2014-05-12

CNC Cheat Sheet

So my EMCO mill suddenly started working after months of stress and although I have become fairly familiar with operating it I quickly realized  that I know diddly squat about the important CNC milling stuff like G-Code or  how to work a CAD/CAM software to actually be efficient at milling. So I googled "G-Code cheat sheet", and to my amazement not a single high-resolution, colorful, to-the-point, well explained PDF file popped out. I was flabbergasted.

But, there were, after some digging plenty of black-text-on-gray-backround websites with comprehensive lists of G-Code that would be very useful. If only they were in printable format, to hang on the wall behind my machine...

So I decided to make one!

G-Code Cheat Sheet
Original files:

Download G-Code Cheat Sheet in .SVG format.

Download G-Code Cheat Sheet in .PDF format.

Please note that I am an absolute beginner, and I have made this sheet to learn this myself. I will not be held responsible if the information is wrong. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you find mistakes or if you have suggestions. Thanks!

Here are some sources I used:



Other Cheat Sheets i made:







2014-05-09

EMCO M1 update

I now have no less than 3(!!) EMCO controllers in my workshop. And most importantly, I have all 3 axes working in my original F1P!



After determining that my EMCO F1P CNC machine had some issues with the controller (more specifically a fried step-motor controller board), I was feeling the despair creeping in. I started googling frantically for spare parts and repair options online without finding anything reasonable. The very next day I struck gold. A full F1P system for sale at a resonable price and in "promised ok state". A few days later I suddenly had TWO CNC mahcines in my workshop. But I had bought a dead system, and the guy I bought it from just repeated his original lie when I called him.


Two EMCO M1 controllers side by side

Despair was yet creeping in. Then, by another happy coincidence I found a controller for one of the EMCO lathes (T1) which is based on the same technology as the F1P for sale at a bargain price (Thanks Torgeir G.)! After verifying that it contained the same step-motor board i was pleased to buy it.

R3D413000 Step motor driver board in EMCO M1 controller


And after some fiddling about I finally have a working controller! The idea now is to put the original machine back in order using parts from the second and perhaps sell it.  The rest second will the be retrofitted with new drives and a modern PC based control. So far, my searches have turned up the following parts that may be of interrest:

Control board

Motor drivers

This has become a bigger detour than expected for my original project, but really I had to protect my initial investment which was substantial. Now that it works it will at least maintain its price if not go a little up.