I've been super glue and milling out .030" thick stainless parts that are about .25" square and I found that doing all the inside cuts and details first and then cut the outside contour last.
You can set up multiple parts in soft jaws, key is dimensional referencing on the parts, also use separate work coordinates for each one. I had to make 200 approximately 4" coasters when I was in school, we ran 2 buses, 2 parts per vise in soft jaws, we turned the stock down to 3.950 before parting it to thickness. The jaws were about 8 inches long, so a little longer than the 6 inch vise.
Great idea with the fixture to hold them in place in the 2nd op. Thinking this idea a bit further you could face the backside (the whole plate) and machine a small "canal" around the part and do the chamfers. When you go to flip it you have plenty of surface area for holding it with super glue, you can then machine all of the features on the top, finish the slot, etc. And just machine the outside of the part last. If you leave a bit of stock around the part in the 1st op the part is gonna clean up really nice.
That is exactly how I program my fixtures they have 32-112 parts on them, I pattern the model for them all for reference, but program the bottom left part. Then I pattern them by 8 in the X, and then I pattern that pattern in the Y depending on how many parts fit the fixture which allows me a little more functionality if I needed to use stock that is partially used in a pinch. It would blow up the computer if I had to compute the tool paths on each part, as well as avoiding the tedious time-consuming task of clicking every individual contour for each part I needed lol. One thing I use on the Tormach that works well for a quite a few runs when I need a quick setup is the marine-grade plywood on Mcmaster as a spoil board like on a CNC router, it doesn't swell with water using flood coolant and you can get quite a few hours/parts from it before wood screws start spinning freely when torquing down.
They look great. Maybe to make the engraving stand out, you could give the medals a light bead blast and then put them trough to engrave which would really make the detail pop.
how did you add the finish at the end? the video just showed some spray can being used. I'm guessing the client wanted gold silver and bronze in each of 6 categories - what would be best? powder coating? anodising?
$150 for a 10 pack of the ones he showed. $15 for a set is WAY cheaper than you'll ever be able to make them for. Unless you consider your time worthless, or you get the material free, or you have an apprentice that isn't busy doing other stuff.
At the shop where I work we run soft jaws by the pallet. Usually enough to get us through a whole quarter. They take about 5 minutes a piece. The set up takes about 15 minutes.
This is a cool project. Wish the detail was a little easier to read, the tool marks are neat but they really make it hard to read. I'd like to see the parts get some kind of surface treatment so the only detail is the machined detail. Hope in person it's not as significant. Still, cool project glad they liked it.
Why don't you machine all the features first, chamfering included then do the cutout last? I do this all the time, never had an issue. Doing the operation that puts the most lateral forces onto the pieces while it is one single piece of aluminum works much better.
Does anyone know what kind of tape they are using to fixture the part? I'd be greatful to know since I kind of have problems fixturing with super glue with coolant
Couldn’t you have cut the faces of the medals while still in a single block just using glue? Then do the perimeter as the final step to minimize forces on the glue.
Hey just so you know.. have tried twice to get help with some endmils from Lakeshore Carbide. Guess they don't want my business.. so I went else where..
I've been super glue and milling out .030" thick stainless parts that are about .25" square and I found that doing all the inside cuts and details first and then cut the outside contour last.
I do that too! Except on my hobby CNC for wood lol
A slot thats 0,005mm wide, i think kern might be interested in helping you out on that one. Metric still a little tricky sometimes 😂
You are a master of CAM programming. Awesome.
You can set up multiple parts in soft jaws, key is dimensional referencing on the parts, also use separate work coordinates for each one. I had to make 200 approximately 4" coasters when I was in school, we ran 2 buses, 2 parts per vise in soft jaws, we turned the stock down to 3.950 before parting it to thickness. The jaws were about 8 inches long, so a little longer than the 6 inch vise.
Great idea with the fixture to hold them in place in the 2nd op. Thinking this idea a bit further you could face the backside (the whole plate) and machine a small "canal" around the part and do the chamfers. When you go to flip it you have plenty of surface area for holding it with super glue, you can then machine all of the features on the top, finish the slot, etc. And just machine the outside of the part last. If you leave a bit of stock around the part in the 1st op the part is gonna clean up really nice.
