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hfjim
12-30-2010, 03:37 PM
I was wondering if anybody has knowledge of software that will generate toolpaths for a rotary table when the axis of the table is aligned with the spindle (Z) axis? I'm trying to do some deep bowl turning of a bowl with a faceted inside surface that won't fit under the 12" z axis of my table. MY large indexer can handle the diameter and has plenty of travel for the cutter, but I can't find software to generate the code.

myxpykalix
12-30-2010, 10:03 PM
I'm just thinking outloud here because i'm interested in this kind of stuff.

I don't know about specific software but maybe you could do this without having to have special software. Look at these pictures. For the legacy ornamental mill I have a manual crank table. Notice the gearing underneath.

Lets say you had linkage from the indexer and removed the crank handle and attached the table to the indexer. At that point you are converting those rotational circular moves of the indexer to the flat rotation of the table.

So just like if you were creating a profile on the indexer in the X axis why couldn't you take the inside profile of your bowl and program that into the Z axis?
Bill Young did a app like an "axis swapper" (sorry, don't recall the name) and maybe you could swap the Profile cut axis for the Z axis (red toolpath pic). Hope some of this makes sense, not sure if this is the route to go but I was just putting my thinking cap on....:D

9r2a5m70
01-18-2011, 12:28 PM
Hi Jim, Not sure if your still looking around for switching the Z axis. But if you are the software I use (Rhinocam / makers also of VisualMill). The software they have does allow me to switch the indexer axis with any axis on the machine. It's pretty indepth and allows full true 3D objects. But it maybe a bigger start up cost then it's worth. Not sure.
-Ryan

Brady Watson
01-18-2011, 06:20 PM
Are you sure you need a rotary table to cut the bowl? Why not just rough it and 3D machine it?

If you did run a rotary table, manual or slow moving motorized (not CNC controlled) + an XZ move would easily give you what you want as well...but, you would be moving one heck of a lot of material that way unless you did it in steps.

-B

wberminio
01-18-2011, 06:54 PM
Check out John Haggerty's posts.

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8884&highlight=bowl+turning
He's been doing this for a while.

PS Thanks for stopping by John.It was nice to meet you!