I bought my hobby mill a few years back with the intent of playing around with it when I retired. Well, I retired in August of 2018 so now I have time.
I have used SolidWorks CAD software to design Air -gun parts. I talking about pellet guns, not air blower type guns. I’ve managed to come up with specialty trigger components for one popular budget air rifle that I’ve been selling online for a few years now. I make a big enough batch of these components once a year so my mill sits idle most of the time.
I’m a self-taught machinist as well as being self-taught in CAD/CAM. I hope I don’t come off sounding like I think I’m all of that and a can of pork-N-beans for being self-taught. When you’re self-taught, it’s a learning situation where the teacher is just as ignorant as the student. There’s alot of trial and error involved. In spite of this I’ve managed to get by.
I’m hoping that by learning a bit more about manually writing G-Code it will help bring me up to speed a bit more about CNC milling.
I recently started up an Instagram account under the name of @Umarex_Tim. I had previously started a Yahoo Umarex Octane Shooters group as well but the Yahoo groups thing has way to many glitches so I thought it wise to back up alot of the photos and subjects to an Instagram account.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/umarexoctane/conversations/messages
I’d really like to get a firm grasp on writing my own G-Code. I presently use an older version of SprutCam CAM software. I’ve managed to figure out enough of it to create decent tool paths for my projects but there’s still far more that I don’t know than there is that I do know.
Tim M.
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Welcom @TimMontano Tim nice to have you with us.
Have you looked at Fusion 360 it is great and there is lots of teaching in Titans of CNC Academy. And lots of help on the Facebook group.
Hi Tom:
Thanks for the friendly welcome. I’ve heard good things about the Fusion 360 software. I use SolidWorks to good effect. It took a while to figure it out but now that I have figured it out I don’t really look forward to having to learn a new software.
Virtually all the stuff I’ve managed to dream up and draw up has been using the SolidWorks CAD software. It’s an older version so I still have to transfer my files to the SprutCam software I purchased when I bought my Tormach CNC mill package.
My real reason for joining you guys was to try to figure out how to manually write code; not necessarily because I need to but because it would be nice to figure out what’s going on when I encounter those few instances when my CAM software is actually churning out certain movements in my tool paths that appear to be just wasted motion.
Right now reading G-Code is like trying to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. I cant read those either; let alone write them.
Thanks again for the welcome.
Tim M.
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Get the HSMworks for Solidworks, you get it from Autodesk, it is practically the same as Fusion 360 for the CAM processes. If you are a student, (such as doing the building blocks with Titan Academy) you can get it free. https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/hsmworks-ultimate
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And of you are not making over $100,000 its free too.
I can scratch the 100-grand freebie off the list. I’m recently retired so I basically have no real income other than what I make off of selling my air gun parts and ideas.
I tried the student freebie thing at the Autodesk link you sent me. It turns out I might have already started an account there cause my email address is already in their data base. I can’t recall every creating an account with them but back when I was first getting into CNC milling I created accounts with alot of different CNC related websites. I can’t remember most of them but anyway, I couldn’t remember my password so when I tried clicking on the “Forgot-Password” icon they supposedly sent me an email to reset it. That email never arrived so, I tried creating another account under another email address.
Their confirmation email for that new account never arrived either so I’ll just have to stick with my SprutCam software unless or until I can get those Never-Arrived-Emails to actually arrive.
Thanks for the heads up on the Fusion 360 freebies. It would have been nice to have gotten that freebie. One of the reasons I haven’t changed to a different CAM software from the SprutCam software I’m using now is because of the cost associated with doing so. Even the cost of upgrading to a higher version of the CAM software I’m using now is outrageous.
TimM.
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Tim patience is a virtue. Should work I’ve not had any issues I’m going to tag somebody here and see if they can help.
