Glenn, This may be the bit of info I've been looking for. I can enter H values, but simply haven't found the screen to enter this and D values. A review of the control parameters might help here. Thanks to all. The breadth of knowledge exhibited here and the willingness to help make this place hard to beat. Marv

Gentlemen, Thanks! I'll give it go tomorrow. Marv MasterCam Router Pro ICON Design LLC

We have used insert tooling on our router for some time and simply posted out using computer comp. More recently, we have begun to use solid carbide and would like to post out using wear, but for the life of me I can't find the info in the Fanuc manuals that describes how to access the proper input screen. Also, I'm confused as to whether the D value is the cutter diameter or the radius. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Marv MasterCam Router Pro ICON Design LLC

Our first (and only) foray into CNC as been with an Andersen Stratus SUP. Its primarily for panel work, but has a C axis and 18i Fanuc control for a limited amount of 3d work. Accessory aggregates are all Benz. 15 hp 24k rpm spindle. The frame is fabricated steel and cast iron and goes about 12000 lbs so its not a light weight. Vacuum is provided by 2 9hp pumps. Support from both Andersen and Mastercam have been good and the whole package was considerably less expensive then Komo and Onsrud. Having said that, I recently looked at the others at the IWF woodworking show (my brother is considering one for his shop), and believe any would provide good service. HTH Marv Mastercam Router Pro ICON Design,LLC

SLJ You mentioned a vacuum generator (compressed air powered?). Generally, these are filtered between the fixture and the generator and gaged at the generator. You may be seeing 25" at the generator, but getting a great deal less at the fixture because of a clogged filter. You may want to put a gage on a test plate to verify your vacuum at the fixture.

James, We've been using a 128 meg compact flash card in our fanuc 18i control. Bought a couple for about 50 bucks each from Staples. Is this similar to what you've suggested? Is there a difference between the compact flash and an ata card? I'm told the control reads directly from the card. Down side is all the walking (front office PC to the router). Marv P.

Hi all, I've been a woodworker since the early '70's. Pretty much done the whole trip (log houses in Alaska, cabnetry and furniture, owned my own business for 18 years, even tried guitars and dulcimers), but like most gearheads, I needed MORE TOOLS and the CNC was it !!!! Now I have the good fortune to work for a firm in western NY doing high end furniture on a fairly advanced (for a woodworker) 4 ax machine running what I would like to think is cutting edge software (Mastercam of course). I've only been programming for a little over a year, so there's lots yet to learn, but gentlemen, I eat this stuff up. Obviously, I'd like to hear about applications for wood, but the experience base for this software is in the metal trades. And as long as our partners across the isle continue to be as receptive and as helpful as they've been, my vote would be to maintain the current focus. That said, it might not be a bad idea to do an FAQ for woodworkers. Marv Router Pro 9.1

33 out of 30 here, and I don't know how to insert a page either!! Marv aspiring MC programmer

Metalflake, Take a look at magnalock.com. With some ingenuity you could pick up on stuff illustrated there. We in the wood industry tend to cheap things out; I've used 1/4" Ø vinyl foam cord from MSC in a slightly tighter groove in a panel of sealed medium density fiber board capped with a piece of sticky back abrasive here and there for traction - worked great! Agin, max out your square inches within the vac area, watch for leaks and keep your feed speeds down. Marv ICON Design LLC MC Router Pro 9.1 SP2

This is my first reply to this excellent forum, so please bear with me; I,m employed in the wood furniture and have a few years experience with vacuum work holding. Unlike compressed air where a small leak in the general scheme of things is of no consequence, dealing with leakage in a vacuum system is. A large component of this is leakage thru a breathable workpiece. Furthurmore, vacuum measured in atmospheres never exceeds a value of 1 bar ( which at sea level may approach 29" of mercury or approximately 15 psi ). For these reasons workholding, as it relates to woodworking, becomes something of a balancing act. Place a 1 1/4" MDF workpiece (prehaps 2' sq.) on a breathable spoilboard and attempt to part it off in one pass with a 3" dia. cutter and you may end up finding it in the next county (even with a 40 HP vac pump) !! On the other hand, if you are cutting melamine clad particleboard with a 1/2" dia.bit on a well gasketed fixture, then a 1/2 HP pump may be all you need. Generally, you'll want to size your pump to accomodate the largest workpiece you commonly run on fixturing that you are willing to replace fairly regulary. As a point of reference; we run the gamut of wood products on our 5 x 10 router (15 HP spindle), equipted with 2 - 9 HP pumps without problems. Much of the time 3 HP would be overkill. My recomendation would be to buy a 1 1/2 to 3 HP rotary vane pump off ebay, do not run it through a receiver tank, valve it to cycle between 18 to 22" Hg, use 3/8" braided hose to your gasketed fixturing and cut some parts of two square or larger. Initially put a vac guage at your fixture to verify the values. After some experimenting, you'll begin to get a sence of what you need to work with before spending your hard earned cash on pump capacity you may never really need. Lastly, I'd like to appologize for the length this and say that as a CNC greenhorn, I read this forum daily and have learned a great deal. best regards Marv