So i tried using this high speed dynamic mill path (first time using!) and there is an option to leave stock on walls. When i enter a value it still is trying to finish with no stock? Must be missing something here?

I'm kinda behind with mastercam as i have been using a different software, but as i recall when doing a standard 2d pocket path, if you wanted to prevent the tool from slamming into corners on a pocket routine we had to create geometry with bigger rads. Will 2023 give us some option when doing a standard pocket routine to build in a larger corner radius with out modeling the geometry? thanks, and sorry i was unable to find anything in a search option!

thanks for the help on this! I found that equal scallop worked really well. The reason for the gap in the partline surface is because i lifted it .005 to make sure it does not roll the sharp edge at the top edge. I ended up putting in a negitive value, -.005 in the offset distance and it brought the ball nose up higher to gradually work its way down. Exactly what i was looking for! What i would really like is to be able to do apply stock to the partline surface, say .005 to avoid lifting the surface.

Cavity Block.zipso i have a file here with the scallop path starting at the tangant point of the radius of the cutter. I would like the cutter to start at the top of the geometry , work its way over and down the shape and down. Is it possible?

I will investigate a little further, thanks

So i used surface finish scallop version23, with identical shape bu t on different parts. On the one part i get a nice full cutter path. On the second part it will not cut the same. It gives me jagged edges and starts down much lower? Does anyone know whats up with that?

It looks like the option you show is just "dynamic" and for some reason the Position key does not have an arrow to add to right click. So i guess i will just make do? Thanks for the help.

I was just checking out your suggestion. I was actually looking for "verify-position" which is in analyze. I think the tab you showed me is the point creation position.

Trying to add dynamic "position" to my right mouse button with version 2023. I can add "Dynamic" but not "position? I was always able to in previous versions? Thanks

so after 3 weeks exposure to powermill (company insisted on giving it a honest try before going with mastercam) I found out that it is incredible powerful but also very tedious. The learning curve is going to be a mile long. However---- it has some amazing ability for tool control. For instance in mastercam when 3 d machining on near vertical walls the tool will not slide up and down on the z axis. it has from what I see far advanced surface finish capabilities. I'm really impressed with tool control on lead in and out ect. I have used mastercam for about 23 years now so i'm rather stuck with that mind set and its been a torturous 3 weeks learning enough to just do basic tool pathing in Powermill. I will see how things go over the coming weeks.

So what I am finding with power mill is that it is definitely an engineers delight and would be helpful having that background. However for the average shop toolmaker machinist type person it’s really quite overwhelming unless heavy training in the works! It has an unbelievable amount of menus selection to accomplish very simple toolpathing. Trick is., which one of those hundreds of selections works when they need a program yesterday I just had a dozen or so printed tutorials which leave you with dozens of questions. My assessment for the present is to acquire Mastercam to get stuff moving than continue with power mill when time for extensive training opens up! They have agreed.

Thanks so much for your response. Sounds like I’ll need patience! Perhaps a big hurdle will be finding English tutorials. I have such a hard time with the very thick East Indian accent. Power mill must originate from there perhaps?

I have been a mastercam user for 22 years now and have really appreciated how Mastercam is such a breeze to use all round! Now i'm taking the big leap into another job where they use delcam powermill. Am i in for a big shock? I already have asked if they consider switching and there is some movement towards Mastercam but i won't know for a while. Does anyone have experience with powermill? Why are all the online tutorials done by some east Indian dude? I can hardly understand because of his thick accent! Appreciate any feedback!

If there were multiple complex surfaces I often project a 2 d path or use the blend toolpaths as suggested above but in the example shown it looks like a straight forward loft between 2 curves? In which case the flowline spiral should do the job?

Not sure what i'm missing in this thread but why could you not just use surface finish flowline and set the cut method to spiral? The step over distance would control the spiral.

You should also get 3 paid sick days a year! Most places its use it or loose it I believe! I believe most places also will not let you carry vacation time into the next year. Its use it or loose it.

so the web site you mentioned is actually for EDM sinkers that use oil. The wire machine uses purified water that gets circulated thru a resin bottle than into a clean tank.

I just wanted to toss this question out in the off hand chance someone has run into this. Our Charmilles robofill (wire machine) just recently has been infected with bacteria. It was a horrendous problem in getting it all cleaned out. I would like to be able to test the water from time to time against this happening again. Does anyone have experience with this and where I could get a test kit of some kind to test the water? I could just ask Charmilles but they put you in a 3 week holding pattern! Most of the web sites point to getting kits for drinking water purity but I think this would be different? Would appreciate any ideas.

So what about cutter wear. Graphite wears like mad! We use diamond tip cutters for our electrodes and find that ball nose has less wear. When you use a sharp E/M that sharp corner can disappear and give problems with tolerances? I would be interested in hearing how other get around this. A lot of our stuff has + - .0002 and or shutoffs?

So if you take .005 off the angled face than -.005 off of the top flat face that should put you right on the money!

Okay so we cut alot of trodes here. When you use minus stock it will take it perpendicular to the plane your cutting. I would use flow line on that angled surface (-.005) . The path your using curently dips below the surface than back up which makes it awkward to see on verify. So you should cut -.005 with your 2 d and with 3 d paths and it will take what you need for a "spherical orbit" You can always put it in a sideview and replay and see that its taking correct stock. Now if your using a different orbit on you sinker than stock has to be handled different.. With spherical, and sharp corner on your trode will end up with a .005 radius in the steel.

okay so--- should have added this, that while in drafting mode, hit smart intersection than hit the "i" key on the key board and select the first line, than hit the "I" key again and select the next intersection. It will find the intersection. i'm not sure why bother projection etc.?? Seems like a lot of extra work?

So when you hit the "i" key (for intersection) before selecting entities it will find the intersection!

So I also tried, as suggested defining a taper mill instead of a chamf mill and it worked great! Thanks for that tip.

Thanks for the input nickbe10. I did play with the 2-d chamf option and got it to work out okay for me. I just thought that on the fly I might be able to do it without the "drop down" chamf. mode!