In this tab, you will control how the tool behaves during each pass.įor machining wood or plastic, follow the Stepover and Stepdown Rule: The stepover and stepdown should never exceed 50% of the tool diameter. This means that this is the area to be machined, which is what you want. The arrow will fill in a dark blue color. It's generally more accurate to choose contours than faces.

Carefully click on the bottom contour of the arrow-not the face. If you accidentally do, find the toolpath on the left under Setup 1 in the CAM Feature Tree, right click, and choose Edit to go back to the browser.Ĩ) You are being prompted to make a selection. Refrain from pressing 'OK' between tabs, because that will generate the toolpath. In this tab, you will choose which geometry to machine within the current toolpath. For your own projects, refer to the Shopbot feeds and speeds chart to ensure that your spindle speed and feed rate are correct for your particular endmill and material.ħ) Click on the Geometry tab-the next tab next to Tool. In your current tab, the Tool tab, you will choose your cutting tool and specify the speeds and feeds for that tool.Ģ) In the browser, click Select next to Tool.ģ) If needed, expand the left side of the window by clicking the 'Show Library Tree' icon in the top left corner.Ĥ) Make sure all the Samples libraries are de-selected, except for Inch-Aluminum.ĥ) Choose the 1/4' flat Endmill from the Samples/Inch-Aluminum library, and click OK.Ħ) Change Spindle Speed to 12,000 rpm, and Cutting Feedrate to 75 in/min.īecause you are choosing this endmill from a Sample library, you cannot be sure that the default speeds and feeds are correct. It's a good practice to navigate the tabs from left to right, like reading a book. Hover your mouse over the tabs to see their names: Tool, Geometry, Heights, Passes, and Linking. The browser that opens, with 2D Pocket at the top, is the way that you will control all the settings for this toolpath. This is a simple way to rough and finish areas that are bounded by a contour, with a flat bottom. 2D Pocket is a roughing toolpath that creates toolpaths parallel to selected geometry. In CAM, the next step after Setup is Toolpath.

Mastercam pocket milling