Custom Tool Creator

[chriswlbr94]

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me understand the process of creating a custom tool from the profile of a portion of a part. The tool will be to create a 30 degree chamfer that smooths into a 1mm radius. I have tried to highlight just the chamfer/radius that I want to mimic the cutting edges, but tool manager keeps giving me errors when I try to import from a level. I'll attach a couple pictures, one of the part (highlighted the chamfer/radius) and one of the profile I have of the tool. Thanks again guys.

 

 

[crazy^millman]

That shape cannot be cut by that tool can it? Don't draw a center line and have the top and bottom end at X0 and should be good. Only use Lines and arcs no splines.

[chriswlbr94]

I was hoping to have a custom made tool with a 30 degree chamfer that was tipped with a 1mm radius. Like a chamfer/radius mixed tool? I was talking over the edge with my manager and he said they used to make custom tools in a similar fashion when he was a machinist. He just told me to draw one up and create it in tool manager, but I'm lost here lol. thank you

I just took the wireframe of the edge and copied it and set the origin to x0 y0. Is that the incorrect way to do it from a geometry level?

[crazy^millman]

3 hours ago, chriswlbr94 said:

I was hoping to have a custom made tool with a 30 degree chamfer that was tipped with a 1mm radius. Like a chamfer/radius mixed tool? I was talking over the edge with my manager and he said they used to make custom tools in a similar fashion when he was a machinist. He just told me to draw one up and create it in tool manager, but I'm lost here lol. thank you

I just took the wireframe of the edge and copied it and set the origin to x0 y0. Is that the incorrect way to do it from a geometry level?

Without that model and knowing what kind of machine I have no idea if it will work, but he asked so do what he has asked.

Yes moving to X0 Y0 to make up half of the tool is correct. Like I said close the upper and lower part of the tool. Then when you grab the custom tool just use that level. Make sure that is the only wireframe on that level with no center line or other entities on that level.

[chriswlbr94]

On 2/28/2023 at 7:04 PM, crazy^millman said:

Without that model and knowing what kind of machine I have no idea if it will work, but he asked so do what he has asked.

Yes moving to X0 Y0 to make up half of the tool is correct. Like I said close the upper and lower part of the tool. Then when you grab the custom tool just use that level. Make sure that is the only wireframe on that level with no center line or other entities on that level.

Sorry for the delay, I have been busy here at the shop. I created the tool successfully in mastercam, but now when I use it, it says that it is an incorrect tool while creating a toolpath. I've attempted to run this tool on a contour path, but with it being a custom "undefined" tool, it gives me that message. Is there a way to rename the type of tool to be a chamfer tool? Thanks again

[chriswlbr94]

Here is a snip of the portion of the part I'd like to machine with this tool, I also included the tool I created with the chamfer/radius. It has a 30 degree Chamfer and a 1mm radius directly underneath, we would like to just be able to run this tool on the inside of the pocket to created the chamfer/radius in one path. Is this possible? Thanks

[crazy^millman]

I don't think it is possible since the radius along the wall transition is not normal to a wall. The flat section that are normal to the top that tool could do, but why? Now you are going to be chasing blend issues from a form tool to a ball endmill everywhere it cannot machine. Tons more work that just Opit-Rough using step up. Then make a stock model using that operation grab a smaller tool to get the excess stock left by the bigger tool. Then contour the areas you can. Surface machine the other areas needed and call ti a day. He says it can be done then have him show you how to do it in Mastercam. Thinking something can be done is completely different that the reality of doing it. Tell him to prove it and teach you  how doing a contour around the radius edges with that tool will cut that shape. It works cool, but again that picture is not a model with a tool so I am just guessing out loud. I am wrong then great you have a easy way to do it, if not then it gives you an out if he thinks you are not doing your job because he is unreasonable.

The tool acting weird is I am sorry to say one of the things we sometimes see with Mastercam.

[chriswlbr94]

16 hours ago, crazy^millman said:

I don't think it is possible since the radius along the wall transition is not normal to a wall. The flat section that are normal to the top that tool could do, but why? Now you are going to be chasing blend issues from a form tool to a ball endmill everywhere it cannot machine. Tons more work that just Opit-Rough using step up. Then make a stock model using that operation grab a smaller tool to get the excess stock left by the bigger tool. Then contour the areas you can. Surface machine the other areas needed and call ti a day. He says it can be done then have him show you how to do it in Mastercam. Thinking something can be done is completely different that the reality of doing it. Tell him to prove it and teach you  how doing a contour around the radius edges with that tool will cut that shape. It works cool, but again that picture is not a model with a tool so I am just guessing out loud. I am wrong then great you have a easy way to do it, if not then it gives you an out if he thinks you are not doing your job because he is unreasonable.

The tool acting weird is I am sorry to say one of the things we sometimes see with Mastercam.

Thank you for clearing that up for me, I was leaning that way originally with the step up path. I just think this tool is make believe and would almost be too good to be true lol. He's an oldschool machinist, so he doesnt really have mastercam experience, just hearsay from people he knows and his past of being a tooling machinist. Our company is supposed to be R&D, so it was a suggestion of how to make manufacturing more efficient and quicker with this tool.