[SCzEngrgGroup]

I am a self-taught hobbyist. Alot of the terminology used by machinist is foreign to me. I'm not really sure what "Defining Your Fixture" refers to. I don't have any problem securing my metal stock in order to machine these little parts I'm making. My problem has been in keeping those little parts from breaking loose from the metal stock and becoming damaged in the process; not to mention the damage to my end mills.

I'm nearly done with my soft-jaws. Making them is not difficult. I am having some trouble drawing them up in my CAD software. (not the blocks per se) Using SolidWorks, I cut and pasted the original geometry that I'd previously drawn up. When I pasted it onto my new palate it ended up in the upper right corner of the SolidWorks window at an angle that did not align with the Axis of the palate. I didn't think anything of it at the time. I just kept drawing until I was finished.

Now I'm trying to figure out if or how my drawing can be aligned -after the fact- to the correct X,Y,Z Axis'. I can straighten it out in my SprutCAM software but, it's a whole lot easier when it's aligned correctly from the git-go. I'd never cut and pasted anything in SolidWorks before. This could turn out to be one of those hard lessons we "Self-Taught" people just have to go through during out learning process.

When you're self-taught, you have a situation where the teacher is just as ignorant as the student. It' a trial and error thing; mostly error.

I guess I'll mozzy on over to the SolidWorks section of this forum and see if there's a way to fix this. I'd hate to have to redraw the whole darn thing but, If that's what it takes; that's what it takes.

MetalShavings

If your sketch is fully defined (all lines are black, rather than blue), it is a simple matter to move/rotate the entire sketch as needed, and align it to whatever coordinate system or other sketch features you like. Just look at the Move/Rotate/Copy toolbar button.

Regards,
Ray L.

[MetalShavings]

I'm not a Solidworks guru and I'm also a self-taught hobbyist so take my suggestions with appropriate respect!

When I'm making a part that will be held using soft jaws I add a circular recess (usually 0.3 inch diameter since I mostly use 1/4 inch and smaller cutters) to the part drawing at a point outside of but near the periphery of my part. Depending on the size of my part I may duplicate the part to permit making several in one setup. I don't actually include the jaws to my drawing. In my CAM I generate a toolpath that will create a recess whose outline matches the part to be held and, obviously, a path to produce the locating recess. I often lie about the size of my cutter and say that it is 0.001 inch or so smaller than its actual size so that the holding recess has a little clearance.

I close the jaws on a spacer of scrap aluminum 0.05 thick, zero things so the aluminum spacer is roughly at the centre line of the part to be held and mill the holding and locating recesses.

Sof tjaws are great for machining the back side of a complicated part that must be machined all over.

I hope that my description makes sense. If not I'll try to locate some soft jaw samples that may make things clearer.

This is basically how I've gone about making my Soft-Jaws; with the exception of the inside corners of the geometry of my cut-out; or slots made in the shape of my parts.

These are such small parts that even the 3/32" end mill that I'll be using to finish-mill certain sections of my slots is to large of a diameter. These inside corners will deliberately made with a larger radius to allow the end mill to cut a finished slot to accommodate the parts that will fit into these small slots in my Soft-Jaws. Trying to describe this with the written work tends to make it sound confusing but, the inside corners of my milled slots are made bigger than the actual shape of my parts so that my end mill can get in tight enough to these inside corners.

Otherwise it's like trying to machine a right-angled inside-corner with the rounded outside diameter of an end mill. Unless you have a little teeny-weeny end mill, you won't get a sharp inside corner.

MetalShavings

[MetalShavings]

Thanks Ray;

It sounds easy enough. I'll look into this.

I did post an inquiry about this same problem in the SolidWorks section of this forum but, I have yet to get a reply.
I'm hoping that the guys there are just as helpful as the guys here on the Tormach section.

MetalShavings

[Steve Seebold]

I have been a machinist for over 50 years, the last 35 have been on CNC's.

I am also listed on the Tormach Consultant list.

I'll toot my own horn here and say I'm a pretty damned good machinist.

I can usually figure out ways to hold stuff so if you'd like to give me a call, I'd love to see what I can do to help.

You can reach me at 714-420-2454 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM WEST COAST TIME. I live in San Clemente, CA

[mountaindew]

I am a self-taught hobbyist. I can straighten it out in my SprutCAM software but, it's a whole lot easier when it's aligned correctly from the git-go. MetalShavings

If you use sprutcam then there are a number of self-taught people around here that can help.
Hard to get experience any other way then jumping in the trench and start digging or find others that have dug the trench before.

