lynn mynatt
04-30-2009, 02:21 PM
Hello everyone,
we have just got to the point with our system that we can actually make some chips (wax chips) with our bobcad/haas mill setup. I've got a few questions that someone could probably help me with.
The feature I'm milling is fairly simple. It is a cone milled into a 6x6x3 piece of wax. I have a .100 radius at top and bottom of the cone and it is 2.5" dia on bottom and 4" on top. I programmed it (finally) using the slice radial feature with a pocket and face operation to clean up the top and bottom. It works out great like this. Now for the questions.
1. I tried to adjust the tool diameter at the mill and realized that the gcode was generated without any cutter comp. I tried to add g41 to the program, but the machine wouldn't take it. I'm assuming the small movements at top and bottom of the cone vs the dia of the cutter are causing this. My question is: Is there something I can do to be able to adjust the tool size at the machine or do I have to return to bobcad each time and generate code with the new cutter size?
2. When trying to get the geometry set up for the individual features (especially 2d features it seems), I can never get bobcad to accept just clicking on the detail that I want to machine. I seem to always have to use the highlight box and of course get more than I want usually. In order to get the pocket feature to work, I finally just drew a 2.5" circle 1" above the part and then i could click on just the circle and bobcad would accept that. Can anyone tell me why it's not recognizing the detail that already exists in the drawing?
Here is what I currently do starting out. I open the solidpart file into bobcad. I translate/rotate the part until it is oriented as needed (usually xy+ and top=z 0. I then extract edges from solid, then I explode. This is probably where most of my problem is, just wandering what you guys are doing? Do I need to do different things for 2D operations than for 3D?
This should do for now. I'm sure I'll be back with more later...drip feeding is just around the corner..lol.
Any help will be appreciated.
we have just got to the point with our system that we can actually make some chips (wax chips) with our bobcad/haas mill setup. I've got a few questions that someone could probably help me with.
The feature I'm milling is fairly simple. It is a cone milled into a 6x6x3 piece of wax. I have a .100 radius at top and bottom of the cone and it is 2.5" dia on bottom and 4" on top. I programmed it (finally) using the slice radial feature with a pocket and face operation to clean up the top and bottom. It works out great like this. Now for the questions.
1. I tried to adjust the tool diameter at the mill and realized that the gcode was generated without any cutter comp. I tried to add g41 to the program, but the machine wouldn't take it. I'm assuming the small movements at top and bottom of the cone vs the dia of the cutter are causing this. My question is: Is there something I can do to be able to adjust the tool size at the machine or do I have to return to bobcad each time and generate code with the new cutter size?
2. When trying to get the geometry set up for the individual features (especially 2d features it seems), I can never get bobcad to accept just clicking on the detail that I want to machine. I seem to always have to use the highlight box and of course get more than I want usually. In order to get the pocket feature to work, I finally just drew a 2.5" circle 1" above the part and then i could click on just the circle and bobcad would accept that. Can anyone tell me why it's not recognizing the detail that already exists in the drawing?
Here is what I currently do starting out. I open the solidpart file into bobcad. I translate/rotate the part until it is oriented as needed (usually xy+ and top=z 0. I then extract edges from solid, then I explode. This is probably where most of my problem is, just wandering what you guys are doing? Do I need to do different things for 2D operations than for 3D?
This should do for now. I'm sure I'll be back with more later...drip feeding is just around the corner..lol.
Any help will be appreciated.