@DanielLyall
I think I have plenty of patience for this kind of stuff. In fact I tried one more time to get an email to help me reset my password. I went and took a shower while I waited and still got nothing. I also checked my emails’s spam blocker to see if maybe I had inadverdantly blocked this sender. Everything look like it should be clear sailing for receiving such and email.
I did want to ask in the mean time. What credentials within the Autodesk sight do I need to present in order to qualify for their CAM software? Do I just state that I’m a student of the Titan Academy or is there more detailed information that they’ll require as a member of the Titan website?
Tim M.
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Basically the honor System, they have what you is considered the hobbyist that’s the license I use for my machine shop because I make less than a hundred k. No credentials neededI
That’s good to hear. Does this CAM software include some kind of integral Speeds and Feeds calculator or is this data that one enters themselves for each type of cutting tool that’s used.
I ask because one of the video tutorials put out by Titan in their beginning CAM layout process showed the guy selecting tools that already appeared to have their specific feeds and speeds already assigned to them.
Right now I design in SolidWorks then transfer those model drawings as IGIS files to my CAM software and then I rely on still another software called HSM Advisor to calculate my feeds and speeds. It’s all worked out pretty well for me but it would be nice to be able to integrate some or all those functions into one or two individual software packages.
With any luck I’ll be able to get past this, Not-Being-Able-To-Receive the emails that the Autodesk website indicates it’s sending me but aren’t arriving in my inbox and I’ll be happy to try the Fusion360 software. It can’t be any more complicated than the SprutCam software I’m using now.
Tim M.
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If you upload the Titan tool library for both mill and lathe, it has speeds and feeds already in the library. It provides you a great start. Since you are running a smaller HP machine, you may have to back off the radial chip load and find out what works best for your machine. Lots of help on this forum and the facebook page for Titans CNC academy.
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Welcome and I have played around the idea on a Tormach at one point. Really just trying to get my first machine for my Home Shop. Anyways welcome to the forum great place for information and everyone is eager to help others always.
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Thanks MikeJones and StphenHadwin:
I’ll try down loading that list.
I’ve found that the feeds and speeds do have to be backed down on my Tormach by at least two thirds of what many cutting tool makers list as their general feeds and speeds. I broke alot of end mills before I finally figured out exactly how much less I had to run with. Once I did that the “Pucker-Factor” seemed to dwindle accordingly.
Most of the feeds and speeds any cutting tool maker lists are essentially geared toward much larger mills.
Tim M.
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Well i was on Tormach site and they are coming out with some new faster servos. So if your in the matket or need to speed up for any reason might be something to look into.
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Hi Mike Jones:
For my needs the 770 mill is fast enough as it is. If anything I’d like for Tormach to come out with an upgraded 770 spindle motor that’s able to churn out more torque/power. The existing factory spindle motor has two different pulleys. One that maxes out the spindle RPMs at 10,000 and the larger pulley maxes the RPM out at around 4000 or so.
I’ve only used the larger, slower, with more torque pulley on rare occasions just to see if it makes any difference in completing my parts. There’s really not much difference in the time of completion of the parts I’ve make on it. In the higher RPM range I can run faster but I have to make shallower cuts and in the lower RPM range I can make deeper cuts but my feed rates have to be slower so it basically the same time-wise.
With a slightly more powerful spindle motor it may have been possible to get a little more cutting torque while retaining the speed I get with the smaller faster pulley engaged.
I’m not really that tech-savvy so even if I did get hold of some of those newer servos I wouldn’t know what to do with them or if they needed calibration after installing, I wouldn’t know how to do that either. Still, it’s good to know that modifications can be made if one is so inclined .
Tim M.
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Have a look up on youtube for NYCCNC he is a tormach brand ambassador and push’s his tormach’s to the limit yes Titan needs to get more videos done on his Tormach.
Also just treat the tormach as a learning tool you will learn a lot after it is second nature get a better machine, it is the jump you need to learn, learn to walk then learn to make cash if you can run a machine like it is nothing and is fun you can print money.