For all you Vectric users, have you tried to add any bits (specifically the Scienci bits) to the tool database? I have watched Mark Lindsay’s 3 videos and think I have followed his instructions, but when I tried to apply the parameters, my computer just froze. Any information that you can provide would be greatly appretiated (specifically the .125 Tapered Ball Nose.
Cheers
Wood’n’Peg
@Wood_n_Peg I will not have access to the pc with vcarvepro on it for a week, but I’ve not had any trouble adding bits, including the sienci tapered ball nose.
Mark’s instructions are good, so something else must be going on. I realize that this does not help, but if nothing else, it confirms that following Mark’s instructions should work.
Maybe someone else here has had freezes and found the solution.
You’ll need to draw the geometry first before trying to add it to the list. That had me stumped for ages.
@Br5d Brad: I’ve never drawn the geometry of a bit. I think that I know what you mean, though. For bits like the plunge round-overs, VPC needs the geometry to do a proper tool path. For tapered bits, though, all I’ve ever done is give it the shaft diameter, the tip diameter, the length of the flutes and the angle of the taper. It’s much like V bit. I don’t draw a geometry for them, either. I just enter the diameter of the bit, the cutting length and the angle of the V.
Do you do the geometry for all your bits? I know that Amana, I think it is, has a full database of geometries. You can copy them. Mark Lindsay has video or two on doing that.
I’ve done it for all my bits other than vbits, end mills and ball mills. The tapered bits tend to have varying side angles so I figured I might as well do them. Once you get the sequencing down its very easy.
Thanks for the inspiration guys. I do have it resolved now. I was attempting to create and input manually, and I may have mixed up some metric and imperial measures. I was trying to avoid downloading the entire Amana database as per Marc’s suggestion, but I bit (no pun intended) the bullet and did the whole library. Now it is a bit of a chore to navigate that database to find the desired bit, but it works.
Has anybody updated the SIENCI bits yet or just accepting the generic info on your particular software?
Cheers,
Wood’n’Peg
@Wood_n_Peg I’m not sure what you mean by updating the Sienci bits. The bits come with all the specs needed to add them to a Vectric data base. For tapered bits, that includes the taper angle and the tip diameter. That tells Vectric all it needs to make accurate toolpaths. The software “knows” how much wider the cut will be as the bit cuts deeper.
Are you looking for something more, Tom?
Of equal importance to us is the actual diameter of the bit as opposed to the stated diameter. Bill Korn found some time ago that the .125 aluminum bits were really .118. I found similar differences with bits that I bought on amazon for corian.
Peter, on CNCNutz did a video showing how to measure the angle of V bits. He found that none of his were the actual 90 degrees and 60 degrees stated in the specs. I found the same with 3 of mine.
Thanks gwilki. I was just wondering if anybody actually changed the bit parameters in their software once they got up and running. For myself, I just accepted the Vectric bit parameters for my SIENCI bits, but was wondering if I should actually change them to meet the SCIENCI parameters for the reasons you state - minor variations between bit manufacturers.
Cheers