I desined a stirling cycle engine a few months ago that would need a piston to barrel tolerance of about .00005" to work, what i ended up do ing was cuttin the graphite piston to +.0005", then bands of tissue paper held against the stock to reduce it further. To check the dimensions, i set our electro static perthometer on a guage block held level with the base of the part (using anoth guage block), i was then able to measure the difference in dimension between them to a tolerance of .000002". This strategy of measuring (when ambeint heat can be controlled) might work well for you.

my prefered (slacker) way is to place a small piece of sheet stock under the head, coat with steel ink (dychem) and barly tap with the bar, you can then remove this and measure your arc at your leisure (as in not hanging over the bedway) with calipers. from there you should be able to dial in/out as needed. I rarely have to reajust as this is surprisingly accurate (+/- .0005). I only do this on manuals though, much prefering contour operations on cnc's.

quote: Now that Colorado Springs has doubled in size and they have totally screwed up the roads, it is a 45min commute again.... ARGHHHHHH...... where exactly in the springs do you live/work? I've been on the south end for 8 years and have seen my commute go from 12 min to 17 (approx), though I am SOL these happy days when the powers that be decide to completly shut down south academy

on both verify and backplot mastercam wont show you the peck cycle. however, trust me, when you post your cycle will be there (G83 ?)

wow, I am again impressed by the quick replies. Our program is heading twards a bit of a budget crunch, so we are trying to get some showcase type pieces out as advertisment, hence the engraving the logo on every thing. Thank you for all of the replies.

How would I fit a simple 2D logo (pikes peak CC logo) to cocentricize with an arc. I was thinking there would be a way as it can be done with letters. Thank you in advance for any help.

I try to avoid surface rough pocket, heres why, when you have a part that is principally dozens (or even hundreds) of joined surfaces (as mine usually are) and try to use it, it gets unnecisarily confused. In stead i like to cut down on backplot times for single run parts by using conglomerate tool paths (such as combining rough contour, finish radial, and pencil) this solves the problem of long back plots, while preventing tool path confusion. I talso gives the advantage of more precice controll ove rtool paths

as to what we should be allowed to own... the most popular cartrige for assasinations is the 22 LR, FBI statistic To my knowlege there has never been a murder with a .50 BMG Klashnikov type muzzle breaks acctually are very usefull for target shooting. Gas suppressors [silencers to leftist types] acctually improve accuracy at short [<50 yrds] ranges. a fully automatic STEN sub-machine gun can be made for about $45 bucks and in about two hours by a skilled machinist [less for us 4x cnc guys] a sporterized semi-automatic avatomat klashnikov [ak-47] would put me out over $600 an ar-15 [civilian m-16] would be about $1200 a 223 rem will reduce a prarie dog to a red streak in the grass... as will any lawn mower. my 70lb compound bow penetrates farther into a sand pile than a .44 special will the .44 special splits a maple bowling pin in half.* a bowling ball striking a pin has a greater impact energy than most hand gun cartriges. my .270 win will reduce said bowling ball to pea sized chuncks. ....so what is too much? [or to little?]. personaly I think that class II, class III, FFL's, and twenty percent green taxes are total bs, but thats just my oppinion. *Bowling with rifles is the epitome of good clean fun.

wow, one of my favorite topics... first shot was at the age of 6 with a .410 shot gun, litterally threw me on my @$$. Shot competitive archery through out elementary and JH, joined the NRA at the age of 12, got my first powder acctuated beauty (ruger 10-22) at 11. called into the principals office in eith grade the day after columbine. shot running target at 13, at the olympic training center at 14. started doing all of the family gun smthing (repair and alteration) around fourteen (and I have a very extended southern family) Quit running target, got into trap, started fabing my own parts for several antiqe projects (which I still blame for my current facination with precicion manufacturing). At 15 bought some second hand reloading equipment and started selling shot shells and hand gun round out of my attic. At 17 had to prematurly kill said venture after a friend noted a few leaal issues... still shoot trap, still build guns, still do my own custom work. am slowly approaching the mark where i will have either onwned, shot, worked on, or handled every every rod created by contemporary man. Never have shot anyone, never have had to, never have seen a flag burned at a gun show.

galil? like the machine gun?

mmm, ureia....

quote: ARGGGGG! I thought they are using Vericut for the verify in 9.1 now... well, they do give you the funky little trial version of metacut

quote: Why not find some sharp highschool or college kids and train them? heck, how about getting a highschool kid who comes to the table writing code? (cough, tvol, cough) Let me put it this way a few months ago I went looking for a job, thre were only two responces I would ever get... "sorry, we just had to lay some people off..." or "wow, according to your resume your better qualified than our average chip sweeper. Now, are you 18 yet?" ...and the funny part is, I otherwise do farm work, which is infiitly more dangerouse than manufacturing, yet somehow more legal. ok, i'm done

intellitek / light machines crp will try to sell you their line of cute little "pro lights". Don't bite, these should be avoided, they are quirqy as h#ll. I 've had a fairly good expeirience with the hass, however.

quote: There are only TWO machinists need a third for, you know, paperwork? quote: we have had to dump all of our "remnant material" because of traceability requirements - couldn't even keep it for fixtures and stuff. pikes peak community college would be happy to releave you of any "remnant material".