[daniellyall]

MetalShavings have you looked on youtube there are some vid`s that show what you wont to do

[MetalShavings]

Hey thanks for the offer Steve:

I really appreciate it and I may take you up on it. I think I have the machining problems solved. It's now come down to a CAD software problem.

I posted my dilemma in the SolidWorks section of this forum but, those fellows are either busy with their own problems or just not as inclined to be as helpful as we Tormach guys. I know that the SolidWorks forum has folks that are will and able to help. It's just a matter of time till someone replies.

I tried the suggestion that Ray gave but, I couldn't get it to work. I found that my CAD drawing was "Defined" but, I still wasn't able to properly align it to my X,Y,Z Axis'. I am able to align it in my SprutCAM software but when I align my IGIS drawing in SprutCAM it causes other problems that I can't explain; or fix either. It's best to import my IGIS CAD files into SprutCAM already properly aligned. This way the outcome of the tool paths that are created come out exactly as I need them to come out.

I'll try going to YouTube as was suggested by daniellyall. Maybe I'll find the answer there.

MetalShavings

[daniellyall]

I think NYCCNC did a vid on what you wont to do he use`s what you do. SolidWorks and SprutCam can do what is required, and you can define your vice and fixtures (softJaw`s, jig to hold parts for first op) in SprutCam

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Hey thanks for the offer Steve:

I really appreciate it and I may take you up on it. I think I have the machining problems solved. It's now come down to a CAD software problem.

I posted my dilemma in the SolidWorks section of this forum but, those fellows are either busy with their own problems or just not as inclined to be as helpful as we Tormach guys. I know that the SolidWorks forum has folks that are will and able to help. It's just a matter of time till someone replies.

I tried the suggestion that Ray gave but, I couldn't get it to work. I found that my CAD drawing was "Defined" but, I still wasn't able to properly align it to my X,Y,Z Axis'. I am able to align it in my SprutCAM software but when I align my IGIS drawing in SprutCAM it causes other problems that I can't explain; or fix either. It's best to import my IGIS CAD files into SprutCAM already properly aligned. This way the outcome of the tool paths that are created come out exactly as I need them to come out.

I'll try going to YouTube as was suggested by daniellyall. Maybe I'll find the answer there.

MetalShavings

Sounds like you don't really know how to work with Solidworks "relations".... Open your sketch. If you have a line in the sketch that you want to be horizontal, select it by clicking on it. A small dialog will pop up near the mouse cursor. Click on the one that is a single horizontal line. The selected line will be rotated so it is horizontal, and you will not be able to change its orientation without removing that relation. You can similarly force lines to be vertical, or at any specified angle to any other line, edge, etc.

If you try to move or rotate or otherwise modify a drawing entity, and it doesn't respond to the change, it is because you have one or more relations set which prevent the change. You must figure out which relations are getting in your way, and delete them.

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Also, since that part does not require 3D machining, you might consider getting HSMXpress, which is an excellent free 2.5D CAM that integrates into Solidworks, so you can do your CAD and CAM entirely in Solidworks, and not have to export a model then load that model into the CAM (always losing much valuable information along the way...). That integration makes creating fixture coordinate systems really trivial. And most people will fine the UI an order of magnitude more logical and much easier to master than SprutCAM.

Regards,
Ray L.

[MetalShavings]

http://images.liveluvcreate.com/crea...e-438814.jpg?i

MetalShavings

[daniellyall]

ray is quite correct about getting HSM I use Fusion360 what has it`s own version of HSM you can do a tool path in 5 click of the mouse it`s simple, and really powerful and a lot easier than sprutcam

[SCzEngrgGroup]

http://images.liveluvcreate.com/crea...e-438814.jpg?i

MetalShavings

Solidworks is very different from traditional 2D CAD systems. In traditional CAD systems, you draw an entity, being careful to put it exactly where it needs to be, using snaps. In Solidworks, you draw an entity, THEN use relations to put it where it needs to be, and to constrain it so it stays constrained as you want it to be, while allowing it to change only in the ways you want it to, as other entities are modified. You can't come close to getting the most out of Solidworks until you master that concept. It allows you to define parts that self-modify in intelligent ways, when you make design changes, and to ensure that things that are supposed be in fixed positions, or have fixed relations, remain so when you make other changes, because a relation, once defined, cannot be violated without creating an error, which will result in entities being highlighted in red.

Regards,
Ray L.

