suggestions to cut this part

[terry5357]

link

 

Anyone care to make a suggestion for cutting this part. material is 6061 alum. stock size 15 x 15 x 4.00 thk. I can't decide whether to run the back side first or cut the top, make a little vacuum fixture from renshape and epoxy the part to the fixture and finish out the back side. The tail on this thing drops down to about 1/8 wide and I know that after all that material is removed no telling what will happen when th part is removed from the fixture.......

[mowens]

I can't open the file.

[Jim at Gentex]

Terry,

 

I don't think you should try to link to Jay's ftp site through the web board. They probably do this for security reasons.

 

If you want help with a file, the best way is to upload it to Jay's ftp site, then just post which folder you put it in and what the file name is and I'm sure you'll get all the help you need.

[terry5357]

My bad, I put the parasolid file up. I just put the MCXMR2 file (OML-TRIM.mcx) try it now.

[Jim at Gentex]

Got it.

 

When I make complex or irregularly shaped parts like this I like to make the material block slightly bigger than I need, maybe 1/2"-3/4" all around.

 

Then I like to machine either the top or bottom of the part (in your case I would probably do the top first), without breaking through the outer perimeter or bottom of the block, then I fill in the material I removed with a 2 part resin called "Lik-wood" made by a company called BCC.

 

This 'captures' the part inside the block so you can then flip the block over and machine the other side. The Lik-wood forms perfectly to the shape of the first side and holds the part firmly in place so you can machine the second side while the part is still inside the block of material. Then all you do is pop the lik-wood slug out of the block and chip away the lik-wood to release the part! I've used this technique hundreds of times on irregular shapes and haven't seen it fail yet.

 

HTH

[cadcam]

I would do a window pan config.

Use sholder bolts for locating on a fixture.

 

Now cut so far from one side leaving some ribs around to hold to outside window frame.

using the shoulder bolts help to keep the locations when filping the part.

 

When done and the end cut the ribbs really thin the you can remove from fram.