View Full Version : custom tooling


CNC Pro
04-10-2003, 10:21 PM
I'm working on a surfaced part program using Mill Professional, the part is very similar to a piece of crown molding stretched to 21" wide by 90" long. The roughing passes (3/4" rougher bit) are a breeze along with the gentle flowing curves (1" ball mill), but I'm trying to sharpen a negative "crease" line by using a "V-groove or sign making " bit with either a 60 or 82.5 degree grinds. Is it possible to load this tool info into OneCNC (Custom Tool) so that I can use the "cut model" command to clean up after the ball mill while avoiding any gouges?

HuFlungDung
04-11-2003, 07:43 AM
CNCPro,

Does your model actually have this v-shaped trough drawn in accurately? Are the cuts long straight sections?

Can you simulate this tool with a very small radius ball mill? You could calculate the radius of ball that will fit within the section of your V tool. Depending on the actual proximity of steep vertical walls, you might be able to fudge it with a small diameter Vpoint replacing the tiny ball tool.

In any case, you aren't going to want to go over the entire model with a tiny point because the amount of stepover is going to be extremely small. Perhaps you can create a clever contoured boundary above the intended "v-path" to constrain the tool to very directed cutting, without allowing it then to stray over into other finished surfaces. This would be like a parallel "guide track boundary" equal to the tool width of the body of your V tool.

Theoretically :D (see below)

Mortek
04-11-2003, 11:36 AM
Why don't you either draw a line where the center of the custum tool needs to go or extract a line if you have this in a solid model and then select follow 2d chain if the line is flat in Z or 3d chain if it isn't flat in Z. I do this all the time and you can even enable roughing so you don't have to take it all in one pass.

Ken