[MetalShavings]

This is the answer I was looking for. It also better explains the problem I was having with importing my line drawing into SolidWorks. Apparently, this problem is more common than I thought. I thought it was just me that had screwed this up.

As for the "Milling Advice" I originally posted my inquiry about, I think I have that part covered; thanks to some of the suggestions I received from you guys.

MetalShavings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzXQD06xfSY

[SCzEngrgGroup]

You're working with an imported 3D model??? That would have been useful information to mention....

Regards,
Ray L.

[MetalShavings]

You're working with an imported 3D model??? That would have been useful information to mention....

Regards,
Ray L.

No; actually, I imported the original line drawing/sketch of my part only. That's what got pasted onto my SolidWorks screen or palate or window or whatever it's called. It's that out-of-orientation drawing that my 3D model was created from. The mis-alignment looked exactly like that of the 3D model in the YouTube video clip I posted; except that mine wasn't the finished model, it was just a line drawing.

At any rate, I used the tutorial that the YouTube video presented and all is right with the world again. I was able to import that file into SprutCAM as an IGIS file and everything went off without a hitch. The G-Code has been created, the simulations have been run over and over again to make sure the tool paths will work; now it's just a matter of getting the free time to machine the parts.

I'm waiting on some 3/32" carbide end mills to arrive so with any luck I'll be able to mill both the Soft-Jaws and the little steel parts on Wednesday or Thursday. If I get a chance I'll post a pic of this job for all to see.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to post their suggestions and insight. What I really appreciated was the fact that there were no Long-Winded-Lectures from self-appointed know-it-alls. I know it makes me sound like an un-grateful douch-bag; especially when I'm the one asking for help but, I hate it when that happens. There's been times when I really needed machining or CAD/CAM help and I didn't ask for it because I knew that I'd have some long-winded speeches to wade through before getting to the answer I sought; if the answer came at all.

Thanks again everyone. You're a great bunch of guys.

MetalShavings

[daniellyall]

A pick of you product finished is a big thank you as well, I have learnt something from this as well so it`s a good thread. one small change for second op

[popspipes]

I learned something too, how to orient a part in CAD! I have done this to make parts fit efficently in a piece of stock, the way I did it was a real bear, the orient command sure simplifies it (Rhino)


I tried it in Sprutcam, that was more or less a disaster.........

I am looking forward to seeing your part!

[daniellyall]

you can do it quite well in fusion 360 there a plug for doing soft jaws what help`s. and fixtures are not that hard to do as well as long as you orient it first

[MetalShavings]

My end mills came in yesterday and I had a couple of hours of free time while I waited for my next job to arrive so I went ahead and did the machining of my small parts. The Soft-Jaws went off without a hitch but I did have some trouble in my attempt to engrave some lettering on the faces of these aluminum Soft-Jaw blocks.

I've never done any lettering of any type on anything I've ever machined but, in my SprutCAM software I was able to get it to work just like any other SprutCAM operation. The simulations looked good so I used the G-Code that it generated thinking it was going to be a breeze.

The problem arose when I loaded this lettering G-Code into the Mach3 software. When I clicked on the "Start" Icon it wouldn't run. I kept getting a message telling me that there was a "Nested Message" in line 1. What the heck is a "Nested Message?" The G-Code itself didn't look any different or out of the ordinary than any other G-Code I've generated in SprutCam. I punched "Nested Message" into the SprutCAM help menu but it read, "No topics found." Even the software had no idea what "Nested Message" was.

Out of frustration I deleted line-1 of my G-Code and tried again. This time I got a message that read, "Unrecognized word in line 0." I thought this was peculiar because there was no "line-0." Since I knew by then that this particular G-Code wasn't going to work I kept tweaking it and each time I'd get a different message for why this G-Code wouldn't run. I got tired of trying to figure it out; and since the lettering I wanted to put on these Soft-Jaw blocks wasn't critical I just said, To-Heck-With-It.

I also got a chance to machine the small steel parts that these Soft-Jaws are supposed to hold in place when I flip my metal stock over to face off the remaining metal. I wasn't able to finish them up because the job I was waiting for showed up.

The little steel parts came out looking pretty good. They had an excellent surface finish on them; almost like I knew what I was doing. I won't have a chance to flip them over and fit them into the Soft-Jaws until I finish up this present income-producing work first. The metal working stuff is basically just a hobby for me.

Is there some kind of special magic required to doing lettering on the surface of our metal parts? Has anyone ever heard of a "Nested Message?"

I'll be back with an update after I've finished this customer job.

MetalShavings