climb vs. conventional lesson

[Acmeaviator]

I learned a good lesson last night! I've been using climb cutting on pockets since that is the default option - and then sanding for hours to clean up the cuts. Last night I used the conventional option just to see what the difference would be and instead of the ragged mess I had been getting all the pockets look beautifully perfect:eek: On the Celtic 2 clock design I was spending 2-3 hours sanding out the cuts "shoe-shine" style with thin strips of sand paper! Why is climb the default setting??

[srwtlc]

Brian,

The pocket tool should retain the last used setting. It may have been climb to start with, but since you've used conventional, it should now be that the next time you use it.

Another trick is to leave about 0.018 to 0.020 on the wall and then follow up with a full depth, slow feed, higher rpm profile pass to clean up the wall of the pocket. I'll often do a circular lead in/out then also.

[dlcw]

Scott,

I love your tag line. This was our motto in the Coast Guard during the 70's and 80's.

"We have done so much with so little for so long, we can now do anything with nothing"

All of us in the Coast Guard lived by that saying.

[pyrodenis]

Cape May, 1971

[kurt_rose]

Cape May? Where's that?

[Gary Campbell]

Brian...
I never assume any of what you call the "default" settings mean much of anything. They may represent what a programmer, that has never seen your brand of machine, (or the light of day for that matter) thinks a tool could run at. :D

I know there is more to it than that, but the point being is, do not assume the settings for anything in any CNC software apply to your machine. They all need to be checked/changed for every application or material.

The Vectric tool database is great in the way it allows a user to sort his tools by type or even material. That way you can have the same bit & tool # that has drastically different speeds or direction for differing materials

[srwtlc]

Along with what Gary stated, don't forget "Toolpath Templates". If you do the same operation over and over, save that toolpath as a template and the next time you are in that same situation, just load that template...Bob's your uncle! ;)

Don, cool, I had no idea that it may have been used by anyone in specific. Just seemed like it fit. ;)

[dlcw]

Denis - Cape May 1976.