Hi all: Just a shot in the dark. Someone here asked if I could run a Cobra logo for them. The snake part of it. Thanks, Frank

I always use WEAR in Mastercam that puts a G41, or G42 and depending on the machine, our Monarchs will only accept cutter comp, when moving a linear move, it won't accept a G41, G42 on an arc, so I have to use the lead in lead out and make sure I have something in there.

Great letters James and Chris, I wish I had your writing abilities ! But I am making a copy, and sending it on. Great job, Frank

Thanks,

So I should multiply my feedrate (rigid) by .98 or what would be the exact formula ? Thanks

Wouldn't that throw off your depth of the tap ? Frank

Wow I've always used the straight feedrate, for floating holders, or for rigid tapping, and never had a problem ( I am talking 1000's of holes) it's a floating holder, I would think the optimate feedrate would be as if you were rigid tapping. Am I wrong ??

I definatly NEED THAT WELDER, because my tail needs to be welded

http://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=...6387/t_=5978627

http://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=...0979/t_=5978627 It's not a great pic, but you can get the just of it. Thanks for the replies.

The groove is too close to a cylinder, so putting a patch on it wouldn't be possible. The cylinder also has a metal sleeve pressed in, so that causes another problem while welding.

Figure +-.001 on some very critical dimensions. We have a lot of work hours in this part, and it just seems like it would be worth the try. The boss wants to just scrap it and start over.

Hi all: I figured I could give it a shot, if anybody knows about welding Aluminium. What I had was a major screw up on a very elaborate part. It was completly finished, and all I had to do was put an "O" ring groove in the top, and used the wrong cad file, to generate the toolpath. "BIG MISTAKE" The boss says that welding that groove closed .104 wide x .052 deep would generate too much heat and screw the close tolerances that have allready been machined. I'm hoping that there is some way to weld it and direct the heat in 1 general area. And save this part. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Frank

Hi sorry I took so long to reply, thanks for all the suggustions ! I tried to run this part on Sat. , besides having a very hard to handle CEO (know it all) who says why should it be a problem " all you do is tell Mastercam the size of the cutter and the feedrate, and it knows how to cut it ! Anyway after I got the first deep pocket roughed out...he said from a company standpoint we would be better off having the pocket EDM'd ! I asked him to let the tools run before making his desision, and was told no just finish the front 3d toolpath and the outside of the part and he will send the rest out. So that's what I did, and guess what, he saw how the flowline toolpath worked and said why can't we do that to the rest of the part (duhhhhhhhhh). So here I am Monday morn. rewriting the toolpath ( I deleted it all when he was going to get it EDM'd.) What I truly am having problems with now is the filets in the corners, is there a way to be able to run a .236 ball right along those? I tried flowline for the radius's and it keeps kicking it out. Thanks for letting me vent. And again thanks for the responses

Thanks for the quick response Millman. How do you shut off the rough operation on the surface rough toolpath ? And I just tried flowline and there was a conflict and it couldn't create the toolpath. Or are you saying to use flowline to finish the inside radius's. Thanks again

Hi all: I put a part in the MC9 files of cadcam's FTP site labeled "case cover right new" I'm not brand new to 3d machining, but am definatly still at the learning stage. first off , on this part it was ok'd to use a .375 cutter to finish the inside of this pocket, so that's why I'm using that tool. I don't understand why my surface contour is starting about an inch down in the part, and could someone tell me if this is the way they would machine it. I know all the experts are here, and if I want to do it the best possible way, this is the place to get the answer. Thanks for all your help Frank

Millman are you for real on that 1500 rpm's ? That's what I am looking for ! Normally I program taps at about a 25. IPM feedrate using a tapping head. 1500 RPM's would be 93.75 IPM..I like it ! The holes are not to deep...1" so I don't need to use the peck cycle, or how deep should I be before using Peck. Thanks all

Thanks all...James is this suppose to be a G841, and is it because of the G95 in the beginning block that your control reads the "F" as pitch? And is the Q.3 for peck tapping ? Also I'm checking to see if I need to use the M29. " N26G98G84Z-1.R.1Q.3F.0625 (CANNED CYCLE)" Thanks again

