Pocket Toolpath

[jcnewbie]

Is there a reason why in the pocket toolpath there is no cutter compensation for the rough and you have the option for cutter compensation only for the finish pass ?

[Superman]

Because---
There are many options that can give various path strategies

Many of these strategies involve crossovers, reversals, tight corners etc, and if cutter comp is used ( wear or control ) can give very unpredicatable and catastrophic results.

Now couple that with a pocket of no real fixed shape ( rectangular, figure 8, islands, the variations are endless ) it is better to have no comp at all and only need to have comp when finishing walls

I, Myself, only rough pockets leaving material on the desired faces, and use a seperate op for actual finishing ( if size is wrong, then I would only need to run the finish op, not try and find the finish sequence in the roughing op )

[weirdharold]

Originally Posted by Superman I, Myself, only rough pockets leaving material on the desired faces, and use a seperate op for actual finishing ( if size is wrong, then I would only need to run the finish op, not try and find the finish sequence in the roughing op )

Do it this way, all the time.

Regards,
Harold C.

[jcnewbie]

Thanks for the response...

Another question with the pocketing toolpath. When does one use an "island facing toolpath " as compared to a standard pocket. All the examples I've seen and done have only use the "standard" pocket.

[weirdharold]

When one has a pocket with protrusion's in it
Regard's,
Harold C.