I have the handbook, I was just hoping somebody could verify. I am the exact same thinking as you aabout needing a standard. Problem is, I need a nut or crank arm, not the bolt. We cannot find this particular tap, and we are going to make one to fix a goofed up thread in a crank arm we have. I can cut it to what the book says, but I will never know if it is right. It's a dilemma..

I have asked several different people about this, and nobody seems to know the answer. I am trying to make a 14 x 1.25mm left hand thread bolt to match the threads in a bicycle crank arm. I have my bolt set up in a bridgeport easypath lathe and I am fixing to cut threads. Problem is, I don't have a nut. Usually, when I am creating threads for something I have the nut or part that has internal threads so that I can match it. In this case, I don't have it. I think my x dials in diametrical. If I have a threading tool set up and I touch the surface of the bolt (which would be 14mm or.551") how deep do I need to cut these threads (to what X number) before I know I have created the correct depth? Thanks

I think the problem I am going to have there is that my older version of x2 is on my old pc. This new version x5 is on a different, new computer.

That worked. You wouldn't happen to know how I can get my machine .wmd posts over to this version would you? I remember having to update the posts in x2, but I don't know if that is necessary in x5.

I got my new pc in today with windows 7 and X5. Everything in mastercam is back to default as it is when freshly installed. I'm trying to figure out if I can pull one of my config files over from x2 into x5, so I don't have to completely redo my toolbars. I went into my older version of x2 this morning on my old pc and found a file in the config folder called John.mtb. This is the settings that I had there and contains the toolbar layouts that I want. I opened up x5 on my new pc, and went to settings > customize and then went and found this file. When I click ok, it does effectively impliment the file and my toolbars switch to the way they are supposed to be, but when I close out and restart the program I'm back to default. What can I do to make my toolbar .mtb file stick?

So what is mpmaster?

Well I've never edited a post before, and I'm sure there is alot more to it than meets the eye, but I feel like I could do it. I might call the reseller back today and explain the situation to them. All the post does is tell mastercam exactly how to output the code, correct?

I have a situation I'm trying to resolve. I have an old Hitachi wire EDM machine which has a fanuc control and it has been programmed with 8.1 for years. I have recently learned and use X2, and I am going to have to start programming from X2 to this particular machine. I can do everything in X2 that I can do in 8, same sequence, same everything, but when I post the code it comes out totally different between the two versions. This is a simple 1" x 1" part with a .5" hole in it. Version 8.1 code: O100 N100 G90 G95 N102 G92 X0. Y0. N104 G00 X3.99235 Y1.72491 N106 / M00 (THREAD WIRE) N108 G92 X3.99235 Y1.72491 N110 G01 G41 X4.24235 N112 G03 X4.23989 Y1.68991 I-.25 J-0. N114 M00 N116 G50 X4.24235 Y1.72491 I-.24754 J.035 N118 G01 G40 X3.99235 N120 / M00 (CUT WIRE) N122 M30 % --------------------------------------------------------- Version X2 code: O1 N100 G90 G95 N100 G92 X0. Y0. N100 G00 X0. Y0. N110 M82 N120 M81 N130 M60 N140 G92 X0. Y0. N140 G01 G41 X.25 N150 G03 X.24754 Y-.035 I-.25 J0. N160 M00 N170 G50 X.25 Y0. I-.24754 J.035 N180 G01 G40 X0. N190 M50 N200 M21 N210 M42 N220 M41 N230 M30 --------------------------------------------------------------- I updated the post through X2 and I am in that post when I draw my geometry. Any help would be appreciated.

Ok, I talked to my reseller and I got X2 to do the same thing that version 8 does, but when I post (using the same post) it outputs two totally different formats of code. I'm trying to figure out what changed an how, but I'm having no luck.

