Ya thats the same chart as I have HERE. I want to make sure I am reading them right.

Help a noob out fellas. lol. I'm trying to draw an NPT. This is the first time I use Mastercam for making npt threads. I am trying to figure out basically how to draw it. I know the angle is 1.783. What I'm trying to figure out is the large part of the taper diameter. I have a part that is 1.25 long and it needs a 1/4 npt internal. The OD of the pipe is .540 so would I make the large end this diameter, then taper smaller by 1.783 degrees? I have a chart that lists the OD's of different pipes and I would assume that this would be the larger diameter when boring the taper?

Ok thank you.

I forgot, I don't have X5 yet. I can't open it at the moment.

Thanks, I'll look at it.

Hi again. I am trying to set up a threading tool in my lathe library. It draws the z0 at the point of the insert but I want it to be the side. In the comp box it is grayed out so I can't adjust it. Am I missing something somewhere? Thanks.

Hi, is there an option in Lathe for an internal groove cycle? I currently use the conversational part of the lathe using a thread cycle but I'd like to know if theres other options. I usually have 2 grooves with a 5" pitch on a 3" ID dia. I make an x so the grooves cross in the middle with a thread cycle using 10" lead forward and the same backward to make the X. I hope I explained this clear enough. Anyway, the simple question, does Mcam have a type of cycle as such?

ahhh. I don't have that luxury, lol

Awesome. thanks a lot guys. I will try those options out.

Hi guys. I have an IPT model of a pin I need to cut on the lathe. Keep in mind I just got the lathe add on about a week ago and I have not went for the training yet. How do you guys program off the model? I do it in milling all the time but on the lathe, it doesn't follow the right paths I want it to cut. Do I have to make it a 2D file?

quote: Max spindle speed for me, man. I post the correct SFM but limit the spindle RPM to 1000 or so to keep the parts from flying around; G50 is your friendThis way takes too long to part off. I've done this before. quote: look on the lower right of the parameters box. It is where lead in and lead out are located. There is a special parameter box for cutoff paths that lets you specify rpm changes at certain radiuses. Can't tell you exactly because i am not at work yet. quote: i use the lead out of partoff set the X point a .1 and set lead-out at -90° x .100lg and don't use the lead-in then i set a new feedrate in the box be awarw to not check the "use rapid feed rate for vectors" These 2 ways don't allow me to change RPM. quote: only cut down to a certain diameter. for example: if the part has a 4" ID, take the partoff tool down to 4.002 and then smack it with a rubber mallet, it will pop right off. tip: if you do it this way, make sure to smack the part on the face, not on the OD, it will come off much easier. HTH I do this now. I want to avoid it, lol. quote: I use misc reals and integers to create a cutoff from the last operation. That way the program will slow the feed at the end. All I need to do is change the bar diameter and part length and stock to leave. Feed rate and speed usually remain the same but can be changed. I do the same for sub spindle transfer. Much easier for meThis sounds interesting except I'm new to to the lathe add on. Can you elaborate a little more? quote: I just G96 the speed and use sub-spindle support to pick off on the fly. You guys don't do this too??? [Wink]I am a little confused on this as well. I never use RPM when parting so I'm with you on G96 but what is sub-spindle support?

Thanks for the replies guys. I have a lot of suggestions now.

Hey fellas, just wondering how you adjust the speed and feed when parting off? I mean slow everything down at the end so the part doesn't go flying. Of course I mean without manually editing the program.

lol, ya I have had ops go dirty just from looking at the parameters. Randomly of course. I don't even make a change and then I hit ok and it goes dirty. Mcam is weird sometimes.

Thank you much.

Sorry, its for OD profile. I did that but it was stopping short of the contour. I ended up deleting a line between that was not in the chain. It had kept stopping there for some reason and now it goes fine.Meh, gotta play a bit I guess. lol. Thank you. I do however have one more question. I somehow switched my backplot to be in radius, rather than diameter. It still posts fine, except the backplot is backplotting in radius. How do I switch that back?

