36 replies to this topic

[Bob La Londe]

dlaery, on 03 December 2010 - 05:13 PM, said:

thanks, I use the G-Wizard to figure my feeds and speeds. It's helpful
On cutting the blanks I use the 7/16 em to knock down the surface and clean up with the fly cutter. Then around the hinge and around the handle, I use a 1/4 em and finish with a ball mill.
On the cavities, after a rough cut I come back with a finish cut. My feed rate is 10 on the 1/16 ball nose cuts.
I have flood coolant so my bits are doing good and I think that has sped things up. I use to break them before I would wear them out. Now I might be able to wear some out. It's a good thing that MSC has next day delivery. I have access to another CNC, I don't remember what kind it is but it will only do 2-1/2 axis. The code has to be punched in manually. I have thought about using it to cut out the blanks. It has an auto tool changer. I would have it in my shop if I had room for it. I have thought about trying to retrofit it to 3 axis but I don't have much experience or time right now.

I ran across a freeware tool called ME Consultant 2.0 today when doing a search for something else. There is a conversation from 2003 on CNCzone that mentions it a couple times. I found it for download here and tried it.

http://www.softsea.c...Consultant.html

I scanned the download with Avast, but you should scan it too just to be safe.

It seems to work similar to G-wizard except totally free unlike G-wizard that is going to subscription (pay every year to keep using it) soon according to an e-mail the author sent me recently. The numbers seem easier to plug and chug to try things too. I noticed there is no accounting for horsepower. In small cutters that's not an issue, but in bigger cutters that could be a problem. I figured take its numbers and stay conservative. G-wizard gives me numbers some times anyway that I know will plug and break a cutter.

[dlaery]

Thanks Bob, I took a look and will try it out, the bad news is, I've already paid for G-Wiz

I ment to ask Salty on the finished bait he shows, how was it sanded? By hand or some automated way of getting a nice looking finish?

[Salty's]

I'll keep you guessing on that one

[Salty's]

Bought Viacad yesterday. WOW what a program. $99? that's insane.

[Bob La Londe]

Salty, on 08 December 2010 - 05:34 AM, said:

Bought Viacad yesterday. WOW what a program. $99? that's insane.

You know, its funny. I almost didn't buy it. I was turned off by a response I got when I asked Punch about it and using it for my type of applications. I commented about it on CNC ZONE and got read the riot act. So I downloaded it to a different computer in the shop and and spent a weekend playing with it and designed three different bait molds while I was learning.

I found it to be one of the easiest CAD programs I've tried to learn how to use. You can generate shapes directly or work backwards. A couple I have done like carving stone just to see if I could do it that way.

Later I realized Punch is Broderbund. Which is a bigger company with a ton of products. Probably explains the terse reply I got originally.

Make sure you always save your work in ViaCad's native format first, so you can make changes and adjustments if needed. I export STL files for use in Cam Bam when I think I have it right.

[Salty's]

Bob and Dave...you guys thanks very much for your input on this mess. Today everything clicked together and I got some of the first 3d stuff done. Wrong bit right now, speeds and motions are going to be enhanced ALOT, I think I can get these down to 3-4 minutes finished. I have been working on this for almost 6 months. Bob I picked up Vectrics3d...check it out. It's the missing link to post process files...

First one..


2 sides done..


Quick sanding.



I now have a GOLDEN BANANA LOL

Bob La Londe, on 08 December 2010 - 11:00 AM, said:

You know, its funny. I almost didn't buy it. I was turned off by a response I got when I asked Punch about it and using it for my type of applications. I commented about it on CNC ZONE and got read the riot act. So I downloaded it to a different computer in the shop and and spent a weekend playing with it and designed three different bait molds while I was learning.

I found it to be one of the easiest CAD programs I've tried to learn how to use. You can generate shapes directly or work backwards. A couple I have done like carving stone just to see if I could do it that way.

Later I realized Punch is Broderbund. Which is a bigger company with a ton of products. Probably explains the terse reply I got originally.

Make sure you always save your work in ViaCad's native format first, so you can make changes and adjustments if needed. I export STL files for use in Cam Bam when I think I have it right.

[Salty's]

More pics of this bait so you can see what the machine does. Will have a video in a while.

[Salty's]

[Vodkaman]

Great job. All that work is starting to pay off.

I recognize that shape

Dave

[Bob La Londe]

Glad to see you got it. I knew once it clicked you would be all over it.

I haven't used Vectric 3D. I can do most of my CAM with CAMBAM. Sometimes I'll reverse a mold plate by hand ediitng a reverse scale G51 X-1 and at the beginning of a file and G50 at the end instead of reversing all the elements and generating the code all over again, but for the most part it works. Since you hand code already you know sometimes its just easier to tweak the code by hand.

I may look to see if there is a demo period for Vectric3D and find out if its any easier or has any other features. Well, if its not to expensive for me. Like I said. CAM BAM works.

[Salty's]

I did some more work with the files today. I see alot of the time has to do with how the rough/finish stage is setup. I got an idea today to eliminate the rough pass and just go straight to finish. It's only a .650 thickness. No sure if it's going to let me do that. Definitely try that program Bob it's very intuitive in how it works and you go go forward and backward in each "step". Each of their "steps" is something like stock size, roughing parameters, finish parameters, cutout, etc.

Bob La Londe, on 30 June 2011 - 08:31 PM, said:

Glad to see you got it. I knew once it clicked you would be all over it.

I haven't used Vectric 3D. I can do most of my CAM with CAMBAM. Sometimes I'll reverse a mold plate by hand ediitng a reverse scale G51 X-1 and at the beginning of a file and G50 at the end instead of reversing all the elements and generating the code all over again, but for the most part it works. Since you hand code already you know sometimes its just easier to tweak the code by hand.

I may look to see if there is a demo period for Vectric3D and find out if its any easier or has any other features. Well, if its not to expensive for me. Like I said. CAM BAM works.

[Salty's]

VIACAD 2/3D Version 8 just downloaded. Hope you pre-bought. $49 what a GREAT deal.

Salty, on 01 July 2011 - 12:57 PM, said:

I did some more work with the files today. I see alot of the time has to do with how the rough/finish stage is setup. I got an idea today to eliminate the rough pass and just go straight to finish. It's only a .650 thickness. No sure if it's going to let me do that. Definitely try that program Bob it's very intuitive in how it works and you go go forward and backward in each "step". Each of their "steps" is something like stock size, roughing parameters, finish parameters, cutout, etc.

[RayburnGuy]

Guys,
I can only understand about 2% of what ya'll are talking about, but I sure love reading it. And the videos are crazy cool Salty's. Nice work.

Ben

[Salty's]

This machine has now run two batches of these banana lures in the past several months. The latest batch was 92 pc total. It hiccupped once in all those lures. Shut the computer down restart and back cutting again. That's 184 half shells. I am figuring roughly 3,000,000 lines of code just for this batch. All exactly identical. I load it, walk away and run something else while it's working.

Dust collection has been an issue. Trying to dust collect while still having clearance around quick clamps etc has been a big problem.

[Bob La Londe]

Make a ring to go around your spindle with a vacum port on a convenient side. Then have brush bristles go down from the ring to the stock surface.

I'm still working on my big mill... and I'm picking up another mill Friday that I plan to convert to CNC as time and money allow. I'll probably dedicate that one to wood work.

[Salty's]

I machined a oblong piece of delrin that the dust collector hose comes off on the side and clamps around the router. It has epdm fingers that come down a few inches on it. It's too big.

[Bob La Londe]

Not sure what epdm is, but brush bristles are pretty forgiving.