Machining wooden turned post

[ostie01]

Hi, would like to do wooden post with MacterCam.

 

I have 4th axis capability.

 

Would like to know what is the best way to do that.

 

Would it be to draw it as a solid or leave it as wireframe.

 

I made some test with solid with no great succes.

 

Thanks, Jeff

[Mr. M]

yes

[Mr. M]

You need to give a little more info. Is it just a round post with no contour?

[ostie01]

It could be any shape, beginning with only round and later, any shape

 

See the attached image, just something like it.

 

I have an horizontal indexer with a 3 jaws chuck .

 

 

[ostie01]

Well no succes with that picture, here is the link.

 

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http...IEPfFVo1kWIFHFj Vy0mx5W9wV4=&h=163&w=364&sz=8&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=_DkdM9YOfR1LGM:&tbnh=54&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbannister%2Bleg%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

[bigjohn]

Just draw a 2d half contour for the turn bits and run the toolpath to it.

 

 

.

[ostie01]

Do you mean, run the cutter on the side of the part?

 

Or would have to change from G17 to G18 plane.

 

Please explain more please.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Jeff,

 

There are multiple ways to machine this part, depending on what level of Mastercam you have, and what the rotary limits of your machine are. Please give us more info. The picture shows us a pretty standard "table leg" like part.

 

What version of Mastercam, what product (mill or router), what level (do you have the multiaxis module?), what type of equipment, what type of tools?

 

There are several very good books that are available on this site. They will introduce you to 4th axis machining and all the different toolpath options. I highly recommend you look at some of them and pick one that would be right for you.

 

The books by Charles Davis are excellent, but In-House Solutions is also producing some fine material.

[Alvaro Gil - Cimquest-inc.com]

Assuming you are using a mill and level 3:

 

10,000 ft explanation of one approach will be to:

 

1 - Revolve the profile to make a ½ surface.

2 - Rough it out with pocket rough operation.

3 - Finish it with parallel finish in the 90 deg direction and turn on filter and create arcs in the yz plane to minimize code.

4 - use transform operation to index and repeat 2 or 4 times.

 

Have your dealer contact me, and I can give them a sample file I have done of something very similar to that picture in 4 indexes.

[Toonz]

Are you doing this on a lathe? or on a router? your 1st post made it sound like router, but a later post of yours makes it sound like lathe.

 

If you are using a router, this is typical of stuff we frquently do, and we do it with 3 axis (we also have 4th axis capability, but not needed for this type of work). You simply ball mill it top half first. Drill some indexing holes on the top half first. Then flip and index with dowels. Run the same program again. We've done everything from simple to something more complex than your example.

[ostie01]

Thanks Toonz for your reply.

 

You're right, I could do it that way.

 

I'm just asking myself if it takes more time to do it this way but I'm pretty sure it isn't.

 

Will give it a try.

 

Thanks, Jeff

 

By the way, this is with a router.