Class reponse Jayson, See you at ITMS Regards, Jack

For James & Cadcam. Just a little note about my general nastiness & misdemeanor. When I jumped into the mix of things, the Avatar discussion was just new and underway. I know that I can have a mean disposition at times, yet I do not mean to take this out on you two, or anybody else. Who better to go up against than the Mac Daddy’s? I made my point. Unfortunately, I challenged the both of you to an unfair game of cat & mouse. I do not want you to make the parts, walk the walk, or anything like it. I do respect that both of you are actively involved with this forum - just as I am. We are all equals here. I am no longer a junior member. Give me the Sausage Avatar, if you will. When I jumped in, it seemed to me that everybody patting each other on the back, no offense, it just sort of pissed me off. I do indeed respect your expertise & knowledge, as I’m sure you also respect mine. Please do not make the parts that I threw at you – a $475.00 job is hardly worth the effort. Mold100 was angry & hurt, I’ll give him that much – To be young again and to challenge the old guy (Me) is actually a compliment. Mold100, if you want to party, then let’s go, Mono ~ Mono, once it’s all said & done, I will kick your punk xxxx & I’ll sell the parts for $6,000.00 – I’m serious here. I will use you until you’re all used up. The wisdom comes from being a professional – and yes, Jack Mitchell is a professional. You want to party? Let’s rock**** Talk the talk? Come to poppa! I am officially old this year, 47 in October. I am fortunate to have apprenticed five toolmakers since I’ve been in this trade. You know, the funny thing is, they all think they can take the old guy out – I’m so damn proud – I’ll kick there xxxx & I will not break a sweat – do you think I would actually give them all of it? Seriously though, those that I have apprenticed are good soldiers. They are me – they are a proud & feisty, cocky, and full of contempt – I wouldn’t have it any other way. About 14 years ago, I took out a Portuguese machinist. He was also the owners little bag-lick pet. We basically had to do 19 different one-off’s. I did 18 of them & Johnny did one. At the end of the day Johnny turns to me and says, I have never seen anybody like you before, you’re like a machine shop Rambo. I have always looked fondly at this as a compliment. So here it is, James & Jayson – you are officially my choice for this year’s Machine Shop Rambo awards – be proud & don’t challenge me please – I can’t take the beating no more! Regards, Respectfully yours, Jack

chris m, The comment about the Valcool is cool. When you stated that it doesn’t seem to like cast iron too much – sort of hits home. The many times that I have faced machining cast iron, I have always had the same argument. Do I or Don’t I want too use coolant with this task? I learned not to use coolant. The damn stuff will clump & rust into a solid in anyplace it piles. Particularly in the extreme corners of the machine tool guards. When this happens you need to slug it out of there. A funny thing occurs when you machine the cast iron dry. It’s as if there is a common friendliness about cast iron chips and the machine tool bed. It’s almost as if there is an unspoken harmony – I know I’m looking like a weirdo here, but that’s my take on the nasty black stuff. Actually, I have a rusted piece permanently attached to my eye ball – just left of the cornea, thank God. Who would ever have though that this discussion would amount to the amazing things that we have all shared here? I am blown away by the exacting science quoted by MfgEng and the flat out fears of those who have suffered, as I have with skin irritations. Thank you Tony for asking the question about slowly being poisoned, this has proven to be one of the most informative discussions I have ever been involved with, I am sure that the other members would also agree. Wow, this group as, Southparks Eric Cartman would say – is, kick xxxx. Regards, Jack

Yo Norbert, I just have to ask. The refractometer reading you obtained seems normal enough. My question is, how did you get the reading without plunging your forearms though this mystical slime? It's sort of humorous now; but the blackened goop that I’ve had to clean from unused equipment was an experience - I think we have all been though. Regards, Jack

Sorry guys, my fault - I should have stated to use contour and not use single line. Use contour, a single line; Centre, Left, or Right are the options. (is what I should have stated). I hope I haven’t confused anybody. Hey Glenn, it’s good to here from you. Regards, Jack

Brian, I suggest cutting the workpiece like it is. Please try this method, add a false value of about .01" to the actual cutter diameter, then trial cut to a depth of .025" Observe the profile to see if you’re happy with this. Then, try the filter process as you have suggested. Add .03" to the actual cutter diameter, then trial cut to a depth of .05" Choose the one that you feel will perform best. The cam developed at 2deg should be and likely is mathematically correct. The filtering will smooth its transition but this really a consideration of the actual cam size and application. I had a similar experience with cutting a rather large cam for Russian built press (est. 24" diameter x 8" thick). The developed cam drawing was one of the most amazing hand drawn drawings I have ever seen. I really regret not keeping this drawing - you just don’t see this type of artistry very often. Regards, Jack

