Today I'm walking around with a silly grin on my face and chuckling! I have finally ironed out most of the wrinkles from a 1984 Fanuc Tape Cut Model M wire EDM machine which has involved sourcing obscure key board modules, odd Japanese panel switches, and finally getting and installing a memory upgrade, no not sims, but bubble memory! To say nothing of learning the intricacies of both Fanuc's version of G code, but it's application to a four axis wire cutter as described in an operators manual that due to being handled in a wet environment for neigh on 30 years is in a similar state to the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is written in an 'interesting' version of English where sentence order is apparently immaterial so long as the words are there somewhere !
The final test was to draw a 32 dp 32 tooth gear in a cad package, transfer it to FeatureCAMs wire eroder CAM package, produce G code, download to the Wire Cutter and slice up a bit of steel into a gear wheel. I didn't need the gear, but by heck it was satisfying making it It opens up all sorts of possibilities as so long as the material conducts electricity it will cut it. Even carbide tool inserts! Custom threading inserts cut from plain turning ones come to mind.
AWEM