Not knowing what your part looks like, can you use an arbor mounted slitting saw?

You mean this??? 1. On the desktop, right-click the Mastercam icon whose start-up target you want to customize. Alternatively, choose Start, Run, and then right-click the Mastercam product name. 2. Select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears. 3. Add the name and extension of file to the end of the Target field, leaving a space between the Mastercam.exe string and each file. For example, the Target field could read C:Mcam9Mill9.Exe MYSTARTUP.CFG. Note: The file name cannot contain spaces. 4. Choose OK. The Properties dialog box closes. 5. Double-click the Mastercam icon you just altered. Mastercam launches the application with the customized configuration file loaded. Notes: If multiple users share the same computer, you can set up a unique start-up target for each user. Computers can have multiple shortcuts on the Desktop if all users share the same account, or can have just the shortcuts for the currently logged in user account. The configuration file should exist in the main Mastercam directory (Mcam9). If you configure your shortcut to use a CFG file that is not in the main Mastercam directory, and you make changes to that CFG file, the system will make a copy of the edited CFG file in your main Mastercam directory instead of using the version from a different location.

quote: Nominal, I agree with you partway, i dont know why they would not just program from the center of the pallet then. First let me make it clear that I'm not the spokesman for this method. We don't use it at this place, but I have been at places that do it. And yeah they had machine zero set coincident to the center and top of tables, not just some arbitrary point in space. It really didn't matter from machine to machine because all the machines had thier zero position set to the same place. P.S. wait till you get to the part where all thier tool lengths have been comp'd in the program, but only one of them has its entire length.

quote: Does anyone do this and what is the advantage? The theory is quicker setup time with less human intervention ( by way of figuring out what the relationship is between part zero and machine zero and putting that number into an offset.) Some people think that if a human is typing at the control they can then potentially type the wrong thing. Where if you've established via your post processor the relation at that machine which your post was designed for, you'll never have to f#*k with it again or find zero at the machine with every setup. quote: I have to run a customers part and they require using their exact process. quote: Mcedit editor has a shift function under Ncutils quote: can't you just change the G54 in your machine?? Both solutions offered are fine. Mcedit can alter your coordinates back to part zero then you can setup the way you're used to. Or you can offset out the machine coordinate difference from the zero point of the fixture. Although the second option is faster or changes less lines of code, the first option would probably be better for anyone that runs the machine if you want them to maintain whatever sanity they have left.

On fanuc you'd need to issue a G93 to put it in inverse time mode. Inverse is an option that most people don't seem to have active on thier fanucs. If you machine was in inverse time mode the axes would be syncronized regardless of f-code.

Yeah make me one out of magnesium.

Here's a simple one. I have a 1/2-13 bolt. How many in/lbs of torque will it take to create 300lbs of pressure?

quote: On a few of the Maho's we have we leave them on because there internal battery is gone Either they don't make the batteries anymore or the guy that owns your place went to the same school as the guy that owns this place.

quote: What is giving you trouble? Have you ever used a piece of software for awhile, and thought "man I can't believe what they charge for this weak hack job these bozos are trying to pass off as ready for prime time software"? Or perhaps though "man if I wasn't already gainfully employed I could spend a week creating a program that would work 100% better than this uglyness before me"? Or have you ever pictured the people that wrote a particular piece of software as a bunch of pimply faced 18-25 year old losers that may know c++ but don't have a clue about how the software should interface with the user, or what functionality it should or should not include based upon a practical real world understanding of the task at hand? Did you ever find yourself biting your tongue while the rest of management is standing around enthralled by a speech given by some salesperson who cannot be knocked off track from his previously rehearsed monolog by bothersome technical questions? Things like the inability to see more than 4 operations at a time in a 2 by 3 inch rectangle when your process has 30 or 40 of them. I could make a list so long it would take me less time to just write the whole damn program from scratch myself the way it should be in the 21st century. I'm so disgusted by thier code that I'd kick the sales guy in the nads rather than waste a single breath explaining why the software he's pushing is a P.O.S. I'm glad you guys like it though. God friggen bless ya. My displayed name is Nominal and I approved this message.

I'd rather write everything down on napkins, it would be easier and probably more effective. Yes the software.

Just had to get that off my chest before I killed someone or something.

quote: It is hard to compete against other shops charging $25/hr shop rate. I know of one we work with in Europe thats $5/hr. With that kind of equipment the work you'd be competing for is being snatched up by Mexico, Taiwan, China, Singapore etc.... if there is any kind of lot size involved. What that leaves is stuff you probably wouldn't want and/or would have a hard time making any money on. Good luck.

I was thinking more along the lines of the middle class

Judging by the look on his face, and the fact that he's p*#*ing on the people that carried him there, I'd say he's destined to be a future republican.

Without knowing what your alarm is specifically... You can set the post for the most conservative code for arcs, which is something like... break arcs on quadrant issue G02 or G03 on every line even if its redundant. issue I,J,or,K on every line that has an arc even if they are redundant. issue I,J,or,K even if they are zero don't output G41's or G40's on arcs. (more of a function of your lead in/out ). You can change all of those things at once and maybe you won't get any alarms, but you wont know exactly what caused it without a little more study. Usually the dumber/cheaper/older controls can't take many shortcuts. Good luck.

We engrave prior to anodic treatment else we have to touch up the anodize. Aside from that there is "hard anodize" which can have a significant build up, or other processes where the build up can be .00004 or so.

Perhaps the G41 or G42 were forced out of the post. If you search for G41 and find it enclosed in "'s then the post logic would be unaware that cutcomp was enabled thus allowing it to merrily blow thru your tool change or anything else without issuing any G40. Wait for the post guru. I see you're in CT. Whereabouts?

quote: Not any problems, Ran it with coolant! I agree with this gentleman. We have a few mag jobs on contract. We ran one 100+ pc casting job a couple months ago. Turning, milling drilling etc. No big deal. There are people machining explosives at los alamos. I'm sure you can handle magnesium. And yeah we did keep the powder handy but no fires. I did have a mag fire once when I was an apprentice and was turning a piece on a bench lathe with no coolant. The finer the chips the easier it is to ignite.

quote: I got 24, don't know how to insert a page. Then you have to deduct 10 from your score

You could use the reverse post that comes with MC. Then you backplot saving as geometry. Keep in mind however that the geometry it creates will be at the cl of the tool. Depending on how your programs are you might have to offset the resulting geometry. If you have problems do a search on reverse post.

Oh yeah another handy thing about vickers you have to put the W out on every drill cycle position except the last one.

Since we're being picky. I've seen it as an incremental distance from the start of the arc to the center, from the center of the arc to the start, and as an absolute position. For example Allen Bradley ( remember those? ) could use a G75 76 and 77 to give you either of all three methods.

With no certifications you might aswell put it on ebay. Somebody with a lathe in thier garage might want it.

I'm surprised nobody's come here looking for a free post for one of those yet.

Yeah 40 billion a year to an "unauditable" branch of the government just isn't enough is it.