Hugh, Facing, pocketing, frame milling, ect!, all require the same thing. They require some form of multipassing. Mastercam and virtually all cam packages will expect an input of percentage of cutter for each pass. Some will give the option of overlap, in-fact (rest machining adds to the mix). The bottom line is that there needs to be a mutipass. If you wanted to pocket 1" wide, you can use anything smaller than 1" and get the result your looking for. 1/16 thru 15/16 - a 1" cutter cannot shift- hence the problems with bounderies, chaining, etc!. Use a single line; Centre, Left, or Right are the options available. I think you are already on track with this - I just wanted to clarify why you are running into this problem. Regards, Jack

Scotty, Forgive me, but it almost looks as if you reluctantly asked this question. I would encourage you to call your local Mastercam rep - he will provide a solution. Yes, the solution might even be to install Ver 5.5 as you wanted. The bottom line here is to give the customer what it is that he wants. Sell him what you think he needs another day. If it is not possible to install the 5.5 he will suggest the minimal requirement to get you up and running. It’s been a while since we used dos or the earlier versions on Mastercam when it went to the windows platform. Please make the call & get this machine back online. Regards, Jack

I know that it looks bad on the surface. The guy is a new member in August 19th of 2002. If he does have a pirate copy, then why would he ask of all places - this place? Why not ask the guy that gave it to him? Do you remember all of the changes that we went through from ver 4 thru ver 9 ~ the green hasp, the white hasp, etc! God knows the patches we went through with Windows NT. I wasn't easy for any of us - was it? This guy might be legit, or maybe he posted at 12:00AM or something. Please do not be so quick to judge. If he is legit, chances are he will be so intimidated that he will never return. Our first experiences with Mastercam a very critical as is our first experiences with user group, internet, mail, etc! Please do not spurn the possibility that he is legit, some people actually thought a computer mouse was a foot pedal – I wasn’t sure about what it was myself, I only knew that it was some kind of high tech device. Regards, Jack

MfgEng, Actually, here in Ontario Canada, any software purchase is a 100% write-off; At least that’s what my accountant says, and he is not anywhere near the inexpensive side. The only time that software is not expensed is when it is sold to other companies or individuals, much like Mastercam is. If you sell software, then you have tangible goods or assets that are taxable. The sale of software is considered gross sales; the unsold software becomes an asset. Assets are not a desirable thing to have at tax time. Hardware, on the other hand is depreciated at 20% against the declining balance. This in English terms means that it takes about seven years to depreciate a computer that is totally redundant in about two years. What you gain in the short term equates to the rape you get in the long term. I know of one seat of Mastercam V4 that was sold to a machine shop in Brantford. The 50 year old enterprise that went out of business was basically across the road from Flowserve, this business currently sells truck caps and trailers. The machine shop that bought it balked at the upgrade costs and never pursued utilizing the software. Basically, they bought it cheap and never used it, they still do code the old fashion way. In my opinion, I don’t see a gain in purchasing somebody else’s software – there is a licensing agreement that cannot be bought, sold, or traded without the consent of the rightful owner, whoever the legal owner is, they will somehow get you for at least 80% of the cost anyway. Regards, Jack

MfgEng, So much for the sizzler idea – I couldn’t take the legal beating; the beating that I’m getting here is tough enough. If Maple Leaf, Jimmy Dean’s, or any other sausage company rips-off the Trochoidal cut style the we have worked so very hard to develop, then we will take legal action. On another note: Although we can make these tasty little cuts, I believe were going to need to subcontract the work to a butcher shop. Does anybody know of any really good butcher shops? Please be careful here – were on a public forum. Regards Jack

mold 100, As requested, your file is contained in the folder called Mitchell, which is graciously located on Jayson’s FTP. Good Luck, Jack

Yo Norbert, If you're changing every 12 months, then please use a spoon. I cannot imagine a 1" thick greenish blue delight. I'll pass. Regards, Jack

Hey MfgEng, Kudo's for the long tall glass. Yet, the Mustard coolant might just have some merit. James, I'll drink mine if you drink yours! what say you? Again, I'm not selling coolant - but this stuff has been in a clean bucket for the last week, just to see if it separates, although there is a slight oily film on top - I'll be quick, and there will be a witness. Still mad? drink the coolant, its the easier of the challenges. Regards, Jack