That is exactly how I program my fixtures they have 32-112 parts on them, I pattern the model for them all for reference, but program the bottom left part. Then I pattern them by 8 in the X, and then I pattern that pattern in the Y depending on how many parts fit the fixture which allows me a little more functionality if I needed to use stock that is partially used in a pinch. It would blow up the computer if I had to compute the tool paths on each part, as well as avoiding the tedious time-consuming task of clicking every individual contour for each part I needed lol. One thing I use on the Tormach that works well for a quite a few runs when I need a quick setup is the marine-grade plywood on Mcmaster as a spoil board like on a CNC router, it doesn't swell with water using flood coolant and you can get quite a few hours/parts from it before wood screws start spinning freely when torquing down.
Is there an Emo 2019 vídeo coming? Thanks
They look great. Maybe to make the engraving stand out, you could give the medals a light bead blast and then put them trough to engrave which would really make the detail pop.
Lots of good tips, John!
Cheers, Gary
So I have to ask? What is outburn?
Great video! You should try to sand blast these aluminium parts. It is cheap & relatively quick and it brings out that cool mat look.
What kind of paint or stain are you used? Does any one knows about it?
I am newb. I do not understand why you wouldn't do the face work while they were still attached to the parent stock?
how did you add the finish at the end?
the video just showed some spray can being used.
I'm guessing the client wanted gold silver and bronze in each of 6 categories -
what would be best?
powder coating?
anodising?
You saw him cost painting it. So what do you mean, "how did you add the finish at the end"? He spray painted them.
What paint did you use at the end to get the gold effect?
The soft jaws aren't cheap, would it be more cost effective to mill your own because they aren't that complicated?
About a horse a piece. Probably have to do em in 30 minutes or less to break even with shop time rate.
$150 for a 10 pack of the ones he showed. $15 for a set is WAY cheaper than you'll ever be able to make them for. Unless you consider your time worthless, or you get the material free, or you have an apprentice that isn't busy doing other stuff.
At the shop where I work we run soft jaws by the pallet. Usually enough to get us through a whole quarter. They take about 5 minutes a piece. The set up takes about 15 minutes.
This is a cool project. Wish the detail was a little easier to read, the tool marks are neat but they really make it hard to read. I'd like to see the parts get some kind of surface treatment so the only detail is the machined detail. Hope in person it's not as significant. Still, cool project glad they liked it.
Have you tried carpet tape?
Why don't you machine all the features first, chamfering included then do the cutout last? I do this all the time, never had an issue. Doing the operation that puts the most lateral forces onto the pieces while it is one single piece of aluminum works much better.
What coolant is this??
What’s the white plate bolted to the black fixture plate?
Just a piece of acrylic. I didn't want to leave witness marks on the fixture plate so it was just a quick sacrificial subplate screwed on
You guys should use the Metricizer instead of the Imperializer 😁
Does anyone know what kind of tape they are using to fixture the part? I'd be greatful to know since I kind of have problems fixturing with super glue with coolant
I believe it is powder coating masking tape. He has a video on it.
1/2" = 0.02mm :-D
Dang it, someone was quicker :D
Conversion to mm seems to be wrong... 1/8 th inch = 3.175mm , but the video shows 0.005mm
Why wouldnt you just super glue a plate, engrave first, THAN do your cutout afterwards? Save on setup and fixture cost.
1/2" equals 0.02mm? ;-)
@Julie SMW Ah, no worries. I would definitely mess up sometimes too if I had to convert measurements, just the other way around, metric to imperial =)
Couldn’t you have cut the faces of the medals while still in a single block just using glue? Then do the perimeter as the final step to minimize forces on the glue.
now do slotting steel plates
medals should be heavy, why not steel?
Why not gold...
Hey just so you know.. have tried twice to get help with some endmils from Lakeshore Carbide.
Guess they don't want my business.. so I went else where..
1/2 mm = 0.02"
You shoulda electroplated them !
how can you be a machinist if you have "heard about soft jaws"