Hey all: I am programming a new machine, that has rigid tapping. I am used to using G84, and figuring out the feedrate and spindle, or in some cases, tell Mastercam the TPI and let it figure it out. I know a little about using a G841 but the manual has something about using a G95 and an E, or something like that in the same block. If somebody could show me what their rigid tapping code looks like after it's been posted, I'm sure I could figure the rest out. Also what kind of feedrates would you use on aluminium, say with a 3/8 - 16 tap. Thanks, Frank

thanks again for all the great information. I am going to be doing the cyl. bores while the part is standing on end, and I suggested Helix boring, we have a felix cutter that works great going through solid stock, but can only travel .08 per rev. I was wondering has anybody used a say face mill, or something with an insert that can helix bore but travel deeper and faster than the felix cutter ? I think blasting through them with a twin blade Kaiser bar is pretty fast but I'm worried about the part being pushed on the upper bores. Thanks, Frank

I know I read recently in this forum about a Iscar feed mill w/22mm inserts can anybody be more specific please Thanks, Frank

Wow you guys are unbelievable ! thanks for all the responses, I've allready called an Iscar rep to come by, and I'm checking into using roll taps instead of cut taps. Another concern is the way we are going to fixture it. What we have done in the past is machine the blocks ends, rough the cam and crank, and finish the bulkheads on the horizontal machines. Then run it between centers on a vertical machine. Since our new machine has a pallet changer, he wants to machine both operations on the horizontal. the second operattion the block will be standing up, so rigidity will be a problem. My thought is to semi-finish the cam bore and hold the dia. so when I stand the part up I can make some kind of bar that would slide through the cam bore top to bottom, and act like a precision bolt. Thanks again, Frank PS Rekd.....the boss may take you up on that

Hi all, I've just been informed that the next job I program, is going to be a test of my abilities. We have just purchased a Horizontal Hitachi-Seki, and out of our 36 cnc machines this is the only machine capable of 10,000 rpm's, and of course all the other bells and whisle's. We have an aluminium engine block currently running on a K & T horizontal machine....which is a very slow running machine. I know just moving it to the Hitachi, the tool change time alone would change the total run time. I have been told to reserch tools, and holders, because the big guy needs to justify the price of the machine, by the way I write this program. So what I need from all the experts on this board, is how fast can I run this part, and what tools would give me the best bang for his buck ? I've read here postings about the Iscar feed mill w/22mm inserts, do I need to use heat shrinking holders for end milling ? And what is a good starting spindle and feedrate for say a 3/8 - 16 tap ? His words were "I don't want to walk over and see this machine running drills and end mills at the feeds and speed you currently are using" So I would really like to impress the sh-- out of him. any advise would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks, Frank

Yes it was Jeff Clear......he lives about an hour drive away, and is a very nice guy. He has also taken the Mastercam classes in CT. The cutter worked like a charm, I used the threadmill path, we haven't had time to test the machine again.....things are getting crazy around here , about time. The felix cutter is amazing, and worked perfect for what we need it for. I'll get back to you........thanks for the replies. Frank

Now I got it to work but it will only work useing the threadmill path..so I have to threadmill down to a depth, then contour the bottom. If anybody can read code and tell me what the difference is between these two. The top one works and that is the threadmill path. The bottom one is the helix bore path that I can't get to work. both circle's are at X0, Y0, I've got a salesman who's going to be here at 10:00 to show his Felix cutter designed to cut helix bores....so I had to rewrite the program using the threadmill path, so I had a program to run. But sure would like to get this problem solved, and since all the tech support people for K&T's are all dead, I was hoping, maybe someone here could figure it out for me. N275G3X3.2128Y.0000Z3.2930I.0984J.0000 N280G3X-3.2128Y.0000Z3.2530I.0000J.0000 N285G3X3.2128Y.0000Z3.2130I.0000J.0000 N295G3X-2.6516Y-1.8142Z3.3539I.0000J.0000 N300G3X2.6516Y1.8142Z3.3139I.0000J.0000 N305G3X-2.6516Y-1.8142Z3.2739I.0000J.0000 Thanks again Frank