I'm trying to get my newer version of Mastercam (X2) to program the same way as an older version I have (8.1). The buttons and actions are all different, and I don't know what I need to do to get the same result. Version 8.1 actions- To chain the contour, I click these buttons: 1. Wirepaths, Contour, Chain, STCW 2. I hit the reset button to be sure that the zero is on the corner of the block where I will touch off with the wire. Then I hit the "select start/Thread/Cut" button. The box will disappear and I have to pick the wire start. I pick the center of the hole for the wire start of my geometry. The box pops back up, then I hit ok. The box disappears again, and I must select the geometry where I want the chain to start. I have to be sure that the chain is going in the ccw direction of cut, because of the way our machines offsets are. I hit STCW again, and repeat these steps for every operation or different hole. when finished, I click ok, and the geometry is now marked with yellow boxes or points to wire placement or something (not really sure what they represent). 3. I then Click the very end of the last line of the contour before it gets back to where the wire entered the part. This will bring up a box that says "change at point". When that comes up, I click over in the bottom right in the box next to "control flags" to highlight it, then click the button. A box called "control flags" pops up and here I will click the box next to "Stop/Glue" on the left, and this will activate the rest of that row. I click the circle next to stop and hit ok. This will add the necessary M00 in the program to make the machine stop and hold for the tab cut. I Hit ok and close the boxes out. If there are more operations (holes), I hit the next chain button (on the left side) and repeat this for every one, so that all of them get the M00s added for the stops. When finished I click done. Then I go to operations and post. Version X2 actions- To chain a contour, I click these buttons: 1. Chain button up top. This opens the small box up that says "enter new nc name". I hit the green check box and the "chaining" box on the left pops up. This is where I stop because I do not know what to do from here. I have updated my post - the one I use in Mastercam 8, and it is visible and selected when I open X2. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The machine in question that I am trying to create a file for is not at this plant. it is at another. I need to be able to send a .txt or .nc file to him, and he needs to be able to call up that file I send and send it to his machine. In other words it is not connected to my pc via serial line.

I don't really know how to ask this question so I will attempt to explain the situation. We have two versions of Mastercam where I work. 8.1 and a newer version X2. I am one of two operators of wire EDM machines. I currently use X2, but the other operator at another plant uses 8.1, and has not yet learned to use X2. He uses 8.1 to draw up his gemotry and chain, and send a program to an older Hitachi EDM machine. He does it by network line (setting baud rate and all that jazz). The machine does not have anything but that and a tape reel. No floppy disk or any other way of transporting info. How can I take a program that I have programmed with X2 (say a .txt file for example), and send it to him - for him to try and see if he can send it via network line into his older Hitachi machine? In other words, how would he take the program that I sent him, and get it to his machine using his network line? The only way I remember doing this was with the Mastercam interface where the Hitachi machine is made ready, and we hit send in Mastercam itself - after we had drawn the geometry and chained. I know this is a little confusing, but I need to know for sure that my X2 can program this older Hitachi. I'm sure it can and that everything is fine, but I need to know how to attempt what I am talking about to "prove" that it can.

Ok. We still use 8.1 0ccasionally, and I think the issue is that it will not run on windows 7. I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking it probably won't.

Ok thanks. Maybe there was something else causing an issue. I appreciate the info.

My IT dapt at work is looking in to making me a test pilot for Windows 7 OS. All of the pc's throughout the company currently run on XP. I have X2 at the moment on my XP pc. I talked to her yseterday, and she was trying to get X5 to work with Windows 7, and she said she was having trouble with it. I guess what I am asking here is if X5 is compatible with Windows 7.

I work with my Geometry from a CAD file. I export a DXF and bring it into Mastercam in that format. My boss draws everything in PowerCAD, and it isn't unusual to find overlapping lines and broken pieces. I take geometry from mastercam and chain it to use in the wire machines I run. If the lines won't chain, I have to find out why. I usually redraw every single line and arc to begin with, to avoid the possibility of the machine rejecting something because of a broken chain or something. When I redraw the geometry, I trim every arc and line to each other to complete the chain and be sure it is complete. This is where I occasionally run into the problem of Mastercam telling me the error. My boss draws in layers in PowerCAD, but that isn't the same as different Z depths is it? For all discussion purposes, really nothing we do is 3D. Every thing we do is 2D. I have also noticed the problem when I have this example: Two lines intersecting at some point. I fillet the corner (or intersection) at a given radius. I then take the radius and "Trim/Break" > "Break many pieces" the arc that creates the fillet. The arc is now broken into multiple line segments instead of a radius. Then, if I try to take the very last line segment (the segments that make up what used to be the radius) and trim it to the lines that we there interescting to begin with, it won't do it. It gives me that error. If I try to trim each line segment to it's neighbor - the ones that used to be the arc, they all trim to each other, but not the two big lines they meet. I tried to make that as clear as possible, but I understand if it may be confusing. Ask, and I will clarify further if necessary.