Yo chris m, I couldn't help but notice the word sizzler in one of your last posts. Would it be alright with you if I borrowed this term for a new sausage product? Regards, Jack

Hey guys? Think about it for a moment. The more orders I get for Jack Mitchell's pure pork sausages - the less time I will have to stir up the the forum. Believe me now or believe me later - I am actually getting requests for these fine sausages. V9.1 Hint of Maple really rocks, buy some today. These top secret Mastercamfully delicious sausages V10 are nearing Beta testing. Any takers? Please remember, we cannot ship south of the border without loading these babies up with preservatives. Regards, Jack

Tony, We typically charge a new coolant tank at the 20:1 ratio which is usually recommended by the coolant manufacturer. So you run the M/C for 6 hours and realize that you need to add some more. The added coolant should be premixed at a lesser ratio since only the water is evaporating. – The condensed water soluble coolant still remains in the tank. Herein is the question. Do I add more coolant at 20:1 or do I add more coolant at 40:1? Depending on the activity of you particular machine – let your skin be the judge. If you’re running at 12~14hrs daily, then chances are the tank will exasperate in about 3 to 4 weeks. It all depends on the heat & humidity levels at work. As I mentioned earlier, Cincinnati Milacron Cimstar Qualstar “C” will take the addition of 20% straight water – This will separate only if the tank has dropped below the half way point. The coolant manufactures will all have different advice concerning a coolant top up. Just as we all have different advise depending on our own personal experiences. These coolant reps love to set up scenarios, just tell them that you get rid of the tramp oils by deliberately overfilling the tank. It works quite nicely& shuts um up at the same time. Oddly enough I have always liked the TrimSol products for surface grinding and yet in a Cnc lathe, the stuff goes rancid quite quickly. The culprit for bad coolant lies within the tramp oils (Tonna 68 way lube) or the inherent material contents & evaporation rates. Nobody is an expert in this realm of bacteria – you simply learn to adapt to your shops choice of coolants and machining practices, hopefully you will have a say when it comes to your own personal health. Sorry for the rant, Regards, Jack

I agree with most suggestions given so far. We have also encountered the same problem that you are faced with. The largest wasn't so much the feeding, but the resistance when breaking through the opposite side. I know this may sound foolish but hear me out. G81 the center drill as suggested by Surface, then use the small sensitive drill as suggested by Tony. Program the machine to rapid to Z.1, single block the machine for your X/Y points - this way you would be using the machine for position accuracy only – flick the drill in and out until your break through. Yes you going to burn out a few drills – your advantage is you will hear and feel the bounce & chatter well before the drill could break I learned this from a Dutch toolmaker. I have also heard of people drilling from one side, inverting then continuing to drill thru the other side then right threw the workpiece, however; at a thickness of .075” I don’t think I could entertain the prospect. We used double sided carpet tape & an aluminum block to fixture the material. The Dutch toolmakers idea worked very well with lots of Guhring split points and a spray bottle of coolant. My back was the only thing hurting once the job was finished. Regards, Jack

One more important note: Never, ever, ever, let your coolant tank drop below the half full point. Once you have hit the middle - the tank is destroyed. Anything added to the mix from herein will separate. You can tell this immediately when you look or touch the greenish colored slime or oil like substance (might be pink or blue) this all depends on the base color of the mix. Once the tank has been below the half way point, you need to do the entire cleanout & replacement (all of it). Aluminum is particularly bad for the greasy feel or touch. There is nothing wrong with adding straight water ((even 60 liters (15 gallons) is fair game)). I have never had a tank go rancid on a machining centre yet. I attribute this to the huge water evaporation, given the openness of a large space. I know that I must watch this – the guy on night shift also must learn this little trick. I have had many a turning centre go bad, but attribute this to the tightness of enclosure. – The door is always closed. July in Canada is extremely hot – hence the bacterium grows, grows, & grows. We also have tube benders at work. The unusual problem here is the coolant tanks are 2” deep as opposed to 8 to 10” deep on a typical CNC machine tool. With such a thin tank the evaporation is outrageous, the monitoring of the level is critical to the extreme – I’ve gone through hell with this, you don’t have to if you follow this advice. Regards, Jack

ropteach, Mariana Lendel actually writes the tutorials at In-House. I know she's on the forum quite often as well. I was actually fortunate enough to meet her and her supervisor when they allowed my first class to be a test case for their first tutorial exercises. The typo that your students encounter is actually a good thing. This would cause a judgement call IE: the software doesn't work, the tutorial is incorrect, etc!. That's a very important thing for the student to grasp. Do I go home cause I can't get it to work OR do I problem solve and actually accomplish something on my own. You, as the instructor should perhaps encourage the student's to solve these little problems. It will only build a stronger mind. I don't believe in the follow the bouncing ball method of teaching right out of the book. This is why I prefer to use theirs. You get one example to learn from and 3 or 4 similar exercises to drive it home. Regards, Jack

