That will do the job, but it is a lot of work for a O-Ring groove, and you will not make a profit unless you charge too much. :) (I do have a ton of exp and formal education, a pro here with most machining.) The whole idea of a high speed spindle is to be able to increase the feed rates, (chip loads actually stay the same) for quicker production. You need to use coolant or at least a Mist, or as you found out, the cutter flutes will clog up with aluminum and break the cutter. Personally, I would not use one for small numbers of pieces to machine, but could be pretty good for production of small parts, (with coolant and faster feed rates.). I have this machine, (running right now behind me. porting little 2-stroke cylinders), for these reasons. I am running production, but I have to hand finish them, and that takes longer than my cycle time. I usually run a .125" solid carbide Ball Nose End mill, and with coolant that thing can run in aluminum to about 20,000 rpm with coolant of course, and with .004"/rev chip load, (.001"/flute) on a 4-flute cutter, a feed rate of 80 inches per minute, (and the newer drives will do that). So that is great for production. I run mine at 3500rpm and it won't clog the cutter with no coolant because it is not making enough heat at the slower rpm, so I run coolant free, (and I had table travel limit switch problems when I did use coolant), and I use the coolant tank to recycle my way oil, (works great, and I use a lot of way oil). I just got path pilot, (upgraded my 2007 Mach system last week), and I hand write al my programs, (Told you I was old school), but I have not tried to write a program with a sub routine in it. Here is how simple hand writing that o-ring groove really is with a sub routine. I will skip all the normal stuff and just get to the meat an potatoes. Main program (2" wide oval with 1" long straight sections. Straight sections along the x-axis, X&Y Zero is center of right radius. No cutter comp. Finish passes would be the same with some slightly different values, (copy, paste, edit). cutter starting .005" above the part to .125" deep.) G90 MODE X0.0Y0.0 G0 X0.0Y-1.0 M98P101L13 (M98 call up sub routine) (P101 = sub routine program number below this M30, can have several sub routines like for the finish passes too, I start at 101) (L13 = 13 passes at .010" deep, programed in the sub routine.) This block skips the rest of the main program to find sub routine O101, (my label) under the M30., and will enter the main program where it left off when the sub routine is done. G91, (I leave this) G1X-1.0 Y0.0 (I delete the Z move) G90 (back to absolute) G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0 G1X0.0Y1.0 G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0 two bottom passes if you want G91, (I leave this) G1X-1.0 Y0.0 (I delete the Z move) G90 (back to absolute) G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0 G1X0.0Y1.0 G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0 G90 (make sure you return to this G0Z3.0 M5 M30 sub routine (THIS IS ONE LAP AROUND THE O-RING GROOVE) O101 G91, (incremental so I can use Z ramp) G1X-1.0 Y0.0 Z-.010 (ramps down Z-.010" in this line only per pass) G90 (back to absolute) G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0 G1X0.0Y1.0 G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0 M99 (It will repeat this cycle 13 times, then go back to main program. I copy and change this loop for the main program to flatten the bottom of the groove.) If you want to take a deeper pass, (like .020" deep for each lap), you would change the start Z height to Z.015, and the L value to 7. You can run that little .125 4-flute cutter with a .002" chip load at those depths easily, (.008" per revolution feed). So at my 3,500rpm, I will have a feed rate of 28 ipm, (I may use a bit of WD40 in the groove to insure a good finish) You can copy that and tweak it a bit in your machine. I know sub routines work like that in every machine I have used and the old Mach for the early 1100's. But i have not tried it yet with path pilot. It should. Oops, my machine is done. Gotta change parts. Doug in Michigan
Hi Kevin. I think I need to maybe include a bit more on the CAD/CAM side of things. I use a mix of SprutCam, Fusion 360, Autocad and IronCad so a quick look at some aspects of arriving at the required G-code might be in order, maybe on my next video which is likely to be using the 4th axis to drill spoke holes in a vintage car hub.
I'm thinking of purchasing a tormach 770 but I live in Warwickshire UK. How was importing the mill. I.e. How much did it cost and how long did it take? If you don't mind me asking? Thanks!
Hi Mark, bank on about £1000 -£1500 on top of the price of whatever you are buying from Tormach. Import is very straight forward. I used a company called AAC who handle everything for you. Tormach issue you a quote, you contact AAC and they set the ball rolling.
Would you share with me the supplier you used? I want to get one to Duisburg. I spend a lot of time in Europe and would be nice to have one over there.
The simple reason is that the main spindle will only rev to 5,000RPM. The Kress can run up to 36,000 RPM or thereabouts. If you use the main spindle even at max RPM you will run the risk of breaking the cutter. I was running the Kress at 25,000 RPM for this cut.
That will do the job, but it is a lot of work for a O-Ring groove, and you will not make a profit unless you charge too much. :) (I do have a ton of exp and formal education, a pro here with most machining.)
