Finally got around to a reason to try exporting/importing an STL file from one MC9 machining output to use as the stock for another op. What a neat graphic tool!!!!! It allowed me to see that I didnt quite clean up one area. I may have to do this more often since it is so simple to do!!!

quote: The best thing you can do is to learn everything you can. Even it it means spending your own time to do so. +1 to that Jimmy!!! Due in part to participation in this forum, my programs are substantially faster and more effective. I have dived into Post Processors and gotten them to do things the way I want (still lots to learn there!). When I started, my programs were definitely NOT production oriented - getting much better now. As an engineer, the biggest thing that I have taken away from my stint as a programmer/operator is a deeper appreciation of designing for MANUFACTURABILITY!!!! Doesn't do any good to design a wiz-bang gizmo that can't be effectively machined.

I think I will stick with a Dr. Pepper or a good Cabernet or Merlot - keep the beer and diet anything.....

You betcha - unfortunately we were on the same side and I couldn't send an AVRIL your way.......

Having one of those "brain-dead" days.... I usually leave the "Search Tool Library..." button unchecked and have the "Use tool's step, peck, coolant" checked in the Job Setup sheet. In a brain-dead moment, I reversed them and then beat my head against the wall for two hours trying to figure why my tools kept coming up with no coolant and weird rough and finish steps....DUH!!! Must be the unpaid overtime hours....

Greetings and welcome aboard.

Chag Sameach, Iskander. And may the Bear of little brain but great heart rule always........

I am running Norton 2004 with the subscription updates. I have NEVER had a virus warning (or a virus sneak through) for ANYTHING I have ever downloaded from Jay's FTP. I wish that I could say the same for email - but Norton has always snagged them before I got nailed. I have mine set up to scan EVERYTHING that comes into my computer (including removeable media). Our IT admins here are very pro-active about letting us know about the latest threats and how to help them combat the problems. 95% or more of the problems are with EMAIL!!!!!

Granted that WESTEC was the smallest ever, but I think that I actually saw (and retained) as much as I ever did when they were larger. Not to mention that my back and legs hurt less.....

Sounds like you probably do alot of weekend work, Jay! I was just glad to be able to sneak off to go to WESTEC for a couple of days.

Evening for of those die-hards that are still working.... I am currently doing one of those "got to have it Monday morning" deals that they knew about a week ago, but only got it in the hopper Friday afternoon. Looks like another late one tonight. Anyone else up and cutting metal?

I think it is the extra "." at the end of ".com" in your post....

Per the FADAL manual, IJK is the way to go - reference page 288 in Section 13 of the online FADAL users manual: http://www.fadal.com/_content/_documents/m...alSection13.pdf Note that this is for the Fadal CNC 88HS controller........ Page 301 of the same section shows the use of the "R" value with a G02 or G03. It also warns that a full 360 circle is not allowed. Full circles are allowed with the IJK method.

James, Sounds nice! I don't use the corner rounding tools much - but they do seem to lack a couple of dimensions.

CNCme, I was just having "fun" sneaking up on a micro part with .020 radius tools - the biggest "problem" that I have is actually with the way the tool is defined. There doesn't seem to be a way to specify the pilot length unless I completely redefine the basic radius tool to work that length into the tool definition. At the moment, I do it the same way you do... It seems that the only way that I can accurately get the nose length (and diameter for that matter) right now is to measure it on an optical comparator or just keep sneaking up on the final result.

Just wondering if I am missing a really neat chook or op to use corner rounding endmills. Currently I use the contour op on the edge, select the corner rounding tool, set the depth for the radius (roughly - depends on the "nose" or spigot length) and have at it. Make a cut, adjust the depth and xy offset, repeat until happy. I searched but only found a thread back in 2002 basically asking if the function was around.

Wonder if I could sell my aluminum chips for better than the local scrap dealers will cough up???? hmmmmm.....450 pounds of chips at $x.xx a pound plus a couple of hundred in freight charges ..... If I could get it up to my cost per pound for new stock - my "virgin" material would be free then.

Sorry I missed you Hardmill!!!!

I was there Monday and Tuesday - great to meet you face-to-face Jay!

I hope to be there for Monday/Tuesday - fly in on Sunday and out on Wednesday. Still fighting with the budget police though.

What is REALLY sad is that I plain ole wore out my MC mousepad and am currently using.. dare I say it.... a SolidWorks mousepad....

A 6061 forging is typically about a T4 temper after forging, but before heat treating. It requires a heat treatment of 8 hours at 340 to 360 degrees F to achieve T6 temper. There are a whole series of Txxx numbers for aluminum that have a huge set of different conditions associated with them. For example, I just learned that the 6061-T651 that I use was stretched after heat treating to a T6 condition - hence the "51" on the end. These were pulled from "Handbook For The Metalworking Industries" - pages 530-531. I can go home now - I learned my new thing for the day!

IT WORKS!!!!!! It really works!!!! However, it is REALLY strange getting the right orientation of the artwork. Very easy to make a wrong move too. But, IT WORKS!!!!! Definitely a lot slower than a "real" lathe.

Sounds good - I think maybe I will give it a "whirl" since I am lathe poor at the moment. Should be interesting. I will post any "positive" results. Of course I will deny having ever tried it if I turn my spindle into a pretzel.

I have done some searching through the threads on this topic, but didn't isolate anything pertinent. Has anyone out there attempted to use their vertical mill as a "lathe". Presumably, one could hold the cutting tools on the table at various places on the table (at some height above the table). Then hold the stock in a tool holder in the spindle. Granted that this is an idle curiosity question - but why wouldn't it work for "light-duty" types of "lathe" work? The "logic" is a little weird, but it seems to work - just cutting air at eh moment tho... Any thoughts.....