[keen]

Hi Folks

I thought a thread on adaptive roughing vs traditional toolpaths on a tormach, in steel, could be worthwhile.

I'll start the ball rolling with this video - please post your experiences on this subject.

Cheers, Cliff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKo13zHEcCY&t=1041s

[popspipes]

I use conventional cutting as I think its faster, the adaptive uses a rapid move back to the start of the next cut which is wasted motion in my opinion. I also sharpen my cutters when they get the first .125/.250 or so dull, the cutter gets shorter but I have a new flute to work with and its the same diameter. I also use the cheaper HSS cutters as I mostly cut aluminum profiles.I also use a .25 cutter for most of my work as the Tormach doesnt handle larger cutters well in my opinion.
I made the slinger for the spindle early on as I had one incidence of coolant in the lower bearing of the spindle.
I also use a backsplash and spindle shield to contain the chips to the table, neither of these are as neat as the ones you have made but they both work well.
I do use ULSD diesel fuel for coolant with a bit of oils added, eliminates the rust and a myraid of other problems associated with coolants, I just dont like any water based product on machined surfaces, just a quirk of mine......

Your videos are very informative and nicely done, keep up the good work!

[keen]

Hi Mike, Interesting, thanks for that information.

Do you re sharpen the end of your cutters or just square them off?

Does the diesel hurt the paint?

Cheers Cliff

[popspipes]

Hi Mike, Interesting, thanks for that information.

Do you re sharpen the end of your cutters or just square them off?

Does the diesel hurt the paint?

Cheers Cliff

The diesel doesnt hurt the paint that I can tell after a bit over 9 years, the paint is in bad shape though, worn spots etc and the bottom of the table shield etc, I dont think the paint is of good quality for this application though, the diesel will destroy the shower hose that Tormach uses for the coolant hose, I replaced it with a fuel hose from Mc Master Carr. I use a regular coolant pump upsized from the tormach one, a bit aprehensive about the sump pumps (plastic parts and seals etc). diesel has some way oil in it and some Ridgid Nu-Clear pipe threading oil in it as well, tapping isnt a problem even with straight diesel.
I have a Darex endmill sharpener, I resharpen the ends on them after cutting them off, then hand grind more relief in the end so that I can plunge with them (99% 6061).
I buy the double end HSS.25 endmills from Home Depot here in the US, a bit over 6 dollars US, and they last in approximation about 300 feet of cutting before they need to be cut off and resharpened.
I can resharpen the flutes as well but I have several programs that use the same cutter so its just easier to cut them off and resharpen the ends as it doesnt affect the diameter....

[mountaindew]

Something to consider with roughing end mills. About a year ago I started using radius corner endmills with 0.012 or 0.023 radius I think. Noticed right away they are by far less grabby and noisy on router at high speeds. Tried same on mill and noticed the same thing at slower speeds. Well behaved tool paths in pockets. On router if you use normal upcut 'not compression cut' and square end mill in deep pockets its hard to hold onto you work tight enough. The end mill will grab, lift and destroy at 18k rpm. Have that happen just once and you won't forget it. Radius corner end mills, I also notice last much longer, like forever in aluminum.
I do like the idea of filing down the square edges. I have some very expensive cutters that could get extend life by doing something that simple.

[John Roberts]

Cliff thank you for explaining what adaptive roughing is. Regarding pocketing hard steel I saw a video of a Dijet 1/2" insert modular tool that Tormach sells cutting through a 123 block. This tool is expensive but might hog out the middle on good time. I would also be interested in anyone that uses one to good effect on a 770.

[keen]

Cliff thank you for explaining what adaptive roughing is. Regarding pocketing hard steel I saw a video of a Dijet 1/2" insert modular tool that Tormach sells cutting through a 123 block. This tool is expensive but might hog out the middle on good time. I would also be interested in anyone that uses one to good effect on a 770.

Thanks John. I use a similar cutter for larger work. I should have mentioned in the video that it was only about small pockets in steel. Cliff