Why do I get this error? Its on lathe. I have a part that has 5 different diameters and when I try to chain it, it gives me that error. I tried different methods, ie window, single and contour but they never cover all of where I want to cut. Is there something I'm doing wrong when selecting the cutting profile? I have not been using lathe long, I have only been using mill for the last 8 years. When chaining on lathe, is it that much different than mill?

Ok, thanks a lot fellas. I will do just that.

I tried that. It works now. I would have been fighting that forever had you not mentioned it. Thanks Steve. ***Edit*** When I define the same tool number as a boring bar, the numbers don't add up in my control.Example when I post the program, the drill enters at X0 but then when it starts to cut, it is at 1.1 on X. This is ok if its an actual bar but because in my offsets, its calculated as X0, I would need the program to cut at X.1, not 1.1. Hope that makes sense. Anyway, would I have to teach all my insert drills like a boring bar and have the program cut at X1.0 instead of X0? Or is there other ways. I don't prefer it this way because the verify is not right. [ 09-20-2010, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: Thoob ]

So I just need to define it as a boring bar then eh? Ya thats weird that it doesn't have that support. Thanks a lot. I'm going to go try it out.

Ok, I have the stock set up like this. Its on cylinder for geometry. It has a 3"OD, 0"ID and 15" length. I am using a drill to drill a 1" hole, then using that same drill to bore the hole to 1.25. (Its an Insert Drill). The drill seems to go no problem, but the bore part has stock recognition grayed out and it wants to take it all in one cut. I tried changing my stock to have a 1" ID but its still the same. Could it be anything with how my geometry is drawn?

Hi, I'm using Lathe X4 and I sometimes can't enable my stock recognition in my toolpath properties. I don't know if its something I'm doing or just random but sometimes I can select the adjust stock button and sometimes its grayed out where I cannot select it. When its grayed out, it always tries to take everything in one cut even though I'm in a rough cycle with .05 DOC. Any ideas?

I found this in another thread and it works. I am using X4. http://www.emastercam.com/cgi-bin/ultimate...t=027454#000000 I tried it on a sample trapezoid type groove and it worked very well. I did what Prosin Molds said. Thanks fellas.

You clearly do not know how we are running our shop and like I said, I am NOT getting the software to do a plunge. That was a pure coincidence that I saw the video and was getting the lathe add on at THE SAME TIME. I already stated that above. If you must know, we have one programmer (me) and I have 4 guys under me running the machines. 2 CNC lathes, 1 CNC Mill and 4 manual machines. I have been programming the mill with Mastercam for awhile now. The lathes have been being done with conversational (which is ok if everyone understands it the same as I do) but they do not. Instead, since I'm always on the PC programming the mill, I will add the lathe to it so I can keep ALL programs the same and can edit them from the computer instead of always having to load it to the machine to make a change. This also cannot be done while the machine is being run. Conversational has its perks but I've been using both Mcam and conversational for over 8 years and the software has alot more control. I can indeed write myself some cycles but guess what? Time is money and I don't have time to be sitting around writing code when the software can do it a lot faster. Sorry if I sound stuck up but your comment kind of got under my skin.

I've already been using Mill for the last 6 years. We just got a couple lathes a few years back and have been using the conversational part of it but it doesn't allow as much control and there are some parts that you just can't do. My boss told me he was getting the lathe add on regardless cause it was only another $**** dollars. (His words, lol) and he will get me trained for it. As for the "what I want it to do now" is not the reason we will be getting it. That just happened to be coincidence that we have that particular tool and I came across that video the other day. Either way, we need something besides the conversational to run the lathes at optimal performance and we don't want to mix software's. Seeing as we already have a lot of $$ invested in Mastercam, we figured its best to get the lathe add on now. For the little time I have been farting around with it, it doesn't seem to complicated at all compared to the mill so hopefully I don't have too many issues. Thankfully there is a lot of knowledge right here in this forum that I can refer to. Thanks in advance. lol. [ 09-10-2010, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: gcode ]