2.5D pocket

[MogulTx]

All,

I am trying to design a pocket that has a total depth of 1.5", the sides of the pocket need to have an angled wall to them. What I want is a 2.69" dia at the top and a 2.3" diameter at the bottom. basically it is a very slow conical shape that is 2.69 on top and tapering at 7.1 degrees and is then stopped at 1.5" deep ( long before it would make the point of the cone)

I am brand new to trying 2.5D or 3D... and am having heck with how the tools work for this in Aspire. I can get a cone, but not a cone with what looks like the right attributes. It actually comes to a point in 1.5" which is not helpful.


Have some of you folks done this sort of thing? have you seen a tutorial that might help?

Thanks in advance

MGM

[MogulTx]

Dang. I may have figured this out.... give me a couple hours to get some material, put this onto the machine and do some cutting!

I am not certain, by any means, that i have got it, but it LOOKS like I have a plausible plan here.

( Must have gotten overly frustrated, since I have been working this for about 3 hours now!! ANd finding all the ways that you CAN't do it!!!)
Thanks

[Ajcoholic]

You can use a 2 rail sweep (just tried it out, took a few minutes).

First, draw a vertical line 1.5" long. Then, from the top and bottom, draw lines equal to the radius you want to use (in your case 1.15" on the bottom and 1.345" on the top). Then, connect the two ends of the line which gives the outer slope at the correct angle. Remove the top line - which leaves you with a "U" shape that has the vertical line - the center of the cup - and the sloped line - the outer wall.

Draw a circle 2.69" diameter, and create a point in the center of it. Using the circle, center point and the "U" shape, create a 2 rail sweep.

Now you will have to use a ball end mill, and a 3D tool path, to cut out the pocket with sloped wall, and create a second tool path with an end mill to clean out the bottom inside corner.

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

So? Did you manage to do it?

[MogulTx]

I am working on another portion of the project! I think I CAN do it, but figuring out the subtleties of the indexer have been kicking my butt. ( I am doing a lot on the machine- and this project is on a slow development advance, while I handle my myriad OTHER obligations!

(Thanks for checking. I WILL get it. In fact, now that I am home again, I intend to run another test this afternoon. ( Ran one yesterday from beginning to discovering that I probably have to re-zero the Z to the top of my material when starting my 2 rail sweep. I blew right through the middle of my work piece after 3 hours of failed designs and then a couple hours of set up ( and screw ups) and rounding the blank and all that.... )

Program looks OK, if U remember to reset zero. Otherwise I need to go back and look at the zero reference point for this portion of the programming ( doing these as separate steps.) and reset it to the top of the material and zero it there...

Its coming!

[MogulTx]

Also- for the two rail sweep, for THIS feature, I THINK I need to turn off my prox switch and program this as an XYZ not a YZB. The prox switch appears it is too close to the end of the machine for me to be able to rezero behind the switch and run this. ( I have not considered how close my Y car is to the end of the machine, which could provide a different set of issues.)

Thanks, Andrew. ( Nice charis and table!)

MGM

[MogulTx]

Sheesh: Chairs.... Nice CHAIRS!

MGM

[MogulTx]

OK. On the pocket. I have looked at a 2 rail sweep, and I think that is how I will do it, however. I have to get it onto the bed of my machine ( off the indexer) in order to do the pockets. I think I can make a couple template type grabbers to hold onto the edges of the cylinder, then flatten the back side so it will fit on a table and then grab it again and two rail sweep the opposing side for the holes.... this little bitty project for a friend has expanded to consume a lot of my spare time!!


Oh Well!

Thanks AJC. I appreciate your idea on the sweep

MGM

[Brady Watson]

This is the problem with the indexer at the end of the X axis...You run out of rails to properly use it any other way than incremental rotary machining. I added 8" to my rails to get the extra room.

Work through what you are going through...there's learnin' in them there hills ;)

-B