[airbrush]

Tool Library...adding endmills that have a larger shaft diameter than cutter end....

I have 1/16 endmills that have an 1/8 shaft....so cutting length is 0.25 OAL is 1.5...but there is an 1/8 taper from the shaft to the cutting end...

Adding a tool as endmill doesnt give you options for different diameters end/shaft....looks like center drill has these options....so i guess set up these endmills as center drill then?

Shouldn't affect anything should it? would just like a more accurate simulation of the tool.

and once i create my added tools i just save the toolcrib file??

[MikeC8]

Do you have V28? If so you can create a custom tool profile that would display this. I have done this for a couple of my reduced shank endmills.

[airbrush]

Sorry...forgot to mention the version.

It's v26...so no, i cant add custom profiles..that i know of??

looking through all of the tool types, center drill has options for this(shaft size tool tip size)...so i was thinking of using this to set up the end mill instead...

i'm guessing the only issue with this, is that i have to remember those mills are saved in center drill category...unless i can hack the tool file somehow to reorganize?

[magicniner]

Create a toolholder with the shaft diameter and an endmill for the cutter section, this is a trick suggested here which can also be used to create T-slot cutters in V25

[airbrush]

Create a toolholder with the shaft diameter and an endmill for the cutter section, this is a trick suggested here which can also be used to create T-slot cutters in V25

But will that simulate correctly??

[airbrush]

Well setting it as a center drill is out...since the operations determine what tool category you can select from...example - pocket - only endmills are available to select.

[magicniner]

But will that simulate correctly??

Yes, it will simulate correctly. You can even construct a holder with a tapered end to match the transition from shank to cutting section of your tool, then have an endmill in that with the correct protrusion and flute length to model your cutting tool, the simulation will detect collisions for any non-cutting parts of the endmill and tool holder, that's why you have the option to model tool holders ;-)

[airbrush]

Okay i'll give it a whirl....

and now for my next question...what is the difference between an arbor and a tool holder??

and also for my next concern!
Lets say i want to do a finish pass with a tapered endmill....looks like none of the strategies allow you pick anything other than endmill rough or endmill finish....so how can cut something with a tapered mill if bobcad won't let me! (frustrated)

[magicniner]

Okay i'll give it a whirl....

and now for my next question...what is the difference between an arbor and a tool holder??

and also for my next concern!
Lets say i want to do a finish pass with a tapered endmill....looks like none of the strategies allow you pick anything other than endmill rough or endmill finish....so how can cut something with a tapered mill if bobcad won't let me! (frustrated)

The tool goes in the tool holder, the tool holder goes in the arbor or vice-versa, what matters is that they are both above the tool and allow you to model what you need.

As for the tapered endmill for a finishing path it's down to you, as the Spot The Ball competition instructions said, "Using your Skill and Judgement" ;-)

It really depends what you need to do but it will usually involve you constructing some geometry to point the path at which will do what you need using the tool of your choice.

If you post an example I'll definitely have a look but most of the guys here are far more adept with BCC and will likely offer better solutions than mine,
Regards,
Nick

[airbrush]

As for the tapered endmill for a finishing path it's down to you, as the Spot The Ball competition instructions said, "Using your Skill and Judgement" ;-)

It really depends what you need to do but it will usually involve you constructing some geometry to point the path at which will do what you need using the tool of your choice.

If you post an example I'll definitely have a look but most of the guys here are far more adept with BCC and will likely offer better solutions than mine,
Regards,
Nick

As an example lets say i'm cutting a 3d part and want to run a 3 axis strategy...roughing pass/zlevel and finish pass/planar....when i get to the tool section it only shows endmill rough/finish tool categories...so i can't select anything else! I can't see a reason why i shouldn't be able to pick whatever tool i want for a finish pass...bobcad is limiting my choices or i have to do some magical work around??

[magicniner]

I can't see a reason why i shouldn't be able to pick whatever tool i want for a finish pass

The various strategies support the tooling they do because that's how they were written, they aren't "limiting your choices", you are asking to use tooling not supported in the strategy you want to use!

some magical work around??

There's a huge amount of maths involved and the coding is more complex for a shaped tool than for a plain cylindrical one, the paths are available, I believe that support for non-cylindrical tools is provided in the Multi-Axis paths, although they can be used on a 3-axis machine they come under the "Multi-Axis" because they are included in a block of software which BCC licenses from another company and thus has to charge you a license fee for.

Post an example file with a part you want to finish along with details of the cutter geometry you want to use and see if someone can suggest a solution, the solution will not be to add support for tapered cutters to a strategy that doesn't support tapered cutters though,

- Nick

[airbrush]

to me...yes, that is limiting your choices. using a tapered ball end mill for finishing (wood) is quite common.

so i would have to do the tool holder hack again to actually have bobcad simulate a finish planar pass....

This is bobcad saying...you can only use tapered mills for engraving or profiling...nothing else....seems a little ridiculous,

will see what else is available to me in 4axis standard for strategies

[magicniner]

I don't really know how else to explain it, it isn't limiting your choices, you're asking for something that was never there.
You will most likely get assistance here to do what you need to do, often it's with a workable workaround, but surely that's good?

[airbrush]

yes...what i'm saying is that these features i would have expected to be incorporated into the software...limiting the choices the user has available to them. Yes its by design....yes its a crappy design.

Creating a work around hack for a tapered end mill when the tool library has all of these already in it is very frustrating.

[magicniner]

Why not upgrade then

[airbrush]

as a hobbyist i shelled out a nice chunk of $$$$ for a cam software....would be throwing that away....but it may come to that...

[magicniner]

.but it may come to that...

Ensure you take advantage of the Free Trial/Demo to check it does what you want prior to purchase!

[airbrush]

yes fusion 360...

[magicniner]

If you can't live with a perfectly good workaround for an obsolete product that sounds like a plan.

[airbrush]

playing around with this..to try and figure out this 'work around' ... looks like toolholder is on top...in my case a router...so a simple cyl(0.5" lets say for the collet) and the arbor is what i would make the actual 'tool' out of ...minus the tip which would be the actual end mill protruding slightly. I would also have to compensate the length of the arbor for the amount that actually gets inserted into the collet...lets say 0.5".