I'm sure it's me this time.

[Smitty911]

Here you go.

Smitty

[MrWild]

Oh yeah, A&W Draft is the BEST! No problem on the step by step. Writing it out like that allows me to learn too. and the writing cements it home. My ultimate plan is to do an entire manual like that and sell it for like a gazillion dollars or maybe have Dolphin become so indebted to me they make a 20' tall Bronze monument of me in their large corporate lobby.

[Smitty911]

Originally Posted by MrWild Oh yeah, A&W Draft is the BEST! No problem on the step by step. Writing it out like that allows me to learn too. and the writing cements it home. My ultimate plan is to do an entire manual like that and sell it for like a gazillion dollars or maybe have Dolphin become so indebted to me they make a 20' tall Bronze monument of me in their large corporate lobby.

Heck I'll even pre-pay the down payment.

That would be ideal. Even after printing and reading though areas of the supplied PDF's some thing just don't make sense.

Smitty

[Smitty911]

I followed you typed instructions with a couple of little bobbles thrown in for good measure.

I made all the outlines, of the four seperate areas. Went to NC it and got that all done with it told me the Tool was larger than what I was trying to cut.

Funny thing about the rulers, I should read them before getting to far. The whole piece is like 0.08 across, should be around 2". Hmmmm

Making Progress.

1. Click on the Layer button in the top center of chart, alot faster.
2. New Layer, If the check button in the left most box is has an * in it, that is the layer in which the part you are working on will be drawn.

This looks like if I make the whole thing 3 layers, Points Layer #1 as they are cut from 0.00 to 0.1", Than the Cross Layer #2, cut from 01. - 0.2 and Layer #3 which is the outside Profile.

Is that about right?

Moving right along and actually enjoying the pain. Kinda like at the Gym, if it hurts afterwards, you were doing it right.

Smitty

[MrWild]

See now, you just taught me something. I'm still using the trial program as the tortois delivering my CDs makes it's way West to my door. My tool bars didn't have a Layer icon so I looked it up and sure enough. That will make things a little easier. At the moment I'm working on learning the CAD portion. Not quite as intuitive as the CAM portion. It could be that I just know AutoCAD well now and learning the differences of Partmaster CAD makes it seem clunky.

At the moment my forehead is raw from banging it on the wall. It can't be worse than Pro-E to learn though. Pro-E is like trying to scale one of those climbing walls with the hand/toe holds being small and long reaches. Very steep learning curve. LOL, And that program has manuals! I keep telling myself to start small and work up, but I have this realy cool turn signal housing that is all curves that I'm tying to conquuer. I figure out how to do all of it, and I'll for sure have some how-to-do-it manual fodder

I'm hoping the full program comes with an array of cutters so I'm not stuck making a entire tool box to choose from.

[Dolphin USA]

Mr Wild. The software cd that is being shipped is the same as the demo except it will not allow you to post, copy, paste, save etc... The toolbars are all on how you set them up. You can customize it to have some icons up and some not. Or all of them up. It all depends on what you like best. When downloading the program, it ask .. New User, Intermediate or Advanced.. Whatever you clicked at that time would have determined the tool bars. Again, even after doing that, you can still customize them to how you want them.

[MrWild]

Does the CD have a tool crib, or will i need to make one?

I set up with the recommended, "Beginner" set of icons. Now that I'm coming up to speed on what buttons control what, I'm customizing to what I prefer. One of the things I like about PartMaster is the ability to change button size. My eyes suck so making the buttons larger is a real plus.

I was assuming the CD will have more features like the post processors and such. Haven't needed copy/paste yet, so didn't notice it wasn't available.

My housing is coming along nicely and I'll post a picture of the completed widget once I machine it. Something strange is happening in that the drawing seems to be in some weird incremental mode. If I give a location in the XY dialog box, the new art is placed that distance from the last art's center, I've found work arounds for doing mirror and such, but it really threw me off at first. I thought to set a datum point, but the datum point moved with each arc/circle/line. Is there a switch I haven't found yet for absolute/incremental?

[Dolphin USA]

Dolphin has some tools already in the library. As you know, you can also define some and save them to the library for future ref.

If you selected beginner, that will give you the least amount of tool icons. Weird but true. I think you said though that you have started to customize it yourself.

Yes when you activate the software, all the posts will be available for you. That is restricted from the demo.

I have attached a screenshot of the absolute / incremental tab.

Let me know if this helps you...

[Smitty911]

Well after a somewhat painful journey, I was able to make something usefull.

It's a Keychain or will be. it's for SBG Clan (Saved By Grace) a HALO 3 group I run with.

Used Alibre to Draw it. Dolphin CAD/CAM to make the tool paths and contours. MACH 3 and my KDN Tools converted X-2.

Now after this process I feel like I can make anything. As a matter of fact I showed it to the Two Machinst at work. One has given me a job to do for him. He wants a Left Handed Muffler Bearing. Need to do some research on them first I guess.

The first photo is using MeshCam 3d profiling. It didn't make smooth arcs or lines.

The second Photo is cutting

The third is where I am still having trouble setting up starting points. The first layer is the points from 0.00 to -0.10 the second layer should have cut from -0.10 to -0.20. Well it cut from 0.00 to -0.20.

The Fourth photo is success. I started the program to find out where it was going to cut first and than moved and reclamped the material.

Suggestions?

Thanks for MR. WILD without his explaination I would not have been able to do it.

Smitty

[MrWild]

I'm going to assume this fix because it makes sense. There are three Z settings. One is your "R" plane, one is part surface, and one is pocket depth.

The R plane or what I call "Rapid to this point" is the distance from the part the spindle will Z axis rapid to.

After it rapids to the R plane, it then proceeds at a feed speed down to the surface of your part. This is where you can tweak your second pocket problem away. For "Z surface," type in -.010.

The tool will (I assume) continue down to -.010 before it begins it's pocketing moves.


edit

Just wanted to say, that's a cool widget you made. Could you give particulars like the final size, cutter used, step over, and so forth?

Thanks

[Smitty911]

Originally Posted by MrWild I'm going to assume this fix because it makes sense. There are three Z settings. One is your "R" plane, one is part surface, and one is pocket depth. The R plane or what I call "Rapid to this point" is the distance from the part the spindle will Z axis rapid to. After it rapids to the R plane, it then proceeds at a feed speed down to the surface of your part. This is where you can tweak your second pocket problem away. For "Z surface," type in -.010. The tool will (I assume) continue down to -.010 before it begins it's pocketing moves. edit Just wanted to say, that's a cool widget you made. Could you give particulars like the final size, cutter used, step over, and so forth? Thanks

Man I'm just gonna end up buying you a Keg of A&W.

The part was cut with a 1/8" (.125) 2 Fluted uncoated end mill, 40% step over, I started with 15 IPM, but over rode that to 20IPM cause it was taking way to long. Final size was diameter 2.001" depth .22".

This could get to be fun.

Smitty

[MIKE JEFFERS]

nice
top work fella