rotary axis substitution

[cherokeechief79]

mx6 .I have a baseball that I want to machine on the rotary on the 3 axis mill we have here.ive done things like this before but it was always flat geometry wrapped.now it is a sphere and it is created as surfaces.whats the best approach to start a ballmill in the center and work my way down to the other end while continually spinning the rotary?

[xycnc]

I am thinking multi axis tool path Rotary.

[JayM]

There are a number of tools that might work, axis sub, curve 5ax, or a multiaxis toolpath.  Can you share the file?

[cherokeechief79]

ita a pretty big file.ill try to get it up but it is this file exacly with a stem I just added to the bottom in an area where there are no laces.i turned it in a lathe and left the od +.100 so the ballmill could do the rest.

one thing I didn't mention though is that I am using x6 without solids.

we just got x8 with solids but by the time our it guy gets it installed here will be a while.

can I do this with just conventional surface machining without multiaxis and solids?i can convert the solid to surfaces. I just want to cut it with a ballmill just like you would with a finish turning tool in a lathe.

 

[JayM]

There is no need to convert it to surfaces, Mastercam can work with the solid model just as well.  You could probably surface machine it but that would require several tool plane positioning movements.  I think xycnc's suggestion of rotary would be a good starting place.