We were using an oil based Cincinnati Milacron product. The problem was the flow filler that connects from the hose to the drum was missing the restrictor jet tips. The Cincinnati rep came in with a spectrometer and could not even get a reading since the coolant was so rich, est. 10:1 It has taken me about a month to recover from the beating that my skin has been through. 1% Elocom cortisone crème with 1/4% menthol & camphor - just to get control back. The bottom line, we have switched to Cincinnati Milacron Cimstar Qualstar "C". Disregard the 20 to one ratio that the pros recommend and work this at 40 to one. The machine bed won't rust and your skin will actually remain where it's supposed to be. The exception to this as always, is C12L14 leaded steel – nothings going to stop the premature rust coat unless the parts are completely submerged in varsol or something similar. Once your immunity system breaks down like mine has, you will always be susceptible to the chemical reactions from these coolants. – Use a barrier crème and wash-up less often. Regards, Jack

Sorry, The Jpegs are in directory called unspecified uploads. Regards, Jack

Hmmm, It’s been a couple of days since I’ve been on - Let’s see what’s in this little folder with all the flames on it. James – OOUUCCHH! Guy – backs him up. Bullines – sort of neutral Webmaster – wow, he’s all over this one. CadCam – saw this one coming MachineMasterG – sausage’s? How do these guy’s find this stuff out? None the less, the upload is graciously on Jayson ‘s FTP site. I am a little preturbed that CNC Software has constantly matched our latest sausage products with there latest updates. Hopefully, I will release Version 10 before they do. See you at ITMS. Regards, Jack Version 9.0 Taste test V9.1 Hint of Maple Trochoidal cut (Trade mark) Notes: preferred the Hanita stub rougher Ramping failed since the paper thin edges of sausages at each end tend to burn while leaving the interior a little undercooked. Flavor is extraordinary, however due to the current USA Food & Drug regulations – we cannot ship south of the border without loading these fine sausages up with preservatives. TOP SECRET Version 10 (testing almost finished)

I am Junior Member #53 - really, who cares! To pigeon hole a members credibility through their post activity or their alleged expertise, can hardly be a measured by title alone. The kind people at In-House Solutions started and maintain this group - we keep this growing, and grow it will. I have always felt that viewing myself as a junior member as sort of a minor annoyance. This isn’t the major call on my ability or preference – just a minor annoyance. **** , I ain’t no junior by any means. - I’ll let it slide. I will caution those that achieve the title of Avatar or Administrator. Are those few of you really worthy of the cheap trill of it all? Or, are you really a sincere in your approach. There is no home page for you to peruse, there are no jpegs to amuse, there ain’t nothing but words here. I’m not selling anything nor standing upon the soap box. There is no gain for me personally. I am but a humble and lowly button pusher. Hey, we are all faced with moronic questions and bona fide concerns everyday. This is our job or calling if you will. That’s the fun of it all. I am tired of panti-waste responses about how good or bad somebody is - or worse, somebody who thinks he’s so much more that others. As a professional and an instructor I learned long ago, that if you give the professor the part and ask him to make it – he cannot. Sure he will talk about how he would approach it or how he would do the job, but; there it is – do it! Hey James, Hey Cadcam, I’m talking to you. Please don’t be offended, that’s not the intent. What burns my xxxx, is that you might be using the forum to propagate your expertise and I am lying in the shame of Junior member. Although I am slighted, I’m not the one to say that I’m regarded as an Admiral Emertis. What is this crap? Regards, Jack Mitchell

Administrator - please kill this thread. I do not wish to hurt anybody any more. I am no longer angry at this person. The senior toolmakers bench is directly in front of the supervisors office. Even though I asked the supervisor to back-off on this issue - he still remains there, like a dunce in the corner of the schoolroom. This is one extremly pissed-off toolmaker, If looks could kill - I would be a blood spot and nothing more; I actually fear he might attack me, or worse, he might bring along some kind of automatic weapon. In retrospect, I'm glad that I served him up - I am however, disturbed by the abrupt or vicious result. Regards, Jack (Your humble production machinist)