Thanks guys for your help! Funny thing is that this 10 ipm is an upper mangmnt call. And this is the 2nd or 3rd place I've been to that uses this 10 ipm base for tapping. (I would guess that is why those guys are not around anymore. Ha!? Ha!?)

Bass-ackwards yes, but this is how they want it.I think that this comes from the old school days of floating tap holders. I prefer solid rigid tapping at recommended sfm, but I'm not gonna fight this one; I'm already battling for a Bar Code Scanner System.

ps: Version 7 mill level 3 (does anybody remember this one?) post is based on MPFAN.

Can anyone help me figure out how to capture the threads per inch value from the tool parameters page, so that I can use that number to base my tap rpm on. The operators want the feed rate to be a set value of 10. (inch p/minute). ex:1/4"-20 tap would post out: G98 G84 Z-** R.** S200 F10. I have the feed rate established, but I need to get the tpi to finish the formula. thanx, efred

Does anyone have the GD&T c-hook for Mc7 that they would care to share? Thanks in advance efred5!

Does anybody have a stencil true type font for mastercam or windows that they would be willing to share? Thanks in advance, efred!

Hey guys, I'm trying to use the surf. pocket w/inc. cut depths and I keep crasing out my p.c. when I try to regen the toolpath. What I want to do is mill the pocket down (-.325 dp) with two ribs (islands) in the center, then mill 4 fillets on the end of the ribs, then finish the same pocket to depth. I am able to do the 1st pocket, the fillets, and the final .010 pass, but when I reset the middle cut the system crashes. I am going to post the file on the ftp site for you to take alook at. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey Phil, I don't know if you remember me, but I had your Saturday class @ Prism for Kern & Szalai. In any case I know how to save the STL, but I want to bring that cut part back into Mcam (8.1) and mount the part on a fixture as a solid model to do my toolpaths for the second side. (X,Y,Z origin points will be diffrent from op. 1)

Can any of you guys give me a quick way to save my STL file from operation #1, and bring that cut geometry back into MasterCAM to use as my 3D model for operation #2? (I tried to convert the saved STL file over to a solid in diffrent formats, ie: Parasolid, Step, etc. and I keep getting all of the triangles from the STL. This makes everything run slow because of itssize.)

nope! still isn't working. I dropped the file into the window. it's named 449-034-401.mc8 i don't know if it is there or not. I cant see any folders. (I.E. says I don't have permission to view anything.

Windows says it can't open folder. Operation time out?

Hey guys! Thank you all for your replys. I still haven't got the approach yet. How do I upload my MC8 file for you guys to look at?

I don't think Dave is still here. If I rotate the part then I'm S.O.L. for the opposite side, right? (I won't be able to verify the paths correctly.)I wanted to stay away from rotating the geometry all of the place. What I don't understand is, why, if I name a T&C plane, and make that 0,0,0, does MC want to spin that around?

(I'm over @Brenner; MachineMasterG) I have the T&C planes set, but what I want to do is face off the back first(c-plane #3). This face is in reality B180., but if the operator runs with the B180. call in the program he is going to face off the back side of the tombstone, and not the front of the stock! Ouch! So I guess what I am trying to do is trick the system into thinking that the B180 side is B zero.

Thanks for the reply! But how did you keep the file all in one?