Could it have been a post processor thing? I swear I remeber something...... And I am one of the newbies who never wrote code...Mastercam is calling the shots. Because I'm a liberal democrat, I beat all topics into the ground, and blame others for all problems That should kill it...

To make it worse, I can't get my avatar to show on my forum profile....maybe I should just go back to my old hand crank Bridgeport!

hey, an unrelated question. When I first set this machine up, I remember a parameter or setting that prevented any XY until Z is done. Once or twice, this thing (vfo) has xy moved before the z was done (braking stuff). It only happened in rapid retract on a contour toolpath. Any idea which setting or parameter it is? Can't find it now. I just quit rapid retraxting on contour. It was maybe in the post?

Thanks. Parts are moving nicely now. I am not touching it!

Wow, this is great.I reply to my own questions! Good thing I'm not an idiot!

I guess that I thought (subconsciously) that rigid tapping locked up the feed and speed, kept them linked no matter what. But my bet is that the spindle override...overrode the spindle (a "duh" moment)

thats the one

hold everything. I think I just had a learning moment! If I bump up the spindle speed on the VFO, which I did to improve another operation, it will mess up the feed / rpm relationship, won't it? Hmmmmm.

s 508, F25 (20.32 tpi) And the "cheap looking" is abit oversimplified. They have flaking TiN

Also, these taps are a little "cheap looking" They are Greenfield T & D brand, ti coated..

OK. I've been doing all this stuff that is discussed here. And after 80 or so holes, I break one. Attributed to my mistake, weak workholding. Fix that, then one of these puppies (taps) smears and almost kills a good part. I think I need to just squirt raw coolant on it when tapping? Any body? I should add that I'm running "fairly rich mix" of Kool Mist coolant. Its not beating the dog if you are still learning from it!

Thats the problem...I had too much time to research. I've only been doing cnc for about 3 months now and still get cold feet every now and then. Thanks again. I'm using the S508/F25 with the M drill. Its a spot sloppy but hey. Its really f'ing fast and predictable. I guess now I'm a pro.... I've done it once.

Just got the taps. They're so shiny, I don't want to scuff em up.

old school voodoo, new school voodo. its all good. The important thing is that I'm surrounded by witch doctors. Somehow I doubt that I'd get this kinda help at the dell users forum! "pingggg-scritch". "Have you tried re-booting your computer? Shutting it off?" I've got a friend that swears by his homemade mini drillpress for tapping, but he whines when I borrow it....

Thats what I'm really looking for...the voodoo. Science is easy. Voodoo is hard. Thanks. I also intend to hand lube, no coolant, unless someone can convince me that the Kool Mist coolant will do it.

Thats what I've heard Rick. I've had good luck tapping in the past with this vfo, but I've always been really careful. There is no room for chips on this part, tho. So I figure that roll form is safer.

Hey, thanks all. I know that like most stuff, once you do it, no worries. Luckily, I'm the QC guy here also (one man shop), so I've never even used a thread gauge. Just rattle the bolt......

Its inch, but I convert from metric

Ok, so I lose the floater. Other than that, just pound it in? I've never used a threadform tap. Hence the abject fear.

Im scared...waaaa

I've got to tap several blind holes in 6061 -t6 and have decided to try thread form tapping to minimize the chip issues. Its a 8 x 1.25 thread and it seems like about .295" drill size should do it. But I'm pretty clueless about feed speeds, and whatever else I'm clueless about (how could I know?). I'm using rigid tapping on a haas vf0 with a floating toolholder. In the past I have put about 1/2 the thread depth with a conventional rigid tap and hand tapped the rest, but in the interest of avoiding carpel tunnel.....I want the haas to do the work! Any tips or experience would be appreciated. Thnx