Thanks for all the tips guys, custom tool creation is working well for me now. Jim

Bucket, yes, the file you modified worked fine. Jim

Hi Bucket, I put a tool geometry file called f2.mc9 on the ftp MC9 folder. I made the insert half a dogbone hoping that would help but it didn't. Jim

I'm trying to create new custom lathe tools by bringing in tool geometry files (dogbone tools, etc.) which are saved as MC9 files with the appropriate colors 55 and 116. In the Parameters page when I try the Tool Clearance button, a message box says "error creating offset tool boundary". Are there any unwritten rules for creating custom tools that I would need to know to prevent this error? Presently running v9.0SP1. Thanks Jim

yes, then I would edit the nc file to remove all the intermediate A moves except the first and last inbetween the xz moves. Jim

Hi Carlos, To use rotary feeding I would break up the surfaces into ones that the tool would stay stationary while the axis feeds and do the remainder afterwards conventional 3axis surfacing, I sent a file 22904-06-1 to the FTP which rotary feeds about 3/4 of the outer profile. If you post this (Mpfan with rotonx on) you will see a lot of intermediate rotary positions but I would just edit them out of the NC file leaving the rotary endpoints. Good Luck! Jim

Hi guys, I'm a frequent reader but don't post much, still trying to figure all these new things out. I looked at Nominal's fillet problem file and think his original approach was the best, with a few tweaks. I made the top hole a check surface. I have sent it back to the ftp as noms-fillet-problemjim . Hope this helps. Jim

Andrew, thanks for replying. Yes the bosses get drilled so I will be using the tilt anyways. The part is 25" high and 45" dia. The sections of the part without bosses I can manually program easily enough. I will try breaking up areas that have bosses (they also have circumferential ribs and small .062 corner rads) into smaller sections and try surface milling them with the 3d methods. Jim

I have a conical shaped part where I have to mill all around the outer surfaces leaving a series of bosses. This will be done on a horizontal machine with a fourth axis rotary table which can be tilted manually. I want to rotary feed, cutting with the end of a bull nose tool, setting the tilt so the tool is normal to the conical surface. Has anyone had any success using Mastercam to program this or have any other ideas how to approach this ? Thanks Jim

Scot, For the start points, in rgh parameters check box align plunge entries for start holes. After you run this toolpath, run the circle paths, drill start holes toolpath and it will automatically put the drill path before the pocket path. I've learned a lot from reading this thread thanks all you guys for your input. Jim

About where that goofy part of the remachine toolpath comes from, while keeping tool down if you change the depth cut order from by pocket to by depth, you'll see where it comes from. It seems to calculate the toolpath by depth first and then breaks and sorts these toolpath segments and reorders them by pocket and where it decides to break the toolpath leads to the sometimes goofy results . Jim

You could try multisurf 5 ax, with output set for 4 axis, and set Tool Axis control for To Point in which you pick a point at the center of the rotary. This might be what you're looking for. Jim (not an expert)

I get the same "not watertight" errors when trying to get an STL file in Verify and wonder if it's because I don't have Mastercam Solids? If I import a Parasolid body into Mastercam as trimmed surfaces and convert it to STL, shouldn't these trimmed surfaces be adequately closed ? But if I open a Mastercam part that contains a solid body, like the gearbox in the Mill Tutorial and convert it to STL, Verify will read this stl file easily. Hmmmm. . . Jim

Mark, I posted a file called "mark_temp3.mc9" in the mc9 files folder of the FTP which rotary feeds the conical section over 180 degrees using Flow 5ax so if you trimmed the conical surface into sections between the ribs maybe you could use this method. I don't know what effect the bull nose tool has on the taper though. HTH Jim

I've been experimenting with learning rotary feeds since getting Mastercam 9 a month ago (and installed 9.1 yesterday). I've also noticed all the in-between angular positions between start angle and end angle (these could be manually deleted). Another cutting method to try would be Flow 5ax if you can break the surfaces up into sections in between the ribs, you can use a bull nose cutter in Flow 5ax, this will rotary feed too. In v9.0 the bull nose cutter would skip back and forth in x to either side of the end flat while rotary feeding, but in 9.1 the cutter seems to stay at x zero. Hope this helps you get going in the right direction. Jim

Hello to all you post gurus, I purchased the Post Processor Guide CD several weeks ago from our reseller. The CD is labeled (Preliminary) with a date of June 14,2002 but the latest pdf files on it are dated 8/20/01 (all reference version 8). Is there a newer release of the Post guide available now and if so is there much difference in content between them? Jim

We just (finally) upgraded from v6 to v9SP1. I want to learn how to do subprograms and rotary feeding on a 4th axis so I won't have to do these with manual edits. I hope to contribute more to this forum as I get more up to speed on version 9 Jim