don't want to go too small.Gets more difficult the smaller you go. The link I posted above is probably what I am going to go with. May scale it x2 what it already is. Not something I expect to get done in a few weeks. But just something I would like to tinker with.

Thanks guys, but this is more along the lines of what I was looking for...... V-Twin

Anyone know where I can find plans to make a working internal combustion engine? Just a little something to occupy my time. Thanks.

We are currently sending over entire programs with great success, jst not sure how to get the machine or cimco to drip feed.

did a search, didn't really find what i needed

That would be great. Thanks Neal!!!

Can someone give me a step by step process of getting my Okuma mill set up to drip feed. Has OSP5020M control. Can I do this with Cimco that comes with Mastercam or do I need something else. I am 100% ignorant on this process. Any and all help is appreciated.

I just finished R&D on a job for a US company that is buying these parts from Germany. We are doing a test run this week and if everything goes as planned we will succeed in bringing it back to the states.

I am still trying to figure out why I am not getting a good tool path on this. Any help guys?

Okay, I have tightened all the tolerances as suggested above, 99.9% sure it is not the machine and still am not getting the correct tool path. Why is it breaking up the arc section into two arcs with each arc having a different center point. I think this is where my problem is. Again it is finishing the left side of the part well but the right side is choppy and not smooth, does not follow the contour! Any other ideas?

I am creating these surfaces by first creating a solid then changing it into a surface then deleting the top surface. Is this creating a problem? Never has before.

I have tried tightening my tolerances and it does no good. Or am I defeating the purpose by filtering the nc in nc utilities?

The toolpath seems to be breaking a perfect arc into two seperate arcs and one arc is the good toolpath one is the bad toolpath. The 2 arc have different radii and different center points. Why. The geometry used to create the surface was a circle.

I am running this on an okuma mill.

I have uploaded a file in the MC9 folder on the FTP site named stu.mc9

Okay, I am machining a pocket roughly 6 inches in diameter, .625 deep with a full radius in the bottom. This is something that is pretty easy and we have been doing for some time now with no problems. Now all of the sudden when I do it, it looks fine in mastercam but when machined the finish contour toolpath is not acurate. It leaves a good finish on one side of the part and a choppy finish on the other. Almost acts as if the arcs are off at each depth but only on half the part. Why is this and what can I do to fix it?

Diamondd, I did something like this recently for a friend of mine. The problem I ran into that with our existing equipment and software when I raster/vectored the image and pulled it into mastercam it made such a huge file that took about 4 hours to engrave on a 10"x 8" piece of material.

Can someone please give me some advise on high speed machining 316L Stainless Steel? As far as suggested tooling, seeds, feeds, d.o.c. Surface finish is of high importance in the industry we support and any time we can cut on manual polishing is an improvement as long as we are not greatly increasing machine time. Would like to see if HSM would benefit us, but have never dealt with it.

We use emuge taps they work pretty well when I can get the darn thing to go through. We are using a spiral tipped, coated tap.Still looking for hard proof that I can reduce the engagement with out reducing the strength.

Also another one of my reasons for wanting to decrease the engagement is due to when the units are finally assembled in house we sometimes have a problem with thread gulling and the all thread getting stuck in the hole which in turn we have to cut out by manual methods due to the fact that the unit is now so large we have no machine to put it in. We are using monel all thread due to threading stainless into stainless is prone to gull. This has been a reaccuring problem since before I worked here. I am just trying to get rid of it. Still looking for hard proof that I can reduce the engagement with out reducing the strength.

Doing this on an Integrex 400IIY. Also, I am the operator, programmer, set-up as I stated earlier and I sure do not want to tap by hand. I am milling the hole to the max diameter gor 75% engagement but still only can tap at about 25-35 rpm. Working with 316L SA240 and the certs are in spec. Looked into thread milling before and could not find an indexable tool that would work. Carbide thread mills a little pricey for management compared to taps. Currently with the stocking jobs that we have on the floor I will be tapping 570 3/4"-10 holes. And this occurs roughly about every six weeks. Still looking for hard proof that I can reduce the engagement with out reducing the strength.

Would like to go to 60-60% but I am getting flack that it may not hold the pressure and I am looking for something to prove either way.

Unfortunately I am the programmer, set-up guy and the operator!!!

Having some trouble tapping 300 series stainless again. The problem seems to come and go with material lots. Trying to tap 3/4"-10 thru an 1-1/8" plate. Tap keeps over loading the machine. I would like to go to a lesser thread engagement but our train operators give me the whole roasted pork bit."We've done it like this foever." Was wondering if anyone could guide me in finding some information as to determining a pressure rating vs. thread engagement. Some sort of engineering calculation. Like, for instance, a 3/4"-10 thread at 75% engagement, 1-1/8" deep is rated for 200 psi. Or whatever. Something like that. Our engineers earned their title because they can draw stuff. I am a little bitter about that if you can't tell. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Hey Harryman, shoot me an email. Have been concidering relocation. Would be interested in checking your shop and area out for concideration.