In Manual Entry check the NCI Output Method. Switch the setting and the parenthesis will go away.

We use a lathe 1" dia. boring bar with an Acme threading insert mounted in a solid mill holder. We measured the cutting dia. on a presetter and programmed the cut by that. We are cutting plastic with it but I think the setup would work in any kind of material. It's been working great for us. If you need more specifics I can find the tool to get you insert and bar type.

Ron, Thanks for the file. Did you use CREATE/HELIX to get the helix you used for the Boolean Remove? It's close, but still out of the tolerance I'm holding. I'm trying fudge the settings to get closer to print specs. Seems like this function should work cleaner than the result I'm getting out of it. This is my first experience with the helix function, so I don't know if this is normal.

Ron, The helix that I'm trying to create is not a slot, but a ramp on the left end of the part.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I moved the details of the helix that I've created so far, off the left end of the part for easier viewing. It is supposed to be .875 from the left end of the detail to the inside corner. It measures .886 now. That is what the CREATE/HELIX made even though I told it the distance was .875 I deleted a couple of arcs from that detail and reloaded to the file to the FTP folder.

I am trying to create a helix using solids. I need to mill a helix using a rotarty table with the part rotating around X axis. The helix on my drawing does not give a pitch. I'm given a starting position angle on the outside edge of the part and the helix rotation of 158 degrees finishing at .875 from the end then finishing at an inside corner. I then need to have a 1.0 radius fillet between the helix and the flat where the helix ends. I've created a helix with CREATE/HELIX but it overshoots the depth the helix is supposed to end at. I want the helix to be a solid so I can hopefully get solids to create the 1.0 radius. Any ideas on how I can get this to work? I've loaded the file STEM.Z2G into the MCX2_Files FTP site. Thanks in advance.

Thanks John. You rule! Happy Friday the 13th!

John, I loaded the x+ chook to try it out yesterday. Where do I find settings that affect the screen?

Mastercam started this morning with the text and background colors changed. I can't find settings in config that apply to that. Any ideas please? [/img] Thanks

I have not experienced the slow down problems that you've all been describing, but I have been having problems with MR1 crashing. There isn't any one process that makes it crash. I've had it happen while doing simple trimming in wire frame or copying geometry to another level. It gets really bad when trying to trim surfaces though. Anyone else seeing this?

To add the Bolt Circle to your tool bar go to Customize-Toolbars-Category-NETHook

ToolMan, It is found in Create-Create Bolt Circle pull down.

quote: If your entry/exit arc clearance is too large, it should start at the center of the hole. Try making this value a large one and see what happens. Jeff, this is the setting I've been missing. It was set at .1, too large for this application. I'm milling a 1/2-13 hole with a .420 dia. thread mill. The same size as the minor dia. I set the entry/exit to 0.0 and it works perfectly now. Thanks for all your help everybody.

OK, well I guess I can stop banging my head on the keyboard now. It's a bug. Thanks for the info Doug. Jack, thanks for the snapshot info. That will come in handy.

The tool is big enough to fit in the hole, barely. That's why I need it to start in the center of the hole. I can get the thing to cut, but I have to hand whip the program to feed down the center of the hole then move to the comp on position to start the cut. Trying to learn a way to avoid this. I think it worked differently in MX.

Apparently it doesn’t work the same in X2 as it did in X. I made my cut the same as in your example, but it doesn’t give me a line for turning on comp. It just goes directly to a helix. I don't know how to include snapshot or I'd show you.

Midwest, that seems to work well if you cut from top to bottom. Have you been able to make this type of cut from bottom to top? I've tried several different settings with poor results.

Thanks for looking into it David.

Yes, I chose arc center instead of point to get where I am. It seems the cut parameters ignore the Start at center when you select Perpendicular entry.

Is it possible to have a thread milling op start in the center of the hole using Perpendicular Entry? I'm having trouble getting the cut to start in the center of the hole. It keeps positioning off center even though I select "Start at center"

JM2C, I've been told that Command pull studs are some of the most unreliable because they are cast steel. I have had a couple cut loose on me costing a spindle each time. Of couse this was before I found out about Command studs being cast. Any cast steel pull studs can break at any time. Try to use forged or turned/ground pull studs whenever possible.

Welcome Daniel!

I don't really have a problem with the number of tools in my library. I do have libraries for specific types of machines, base on RPM limits, and also for different materials. I tend to use a lot of 1/2" end mills of various lengths so there will always be duplicate Endmill1 Flat 0.5000 in my library. That's just what I've been using as an example. That goes for most of the dia. end mills I use. I didn't have this problem with version X. I know whe I was setting up X2 a question was asked about duplicate tools #s. Apperantly I choose the wrong option. Shouldn't there be a way to change the way the library lets you choose tools?

Thanks dcapps. I found the check box for duplicate tools but that doesn't seem to fix the tool manager telling me I am duplicating tools. I guess I'll just have to accept it.

dcapps, it sounds like you're on the right track, but that leads to another question. Where the heck do I find the Tool setup page or the job setup? Not sure what that is.