Running Mastercam X2, and sometimes when drawing geometry I get the message I listed in the topic title "The Selected Objects do not Intersect". I'm not sure what causes this. Even if I extend both lines past each other and try again to trim using the "trim 2 entity" button, it will still give me that error. The reason I am trimming lines to each other is to be sure everything is connected when trying to make a path chain completely. If there are breaks it won't chain or only partial chain, etc. The only explanation I can see for this would be that I have lines at 2 different depths (Z height difference). If so, How in the world did that happen? I only draw in top view, no 3D or anything. If this may be the case, How would I check to see if I have lines on different levels? I have tried turning the view to front or side or back, but I still can't see anything at different levels. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have Mastercam X2, and I currently use it to program for AGIE Classicut machines. However, I only use it to chain a contour and produce an ISO file. I'm trying to understand the different output methods and in researching the different posts I have I found a couple of different things. I want to try one of the other Generic Agievision post processors that puts out an SBL file. Currently, the only thing I do is chain the contour I have in Mastercam and then produce an ISO. Then, once I get to my wire machine I do all my offsets, entry point, tab size, number of cuts (accuracy) etc there. I also enter all block dimensions and other information at the machine. From what I understand, if I do all of this in Mastercam I won't have to do it in the machine. An SBL file appears to output all information (block dimensions, start points, offsets etc), but I don't know how to set up the Mastercam part of it. When I open Mastercam I go up to the top and click "machining type", and then pick my post processor. Here I would select "AGIE GENERIC AGIEVISION 4X WIRE.WMD" as the new one I want to try which outputs the SBL file. I'm not sure if this is the correct post processor or not, but for now I just want to figure out how to program the block from inside of mastercam instead of at the wire. From there If I open up the + signs to make the sub menues show I see the Files, Program Settings, and Stock setup. I'm not really sure about the Files tab. I see the location of where the program will be sent?? and maybe some other things. The Program settings tab seems to define the program # and sequence #. I'm not sure what effect any changes I make here would have. Finally the block dimensions page will define the block dimensions. I'm thinking I would go with rectabgle here because most of our blocks are rectangle or some sort of square. I'm not sure what the changes in the display button will do. From what I can tell the buttons at the bottom are just simple ways of selecting the geometry in the drawing window so that you don't have to enter values into the fields for X,Y, and Z manually. Is this correct? When I go up to the top and click my chaining button the box pops up asking me for the name and I hit the green check for OK. Then the chaining box pops up to the left. I'm not sure what to click here for the right thing, but I have always clicked the button on the top left with the three overlapping circles that says "Chain" when you mouse-over. Once I do that I click my contour and then I click the green check for OK. The wire contour box pops up and has the several tabs across the top. I just noticed that there is a button for AGIEVISION to the right. When I click it, a box pops up that says "Incompatible perameter settings for agievision were detected-output tabcut/with last cut not enabled, yes resets perameters, no to continue with errors" I hit no here and it pops up a box that looks very similar to my machine interface - same fields, values etc. I'm not sure where to go from here, as it gets really involved. If I could get some help with what I have listed above I might be able to figure it out. Can anybody assist me in this part of the operation of Mastercam? Thanks

The settings/configuration, files did the trick! Thanks. One more question- Is there any way I can specify two places for it to go? Like for ex. 2 different folders at the same time?

I'm running X2 and using the wire edm part of it. I already have a post file setup, but I can't remember how to change the path. I know the path is defined somewhere. Can anybody help me out? Thanks!

Great products guys. Getting the stuff through our company though is kind of a hassle, so if one of our vendors don't offer it I have to jump through hoops to get it. Is there anything that MSC or J&L might offer that you all know of? Or anything I can go to walmart or a parts house and get? I don't mind spending a little money out of my own pocket but I'm not gonna call and order somethng and use my cc and all that.

I have two wire edm machines. Most of the fixtures and tooling that we have is made from stainless. I recently made a fixture out of some tool steel. It is heat treated and ground. It is very dirty (from being in the wire machine) and I was hoping that maybe you guys could recomend some type of cleaner. I know I could bead blast it, like all the other parts made of tool steel that come out of there, but it is assembled with about 15 parts using bolts and dowels. It would be a hassle to dismantle it it jsut to blast everything. I have an acid type stuff that I use to clean all the stainless stuff, and it works like a charm. However, on the tool steel it has some sort of reaction and doesn't really work. It smells awful too. Do you guys know of anything that I could use to clean it without taking it completely apart?

murraymold - cool idea. I actually did make a small wheel that has a spinner section in it. You know the kind that you see on cars now days. It is about 6 inches in diameter. Unfortunately I don't have a pic at the moment. I'll look when I get home.

Some of the "conversation pieces" I have seen were made anyway but on purpose. Yes I have some of the pieces myself lol. Let me be more specific - Parts that were made ON PURPOSE lol.

Hey guys. I didn't know whether to post this in Off Topic or here. I was wondering if any of you might have a neat part or piece that you have made - a conversation piece. You know something unique that makes other people take a second glance at it. I want to make some paper weights or just some unique pieces in general. Maybe a little thing comprised of several pieces, threads, holes, shapes, whatever. If you do, and you have prints or drawings or instructions, let me know here and I will PM you my email. Thanks