It takes a little post, a little MD/CD, and a little WCS & Toolplane set-up. I use MPMaster, Haas TM-2 with 4th on the side, and toolplanes. My post is set for it, I use WCS and toolplanes to control output. I never move the part. Rotate, relocate WCS for 3-axis output only. Rotate, relocate Toolplanes for paths requiring 4th-axis output. You never get an "A" unless the 4th should be moving.

Also not a mold maker, here. Keith is spot on, it depends on your control. High speed look-ahead high-end controls/machines can handle the small linearized arcs and surfacing toolpaths quite well and give you and excellent finish with small tolerances. Myself, however, I go the opposite way. My little Haas machines don't handle look-ahead or small moves, so I open up the tolerance to convert most of the small moves to arcs for a smoother toolpath and "better" finish. I'm better off if my mill can just run through a .500 radius, as opposed to 500 one thou linearized moves. It just stutters and looks choppy. Just depends on your machine/control....

Carmex

Yes, done it before, as well. However, I needed to grind down the diameter of the holder so the back side wouldn't rub on the part.

Ok, next thing. Can you post the line that moves/retracts it? Is it posting Z and other moves or are they on separate lines? What control? Some "dogleg", some controls will do the Z first, then the rest. Maybe check your retract and clearance number to make sure they're incremental or absolute, sometimes I'll switch the way i do things for 4th axis stuff and forget to check those. Also, what toolpath?

you'll need to create a toolplane @44 degrees (perpendicular to the slot) Create the toolpath using that toolplane and the post should output an A-axis move of 44 degrees

Well, I've been working (off & on) with Active Reports for set-up sheets and I'm finally, but slowly, getting somewhere. I have my title page the way I want it and now am working on tweaking the tool list to be satisfactory. I'm having a problem figuring out why the 1st page of the tool list and 2nd page are not located in the same vertical area. The 1st page seems to be spaced down a little bit and the 2nd page is jammed right up below the page header. All subsequent pages are located as the 2nd. The 1st page is the only one spaced down. Any guesses or suggestions? TIA.

ret_on_indx : 1 #Machine home retract on rotary index moves, (0 = no, 1 = yes) I have this set to 1 in mpmaster for 4-axis rotation retracts.

MPMaster post?

If it helps, put one end of the shaft in a bucket of ice water.

First thing i do when importing a solid is delete all duplicate entities. I don't chain solids, only wireframe, but it may help your issue.

Ok, so simply adding a finish pass of .xxx @ Fxxx will produce nothing, UNLESS you have roughing or semi-finish selected as well. Seems to me i had the same brain fart on a simple contour path a while ago. I think it's because, whether you have roughing or not, I think you should just be able to get a finish pass, by selecting a finish pass. Sometimes i forget that's not the way it works. BUT, it still won't work correctly with semi-finish passes and finish passes. It will work with roughing. If it's not designed to work that way, why will it work the first time, but not after regen? I guess i'll just have to use roughing passes to get it to work.

G, maybe i'm thinking wrong here, but let me know. I tried yours again and deselected the roughing passes. I left the finish pass, which was .015. On a 1.00 circle, wouldn't you get a cut @ .970, then a finish pass of .015 to finish size? It only makes one pass @ 1.00 with the original tool feedrate, not the feedrate set in the finish pass. Am i having a bad Monday, or just a moron?

Ok, some more weirdness. If i have semi-finish and finish only, no worky work. If I add roughing, it works. Thing is, I don't want roughing since i already have a pilot hole and don't need to cut from the center out. I know how much stock needs removed and just figured how many semi-finishing passes I need and how many finishing passes I want. For you guys that had it work, did you have roughing selected as well, or just semi-finish and finish like i did? Could you do me a favor and try without roughing selected and see if you get the same result? Backplot and post, then regen, add another op with same settings and see if it works? Maybe it's just me, but it won't work properly without roughing selected.

I was using points, just tried by selecting an arc and still no worky work....

Wait, it gets better. It appears i only have one shot per session. I've done this 3 times in a row with the exact same results. If i open Mastercam, same file, and try a Circle Mill toolpath, it will work ONCE. The finish feed rate will backplot and post. If i regen it or create a 2nd Circle Mill toolpath, it fails. If i close Mastercam and then fire it back up, i will get the same result. One shot toolpath, then it breaks. It just happened three times in a row. This would explain why it worked on my first toolpath. I don't get it. Why does it work just once?

Good try, but no dice. It's unchecked. I downloaded your sample and it worked fine for me. I changed to computer comp (how mine is set) and it still worked. Regen a few times and it still worked. Mine won't for some reason. I even swapped my Machine Def for yours, regen, still works fine on your file.

I'm using MPMaster mill post for 3-axis output (Haas TM-1). Lead in/out 90 degree sweep, start at center, computer cutter comp, not control. Don't get it. Something is F'd up. I just created a new circle mill op, same settings as the others. First time, I backplotted and the finish feedrate drops to 30 like it should. Post it and it comes out fine. Then, regen the toolpath. Now it's broken. Won't change to 30 in backplot or posted code. What the crap is going on?

I used this. I have 3 circle mill ops. It posted for the 1st op, not the other 2. I regened all ops, thinking it would fix it. Now it won't post the finish feedrate for any of the ops.

Tool feedrate = 60. I have finish feedrate @ 30. No posty post, it stays 60. Has anyone figured a workaround for this?

I'm running the same chipload (.003), but around the 325SFM range, 3310rpm's and 40IPM for the 4-flute, 60IPM for the 6-flute. It does sound way better in this range, i think it'll work. Thanks so much guys!

Sorry, no screen shots, prolly get in trouble. I may try messing with the rpm's and play with it a little. Thanks guys. I'll let you know if i find the sweet spot.

Saw cut from round bar, no flame cut. 2-op part in the mill, not much to it. It just doesn't seem to be cutting as nice as i'd like it to.

Maybe not too bad. I've run 60 or so parts, but not much material removed. I'm thinking they should last longer, maybe it's fine. Don't like the finish particularly. Going thru the outside crappy scale. The "Purchasing" people had the choice of 1018 or A36. I would have preferred 1018, never had a problem with it. This stuff just seems not as friendly in terms of tool life or finish.

Current specs: .531 drill: 120 SFM, 870rpm, 5.0ipm .375 4-flute Onsrud EM, 400SFM, 4080rpm, 51.0ipm, .003fpt .375 6-flute Onsrud EM, 400SFM, 4080rpm, 76.0ipm, .003fpt