Cutting a groove (lathe) without a groove tool?

[keknapp]

Ok, here's the deal. I need to cut a groove in aluminum round stock (1.25 inche dia.). The groove is 1 inch wide. The problem is that I don't have a groove tool for my lathe and need to cut this groove as quickly as soon as possible. Unfortunately ordering a tool won't arrive soon enough.

 

Is there any way to use a right or left OD cutting tool to cut the groove? Even if it were in multiple steps I wouldn't care. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a good way to do this in Mastercam 9.1. So far (many hours) I've come up with nothing that works.

 

Any help will be extremely appreciated. I wasn't able to access the FTP site (again) otherwise I would have uploaded the .MC9 file. If anyone can help and needs the file, please let me know and I'd be happy to email it to you.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Keith

[MichaelJ]

how deep is the groove? cant you use your left to half and your right to do the other half.

[keknapp]

Actually the groove isn't very deep at all. It's only 0.05 in. deep. I've tried using the left and right but when I do, the toolpaths don't come out correct. In my attempts, I usually end up with warnings that the tool will collide with the stock. I'm very new at working with MasterCam for a lathe part so I'm not familiar enough with how to accomplish this.

 

Keith

[MichaelJ]

what kind of a parting tool do you have?

[keknapp]

That's the other problem. I'm waiting on a previous order for replacements to my parting tool. As such, I effectively have none.

[Guest]

I'm no MC lathe guy but I know my way around a lathe and it sounds to me like you'll be better off programming this temporary problem by hand.

 

JM2C

[Brendan P]

send me an email thru the forum here and I will do it for you

today.

 

You have to 'shorten' the lead out contour chain or else your tool will be trying to cut with the backside of the holder and give you lotsa problems.

[Gary]

I put one in the ftp if ya want to take a look at for a sample. 1INCH_GROOVE_GV.MC9 in the ftp.

hth Gary Edit Oops its in the lathe folder.

[keknapp]

Thanks for everyones help, Brendan solved my problem very nicely.

 

Keith

[heavychevy2155]

you can also use reference aproach and retract. just make sure to turn off lead in/lead out. if you need to chamfer the edges to deburr create chamfers and start chain there.