Need help with surfacing

[alloutmx]

Can someone point me in the right direction with this file?

Im trying to learn how to surface and im not sure what path to choose....I was hoping to do this on the 4th

 

The portion Im attempting is the horn shape only.

 

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated...even if its just telling me where in the help menu to look. not looking for someone to just do it for me. i really want to learn this.

POST OP 3 4TH.MCX-6

[CJep]

Are you looking to do this as a simultaneous 4axis toolpath?

 

If that is the case, it would require the use of a multiaxis toolpath to drive the surface and output rotary code simultaneously.

 

If your ok with doing this as 4 axis positional then it could be done with a combination of surface toolpaths and custom toolplanes.

[alloutmx]

Are you looking to do this as a simultaneous 4axis toolpath?

 

If that is the case, it would require the use of a multiaxis toolpath to drive the surface and output rotary code simultaneously.

 

If your ok with doing this as 4 axis positional then it could be done with a combination of surface toolpaths and custom toolplanes.

 

At this point Im open to do it any way that makes the most sense.

 

Is this a tough part to attempt? Im proficient in most 2D tool paths and have swept and minimal single surfacing paths

[SledGeek]

Check out the eMC learning area here, too . It's a whole world of info and projects for continual learning....they have a few 4th axis projects going that you can check out.

 

If you don't have alot of experience with surfaces or 4th you can try a few paths and just flip flop the part 180 in a rotary or a fixture in a vice. I don't know what kind of time your working with. To start , get familiar with rough pocket and surface finish blend. I don't know if this is getting whittled out of a block or if it's a casting or whatever. There's alot of ways you could approach this but here's a start point for learning .

Also, you don't necessarily need to create surfaces from solids to machine this. You can choose solid faces as driving geometry. Don't know if you have this on your toolbar or not but I see you have created surfaces instead. In toolbar customize, got to category then general selection and pick these icons and drag them to your toolbar for solids selecting options......see pic

[alloutmx]

Check out the eMC learning area here, too . It's a whole world of info and projects for continual learning....they have a few 4th axis projects going that you can check out.

 

If you don't have alot of experience with surfaces or 4th you can try a few paths and just flip flop the part 180 in a rotary or a fixture in a vice. I don't know what kind of time your working with. To start , get familiar with rough pocket and surface finish blend. I don't know if this is getting whittled out of a block or if it's a casting or whatever. There's alot of ways you could approach this but here's a start point for learning .

Also, you don't necessarily need to create surfaces from solids to machine this. You can choose solid faces as driving geometry. Don't know if you have this on your toolbar or not but I see you have created surfaces instead. In toolbar customize, got to category then general selection and pick these icons and drag them to your toolbar for solids selecting options......see pic

Going to be machining from solid. thank you for the advice

[Guess_who]

Try playing around with the SUFACE HIGH SPEED - RADIAL path. Looks like that might work OK.

 

What's Roc NY in your location. Is that Rochester NY? That where I'm originally from.

[alloutmx]

Try playing around with the SUFACE HIGH SPEED - RADIAL path. Looks like that might work OK.

 

What's Roc NY in your location. Is that Rochester NY? That where I'm originally from.

 

yessir Rochester it is

[Guess_who]

Small world. I grew up in Churchville-Chili. I left when I was 20 because the job market seemed to be shrinking. Hopefully it's gotten better than it was 20 years ago.

 

Good luck with your part.

[Patriot]

I would 3 axis tool path it, then rotate 180 and hit the bottom wcs side.

Try a surface blend. You can take two wires, driven off of the profile as viewed from your top WCS. (the large arc, and the small one, -that may come from a silhouette boundary from that surface)

 

You just have to offset those wires half the distance of your tool, and your tool will blend from one(the first one chosen) to the other, with the given step-over distance you choose.

 

Hope this helps!

[alloutmx]

Small world. I grew up in Churchville-Chili. I left when I was 20 because the job market seemed to be shrinking. Hopefully it's gotten better than it was 20 years ago.

 

Good luck with your part.