The whole idea of a high speed spindle is to be able to increase the feed rates, (chip loads actually stay the same) for quicker production. You need to use coolant or at least a Mist, or as you found out, the cutter flutes will clog up with aluminum and break the cutter. Personally, I would not use one for small numbers of pieces to machine, but could be pretty good for production of small parts, (with coolant and faster feed rates.). I have this machine, (running right now behind me. porting little 2-stroke cylinders), for these reasons. I am running production, but I have to hand finish them, and that takes longer than my cycle time. I usually run a .125" solid carbide Ball Nose End mill, and with coolant that thing can run in aluminum to about 20,000 rpm with coolant of course, and with .004"/rev chip load, (.001"/flute) on a 4-flute cutter, a feed rate of 80 inches per minute, (and the newer drives will do that). So that is great for production. I run mine at 3500rpm and it won't clog the cutter with no coolant because it is not making enough heat at the slower rpm, so I run coolant free, (and I had table travel limit switch problems when I did use coolant), and I use the coolant tank to recycle my way oil, (works great, and I use a lot of way oil).
I just got path pilot, (upgraded my 2007 Mach system last week), and I hand write al my programs, (Told you I was old school), but I have not tried to write a program with a sub routine in it. Here is how simple hand writing that o-ring groove really is with a sub routine. I will skip all the normal stuff and just get to the meat an potatoes.
Main program (2" wide oval with 1" long straight sections. Straight sections along the x-axis, X&Y Zero is center of right radius. No cutter comp. Finish passes would be the same with some slightly different values, (copy, paste, edit). cutter starting .005" above the part to .125" deep.)
G90 MODE
X0.0Y0.0
G0 X0.0Y-1.0
M98P101L13 (M98 call up sub routine) (P101 = sub routine program number below this M30, can have several sub routines like for the finish passes too, I start at 101) (L13 = 13 passes at .010" deep, programed in the sub routine.) This block skips the rest of the main program to find sub routine O101, (my label) under the M30., and will enter the main program where it left off when the sub routine is done.
G91, (I leave this)
G1X-1.0 Y0.0 (I delete the Z move)
G90 (back to absolute)
G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0
G1X0.0Y1.0
G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0
two bottom passes if you want
G91, (I leave this)
G1X-1.0 Y0.0 (I delete the Z move)
G90 (back to absolute)
G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0
G1X0.0Y1.0
G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0
G90 (make sure you return to this
G0Z3.0
M5
M30
sub routine (THIS IS ONE LAP AROUND THE O-RING GROOVE)
O101
G91, (incremental so I can use Z ramp)
G1X-1.0 Y0.0 Z-.010 (ramps down Z-.010" in this line only per pass)
G90 (back to absolute)
G2X-1.0Y1.0R1.0
G1X0.0Y1.0
G2X0.0Y-1.0R1.0
M99 (It will repeat this cycle 13 times, then go back to main program. I copy and change this loop for the main program to flatten the bottom of the groove.)
If you want to take a deeper pass, (like .020" deep for each lap), you would change the start Z height to Z.015, and the L value to 7.
You can run that little .125 4-flute cutter with a .002" chip load at those depths easily, (.008" per revolution feed). So at my 3,500rpm, I will have a feed rate of 28 ipm, (I may use a bit of WD40 in the groove to insure a good finish)
You can copy that and tweak it a bit in your machine. I know sub routines work like that in every machine I have used and the old Mach for the early 1100's. But i have not tried it yet with path pilot. It should.
Oops, my machine is done. Gotta change parts.
Doug in Michigan
Another great video thanks Bob always looking forward to the next one I am learning something on every video
Hi Kevin. I think I need to maybe include a bit more on the CAD/CAM side of things. I use a mix of SprutCam, Fusion 360, Autocad and IronCad so a quick look at some aspects of arriving at the required G-code might be in order, maybe on my next video which is likely to be using the 4th axis to drill spoke holes in a vintage car hub.
nice video friend You increase my desire to buy one 1100 congrats
I hope you enjoyy it as much as I do mine.
thank you sir for sharing
ols i want to ask can i use this spindle more 6 houre a day
I'm thinking of purchasing a tormach 770 but I live in Warwickshire UK. How was importing the mill. I.e. How much did it cost and how long did it take? If you don't mind me asking? Thanks!
Hi Mark, bank on about £1000 -£1500 on top of the price of whatever you are buying from Tormach. Import is very straight forward. I used a company called AAC who handle everything for you. Tormach issue you a quote, you contact AAC and they set the ball rolling.
Marc if you contact me at bobrodgersonatgmaildotcom I can give you more detail.
I wonder if it is similar to get one into Germany.
Yes I purchased mine form a supplier in Germany
Would you share with me the supplier you used? I want to get one to Duisburg. I spend a lot of time in Europe and would be nice to have one over there.
good vid but why not use the main spindle on the machine
The simple reason is that the main spindle will only rev to 5,000RPM. The Kress can run up to 36,000 RPM or thereabouts. If you use the main spindle even at max RPM you will run the risk of breaking the cutter. I was running the Kress at 25,000 RPM for this cut.
thanks for replying Bob I thought the main spindle was good for a lot more but its hard to tell from my armchair lol