I would use a flycutter with a 45 degree angle (for cutting face edge) and lots of positive rake to reduce cutting pressure.sharp sharp sharp

P20 is very stable steel...to wack the bejeepers out of it from my experiance. I have read one of the bigger stressors is to flood an already hot plate with coolant, etc . Inconsistant cooling in mold work can lead to cracking in heat treat. You probably already know that.

quote: have actually read somewere that you can actually ring the stress out of some materials. hang it and rap it with a brass hammer? something that will not deform the parts. I believe there is a ultrasonic method of stress relieving as opposed to heat treating.

If you are saying machining the blind pockets in the mold base plates (to accept the cavity and core blocks) I have never heard of this. Roughing out "all" the pockets (including for slides and heels,etc) yes, and then finish. M2C

quote: What do you mean not on a Haas. it was on my Milltronics CNC lathe

Not on a Hass, but when my encoder was going out it occasionally jumped around and then got worse till I called service.

I would conventional cut, one pass and brush on cutting oil with acid brush.

you can go to the library and look at manufacters directories for different states(instead of buying cd rom $$$) . Then pick people whose products seem like they would use more round parts. (contact machining buyers for those companies and some say you should send a letter of introduction first) A steel salesman told me once it takes an average of 6 contacts with a company to get a chance...don't waste a lot of time on people that are bad customers hopeing to turn them around and be very careful that people CAN PAY YOU...Dunn and Bradstreet have some rating services and make them fill out a credit application if in doubt.(who will give you credit without doing that?)

quote: HP 32 and TELLAS 32 is wht it says in the manual. are those typically use in the slides..? As far as I know you are supposed to use way oil for the slides and the proper weight as most have a small metering fitting and need the proper flow and way oil will stick more and not drip off.

Ok, I miked one of my taper reamers for that size and about where I would stop on depth, it is about .730 which means that your threads would be pretty correct near top of hole but shallow at bottom. personally I would prefer to drill it with a smaller long drill that you may have in stock then bore the thread area to proper size (if the pipe has a .5 i.d then a .5 drill will not restrict water flow, etc)...if $$$ part I would buy a drill.

"a Ducati Hi-jack"

I would also check out Milltronics, they have a small boxway with toolchanger for around 36,900, my landlord here at shop bought 4 of them in last year.

The Harbour frieght one listed in Allens link in on sale til Monday and I just bought one...been using 2 fans "blowin" on compressor when running jig grinder and dessicant filters before grinder, so needed to do something and hopefully this works out, will still use one super speed fan blowin on compressor for high usage days as that really really cut down on condensation.(Dayton harbor frieght outlet had some in stock and "looks like a bargain")

w.w. grainger also has air treatment products in their catalog plus diagrams , etc.

My machining center went down yesterday afternoon on a job thats due, took me till 8 p.m. to get it back up, similar in that both suck..

(A lot of people use thread triangles). On a past thread on forum some one had posted a "free" software called ME Consultant, it has thread wires under "thread" button. Maybe a search will turn up that post of ME Consultant.

There are business that haul this "stuff" away, mine has a small tank truck with a vacum pump. prices can vary greatly. My county waste gov.agency faxed me a list of business or ask some other shops or see yellow pages. Can't just dump this stuff out.

quote: Kevangel, you wouldnt have happened to be visiting the off topic "show us you dreamhome" thread were you? gotta be more careful, but to add I would not use water based coolants to do those small holes, but rather aluminum tap magic or something, JM2Cents.( I might take a aluminum block and do some R&D test drilling first and try to solve, like diff. fluids, drills and if lower RPM might help or watch visually what is happening by not being hidden down in a c-bore.)

quote: Here's mine. Hope to start construction this year. aluminum loves to "seize" to cutting tools (galled)

I have also found brushing something like "alumni-cut" fluid can help reduce the Alum. trying to seize to the small drills or tap, but it "stinks" etc. (I use a small acid brush)

quote: Unfortunately, Haas Automation is probably all done as a company don't be so sure they can go into receivership and it can be sold to someone else without the liabilities. This will save the companies and the jobs for the lesser of the 2 evils. (just closing up) the suppliers get screwed(unsecured creditors). I have been screwed, so I know this firsthand.

quote: I don't think you arrest somebody who owns a $500 MILLION company on a whim No bail granted....hope he is innocent anyway, one of our last US manufacturers

I would do 400rpm at 8ipm and not over .005 per side. I am pretty sure slowing rpm and uping feed will eliminate chatter.

Not to mention when people are converting themselves its adding another potential $$$ loss. They are sorry (when wrong)and I am even more sorry to lose $$$ on thin profit margins.

Best wishes on your move, I am a Desert Rat in my heart..."sort of" red rock country of SE Utah