I understand. It sticks to the insert then pulls chunks out of the material. The method I described is a pain in the butt, but we have machined threads this way on some NASTY refractory alloys that are soft and gummy. And, they are abrasive as well. You gotta love it.

If you have a tool & cutter grinder,take a diamond wheel with an 1/8" or 1/16" radius (size depending on insert size) and grind a slot parallel with the leading edge of the insert. You want to grind right up to the edge so there is only .001 - .002 land at the edge. The radius of the slot should be 15 to 20 degrees positive rake where it meets the edge. If you can do this, the chip will tend to flow down the radius and not pile up so bad on the insert. You still need to take very shallow cuts (.0005 or so) and use something like Acculube LB-2000. Like I said before, not perfect but you can get there.

I have ground geometry into the top of inserts to get the chip to flow, but it still leaves alot to be desired. I would probably roll with a Landis tool.

I am using Ingersoll part# 1BW7T-0501778R01.

I had this issue too. My re-seller said it was because I did the install as "user" instead of "admin". I had our IT dept. un-install and re-install as admin, and the problem went away.

You can remove block numbers in the editor under the edit tab.

I have used rotary broach tools from Somma tool company with good results.

If you want indexable, Everede tool company has a line called nine9 that has some really slick little engraving tools.

We do a re-qual on a fixed sphere and run a quick check program on a standard. The standard is a 2" and a 3" gage block set at angles in a fixture. If the machine measures the blocks within .0002 of nominal, we are good to go. The inspection report is filed and copies are included with part certification. The whole process, if everything measures out good, takes about 10 minutes.

I had this issue but with toolpaths not found instead of control file.I called our re-seller and found out that it was because I did the install while logged in as a user instead of admin. After un-installing and re-installing as admin, the issue went away.

Transform toolpath should get you there.

My Mastercam computer is not on the network for security reasons. Is there a way to save to a thumb drive and transfer?

I've never been accused of being the sharpest crayon in the box, so please excuse my ignorance...What is the FTP site, and how do I get to it?

I was told by our re-seller to use Minimum Distance with output feed move checked and set to 500 (IPM) or whatever the machine will allow. That said, I don't use it. Our parts are generally smaller than what you are working on, so I use Full Vertical Retract to save my nerves. When I tried Minimum distance, if I hit feed hold when it gets close to something,the machine decelerates. If there was truly a clearance issue, it could crash before the machine coasts to a stop. I should add that I was using a Haas EC-1600, so it might be more sluggish than a smaller machine.

On the lathe rough properties tab, click on the "angle" button next to the rough direction/angle.

I would try the old Surface Finish Parallel toolpath. You should be able to zig zag back and forth up and over the beam perpendicular to the hole axes.

Shop Floor Automations advertises in the trade magazines USB or Ethernet boxes that will work with any control. http://www.shopfloorautomations.com/hardware/floppy-emulator/

I had this problem once, and felt really dumb when I realized there was a space at the top of the program above the % sign in the editor. Once I removed the blank line, it went fine.

I would say you're on the right track. I just started using the HST toolpaths, so I'm no expert. I have successfully used rest rough on a couple of jobs, and I Think it should work well. With containments and depth limits, you should be able to do what you are after. When it comes to finishing, I just play around with all the options until I get something I like. Pay attention to the direction of cut. I finished a die that needed more polishing than normal because the tool was climb cutting part of it and conventional cutting part of it. Now that the job is done, I see that I could have used waterline starting from the inside out and I wouldn't have had to polish as the tool would have been in a climb cut all the way.

I use modular tooling from Seco or Ingersoll for these applications.

One of my vendors has a grind shop that can make anything. I have them grind up bars that fit the Circle A style holders when I need to reach deep with a small tool. One of them will go in a .16 hole 2.15 deep. Another will go into a tapered hole that is .09 on the small end 1.6 deep.If you're interested, contact [email protected] I just draw up what I need and he will quote it.

I've had this problem. I had to change the "keep tool down within" parameters to a small number like .1 to make it stop dragging the cutter over the top of the part.

some styles of Kurt vise have the solid jaw bolted to the casting. I was having this problem once, and found that the bolts on the bottom that hold the solid jaw on were loose causing it to deflect when tightened.

I have had good luck with series 5512 in Titanium. Not sure how they would do in hardened steel.

Check out Shop Floor Automations. They sell Ethernet and USB boxes that will work on any machine. http://shopfloorautomations.com/page/shop-floor-ethernet-portable-pdas-hhts-units/