How is tapping in PathPilot?
Do I still have to long-code tapping cycles, or does it read G84 ?

[IMT]

There is an issue with the Tormach version of Mach 3 losing/gaining Z height with helical moves, I ran into it several times. One of the later versions solves it, I think 66? I can't remember the exact steps, but I recall downloading and installing Mach 3, then moving the new Mach .exe to the PCNC3 folder. It's been a few years, I've since upgraded to PathPilot.

I don't know exactly which version of Mach3 I have, whatever came with my machine in 2011, first run of Series III. I have never observed losing steps on small helical moves, and I helical plunge regularly. However I am also cognizant of the acceleration limits of the machine and the limited read ahead ability of Mach3 and adjust the feedrate/curve radius accordingly. I can see where it could cause problems when the commanded trajectory exceeds the acceleration rate the machine is capable of AND the program uses a bunch of short moves. Mach3 only reads ahead 20 lines (by default), so it won't see the high acceleration demand coming and cannot plan for it. When it cannot change direction at the rate commanded it loses steps. I have not done an in depth study to prove this theory, just my understanding of what can happen and by avoiding those conditions I don't have problems with missed steps.

[eltejano]

The 1100 I learned on had Mach3 and I kept running into weird problems, once similar to yours and almost always on Z. I thought it as just me because si was new to CNC machining but it was the damn Mach 3 . Once Pathpilot was installed, all my problems went away. The machine just sounded like a whole different machine, the steppers sound way way better. The interface is easy to use and took me all of 5 minutes to get the hang of it. Plus the Mach 3 interface is hideous, it looks like a 90s Altavista or Geocities website drawn up on Microsoft paint.

[SomeWhatLost]

The 1100 I learned on had Mach3 and I kept running into weird problems, once similar to yours and almost always on Z. I thought it as just me because si was new to CNC machining but it was the damn Mach 3 . Once Pathpilot was installed, all my problems went away. The machine just sounded like a whole different machine, the steppers sound way way better. The interface is easy to use and took me all of 5 minutes to get the hang of it. Plus the Mach 3 interface is hideous, it looks like a 90s Altavista or Geocities website drawn up on Microsoft paint.

I used to think Mach3 wasn't that bad... couple mach freak outs here and there was "normal"
then I install PP... it is just so much better... had I known how much better things could be without Mach, I would of jumped on the LinuxCNC band wagon long ago...