D SHAPED TUBE MILLING

Hi finch,

Long story short: A picture/drawing/screen-shot would tell us more than thousand words ... 😉

If you have already something to show us please post it and I'm pretty sure somebody can help you with the right work-flow.

Attached File for information

Hi,

this part is quite simple to manufacture without the 4th axis:

• Draw it with a CAD Program and save as STL file...
• Open the file with Estlcam, limit depth to the height of the rounded area and create the CNC program...
• Make a rectangular blank with exact width and height - but longer than required...
• Clamp it at its ends (this is why it should be longer), machine it and finally cut the ends off...
• You can alternatively also cut from solid stock without cutting a blank first - but this will take much longer to machine and requires a very long tool...

Short introduction about 3d milling with Estlcam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw0ZFf75lAM

Christian

Ok - thanks, yeah we ran into all kinds of problems, trying to get this done.

The first one being this whole model assembly is too close the the Z axis limit switch - running the thick aluminium clamping table with a 6mm bit - we only had about 95-100mm Z height maximum from top of aluminium base plate to the bottom of 6mm face mill, to mill an 87-88mm block of wood - we were lucky, as I thought the wood was actually 100x100

Has anyone looked into modifying the Spindle holding arm to raise the spindel height to allow larger facing operations? Looks like I could get another 30mm Z height and still clear the arm ?

Also - I wanted to use the rotary axis to avoid all this multiple tool file, rotating parts - refixing them etccc, but the Z height is prohibitive and will not allow this to happen. If I can modify the Spindle higher, then I may be able to get full use of the rotary axis. Thoughts?

Has anyone looked into modifying the Spindle holding arm to raise the spindel height to allow larger facing operations? Looks like I could get another 30mm Z height and still clear the arm ?

Hi, check this out: DIY Spindle Adapter (Sorry, only in German available ...)

Question: For what is this "D shaped tube"? Do you really need to process this in one piece? Whats about to process it in two pieces, a bottom and a top one, put it together, done ...

I bought even a radius cutter.
( http://www.destockoutils.fr/coffret-alu-15-fraises-carbure-varo,fr,4,28380.cfm)

The rounded corners on the first side, and then the workpiece flipped to process the second side.
That goes well with wood.

Material: Pine 28mm x 60mm

That spindle adapter is perfect ! - can you purchase from that guy ?

Regarding the Tubes, they must be precision, and 1 piece and as long as possible. We are testing wood to see if it works, we are wrapping laminate around it to cure, then pulling the laminate off, then re-using the mandrel, so it needs to be high quality uniform or slightly tapered surface finish so that laminate will slide off.

Regarding the CAD, what Im trying to do is a Mill - Turn operation. I know a lot of software can calculate this stuff automatically, but the biggest issue is things like - some software assumes the rotary axis is alligned with the X axis only. Is there a way to change the axis to have the rotary alligned with the Y axis ?

Basically need to be able to configure some software with stepcraft, with rotary paralel to y axis and so that it can to 3d Milling, then turn face 90 degrees, then 3d mill.
Any ideas?

I had another look at deskproto. By default it limits the rotational axis to be inline with the X axis. and removes the Y axis options. Is this software then setup only to do rotating milling operation, and not 3D operations, followed by a rotate, then another 3D?

I cannot find any video of this, it all seems to be rotate and mill or nothing?