X3 finish surface tool paths

[billholeman]

Is there a better way to finish this sample part? I'm not sure how to do it and it don't look right.

[mccord3576]

The finish looks fine, good even. I wouldn't use parallel steep to finish the corners, instead use surface contour with containment boundaries. The finish shallow and contour look exactly how I would do it. Have you cut the part, does it look wrong? Or are you just looking at it in the computer.

I would change my rough toolpaths. The second Surface Pocket is unnecessary. Either use Surface Contour or uncheck the rough section on the surface pocket, that way you are just profiling around the part instead of clearing all the material that isn't there again. I would also use my .5 tool to do that and get rid of the first Restmill toolpath. That should save you considerable time on your roughing operation.

[billholeman]

When you say "uncheck the rough section on the surface pocket" not sure what you mean/how to do that.

I removed the first rest mill roughing path using the .5 and left the second with the .375

I got rid of parallel steep and went with surface contour using the same containment boundries I already had for parallel steep.

I have not cut this part. I'm not confident enough to cut any surface parts yet.

[mccord3576]

In the pocket parameters tab of the surface rough pocket toolpath there are two sections, one controls the roughing portion of the toolpath, all the extra material that needs to be removed. The other, Finish, controls a finish pass in which the tool traces around the solid or surface you create to remove all the material that may have been left by the rough portion. You can select these independently, if you uncheck the Rough then the tool will ONLY trace around the part using the smaller tool that you have selected, essentially only removing the material that is left behind by the larger tool diameter.

Or you can use a surface rough contour that will acheive a very similar toolpath. I believe either option would work here.

[portelasan]

One thung that I would change is in the Parameters where say gap broken I would chenge to smooth that gives you a wonderful finish.

[billholeman]

In the pocket parameters tab of the surface rough pocket toolpath there are two sections, one controls the roughing portion of the toolpath, all the extra material that needs to be removed. The other, Finish, controls a finish pass in which the tool traces around the solid or surface you create to remove all the material that may have been left by the rough portion. You can select these independently, if you uncheck the Rough then the tool will ONLY trace around the part using the smaller tool that you have selected, essentially only removing the material that is left behind by the larger tool diameter.

Or you can use a surface rough contour that will acheive a very similar toolpath. I believe either option would work here.

I redid the part. I removed the second surface rough pocket and the surface shallow. I also removed the restmill. I don't see where restmill is needed on this part do you? What I have now seems simpler and better. I would like to know how to properly finish the bottom of this part including the flat base and the radius around the bottom of the part. Maybe surface shallow needs to be put back in? I added a flowline path for the bottom of the big radius cutout. I tried to upload the file here but it kept failing. Here is a link to my second attempt at this part;

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=6...db6fb9a8902bda

[mccord3576]

Surface shallow works very well at finishing the bottom. I would use it with depth limits. Set your cut depths "Absolute" with the minimum set just above the floor, usually +.001 works fine and your maximum to the floor height or just below, -.001.