Note on Mitee Bites:
Just make sure you size them right and don't try to skimp out and buy the cheaper ones if you're doing any amount roughing. The following example was a complete failure on my part. I should have spent the extra money and got the largest Mitee Bites AND the serrated edges.
I was running two different parts of 1.25" aluminum rounds.
Problems:
1. I had to run painfully slow and conservative roughing toolpaths, or parts would be ripped out, ruining the part and $70 endmill.
2. Parts would sometimes shift while machining.
3. Cammed hex screws had to be replaced after 200 clamping cycles.
4. Parts would lift off the fixture base during clamping, so parts had to be hammed down, then re-tightened. (took 10 minutes to change parts out of fixture)
Nonetheless, I am now running this job on a Chick BL6, clamping only four at a time. But, I am roughing 8 times faster, part changeover is a matter of seconds, and the workpiece sure as hell doesn't shift, so no more scrapped parts.
Hopefully, someone else can learn from my buffoonery. Garbage in, garbage out. This fixture now sits on a shelf...maybe I can cut it up and use it for something one day.
Justin
(there is a larger picture in my gallery)
