Retrofitting a 1986 Maho MH400E

I don't want to waste your retrofit sunday, in case you are waiting for HAL/INI input so here are my current files.

I dont have many tool holders, so I currently down use the tool changer comp. I just break my ngc files into separate tool files, and manually change tools and touch off.

Currently everything is in these three files.
Warning, my Y axis EXE channel died, and the Ebay special 601 EXE I bought is only 0.005mm resolution, so it is only 200 per unit scale. If your three exe's work, this need to be 1000.
Mark

I hope it works well at 8mm Ap, since it's still going to take 7 passes to complete the pocket. If you're using trochoidal milling you can increase the feed. To avoid chatter, the cutting width should be 2/3 of the tool diameter, and it should never be set exactly at 1/2 D or the endmill will leave a thin strip of material between each pass (since endmills are tolerated at - only and never +, they're never exactly e.g. 16mm but rather a bunch of microns short of their "ideal" diameter). In short, width of cut is best if the resulting toolpaths overlap.

If you do plunge milling as suggested, remember you have to first drill (or rather helical mill; I'm still thinking 2,5D toolpaths) a point of entry, since you're not starting from the outside of the material like John does in the NYCCNC video. I also don't know how well that strategy would work with a standard HSS endmill, they can't take the same abuse that carbide bits do.

Thanks a lot for the files, I'm down to connecting the EXE now, then the config begins!

Looks like 20 year old version of FeatureCAM doesn't offer a plunge milling strategy. Wont cutting 11mm wide x 8mm deep also be a huge bending load?Like killed my 14mm mill?

FeatureCAM is estimating nearly 3 hours of cutting time. Is it realistic to expect a new HSS end mill to last that long, or should break the tool path up and touch it up on the Clarkson it each hour or so?
Mark

Usually, endmills are designed to work 2 hours at their maximum parameters. I'd say at 3 hours you're safe.

thanks Im cutting the third level now. your recommended feeds, depth width and and speeds are working well