 

Thank you...I grew up in Sodus but im working on emerson in Gates. Im 29...been doing this since they gave me working papers and ive never seen a shortage of mfg jobs but i agree it is shrinking steadily.

 

Thanks for the help and good luck to you sir

[Rstewart]

I gave the SF Blend a try. BTW I always try to place the center of my part at the center of rotation. Notice yours is at the top of your part.

 

It ain't purrfect but didn't have too much time to play around with it.

POST OP 3 4TH_NEW.MCX-6

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok took Rstwarts and set up the planes and limited the tool to center of the part on the cut and have the tool start off the part. look under jays ops in the op manager.

[MotorCityMinion]

Old school SF Flowline and SF Radial seemed to offer up a very respectable level of control.

[Rstewart]

Much better guys! Love this board cause I always learn something new than I can use!

Sure MX will benefit too.

[alloutmx]

I gave the SF Blend a try. BTW I always try to place the center of my part at the center of rotation. Notice yours is at the top of your part.

 

It ain't purrfect but didn't have too much time to play around with it.

 

Yeah I agree, I should have it on center...I was using that diameter as Z zero because it was a finished feature and something to pick up on but I hear what your saying. Thanks for your help!

[alloutmx]

Ok took Rstwarts and set up the planes and limited the tool to center of the part on the cut and have the tool start off the part. look under jays ops in the op manager.

 

Thanks for your help...just curious..why are the drive and check the same and how long did this take you to do?

[SledGeek]

Thanks for your help...just curious..why are the drive and check the same and how long did this take you to do?

 

With solids, the drive and check surfaces usually don't show very well.....at least not in X6 and below. With surfaces it works fine. It is using the check faces with solids that are being picked, but just doesn't show them right. I have asked about this before and was told there was a fix. Don't know if it's been fixed in X7 or not......don't have it yet. Anyone?Anyone ?

 

mx, are you set on the roughing or just using a couple 2d contour paths?

[alloutmx]

With solids, the drive and check surfaces usually don't show very well.....at least not in X6 and below. With surfaces it works fine. It is using the check faces with solids that are being picked, but just doesn't show them right. I have asked about this before and was told there was a fix. Don't know if it's been fixed in X7 or not......don't have it yet. Anyone?Anyone ?

 

mx, are you set on the roughing or just using a couple 2d contour paths?

 

Still playing with it...Im doing it in between machine cycles and programming stuff for my job. Was thinking on my way in this morning to use a coupl 2d paths to rough but that would be too easy. Im trying to step up my game so i dont get passed up.

[SledGeek]

Still playing with it...Im doing it in between machine cycles and programming stuff for my job. Was thinking on my way in this morning to use a coupl 2d paths to rough but that would be too easy. Im trying to step up my game so i dont get passed up.

 

If I get a minute I will throw something on it . What kind of stock did you start with? round or square ?

[alloutmx]

If I get a minute I will throw something on it . What kind of stock did you start with? round or square ?

 

square...thanks man I appreciate it. Its nice to see how you guys are doing it...gaining some real insight that has been hard to come by in my workplace

[MotorCityMinion]

"With solids, the drive and check surfaces usually don't show very well.....at least not in X6 and below. With surfaces it works fine. It is using the check faces with solids that are being picked, but just doesn't show them right. I have asked about this before and was told there was a fix. Don't know if it's been fixed in X7 or not......don't have it yet. Anyone?Anyone ?"

 

Color the solid faces. Different colors for drive and check. That may help. I think the color mask will work in X7.

[SledGeek]

tried it. shows the same for check and drive faces.......but it shows only the drive in both cases and blanked out those faces and half the model

 

[alloutmx]

_{Well i just punched off the clock, and im going to work with this a bit more....The two posts from rstewart and jay...I ran the verify on the solid model and the cutter is gouging into the threaded portion of the horn on the first side...This is the problem I kept having. Anyway.....Ill be here if you fellas get bored let me know whats up.}

[alloutmx]

I think I have it....let me know if i need to be corrected.

thanks to everyone that helped

POST OP 3.MCX-6