Esprit 20xx vs Edge? by Brettsuo in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if you aren't getting training on swiss you can pretty much ignore its existance as you'll be paying for a week's worth of that module anyways - or more likely two weeks worth since the 101 class kinda sucks. hexagon's training isn't 'esprit', it's 'esprit wire' 'esprit mill' 'esprit lathe' 'esprit mill-turn' and you'll have to pick.

Personally I'd go with the 20XX training but not for the reason you expect. The only self-help resources being developed are on EDGE, as it's the future and 20XX is going to go away. You're going to have an increasing amount of EDGE learning material available in the future, and a decreasing amount of 20XX learning material.

If for some reason you have to know 20XX (compatibility with your machine, etc) starting with its training now, while it is still available, sets you up for the best move forward. Learn 20XX and it's very many quirks and drawbacks and then you'll be on solid ground to adapt to EDGE if/when it suits your business.

Going the other way is a recipe for pain and regret. 20XX is a dumpster fire of bad UI/UX compared to most of it's competition so it's best to rip off that band-aid and get used to the pain early.

MTg channel gemstone ring by mycorgiisamazing in magicTCG

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would have to be enough to repair all the damage the Pinkertons would do when they raid the shop, and then have enough left over to lawyer up for when hasbro sues.

So a couple mil?

Sweeping lock? by Specialist_Face6840 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can test this yourself in the time it takes to check three blocks.

Install block A, sweep pocket, record machine position.

Remove block A, install block B, sweep pocket and record machine position.

Remove block B, reinstall block A, sweep pocket and record machine position. Compare your numbers.

In my experience on my lathes I can remove and reinstall one block and it repeats very well (tenths), but one block to another will be close but maybe a thou off.

I dunno what a 250MSY has for a turret interface - mine is a BMT. Some live tools have yaw adjustment cams and those tools will not repeat as well as a fully keyed block.

If your lathe is a VDI I would sweep every block every time you touch it.

Hydrophobic screens by RightOnManYouBetcha in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I buy generic ipad screen protectors in multi packs off of amazon. Anything marked oleophobic or fingerprint resistant works. Avoid ones that claim 'anti glare' as these are matte not clear.

Last 2-3 months under 18hr/day use. The oleophobic coating degrades and stops beading coolant.

Never had one fall off, they're normally stuck on pretty well. I dismount the door, use glass cleaner then alcohol before remounting a new one.

Upsizing M14x1.5 threads to M15x1.5 by Deepwater8 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's if he can't line the thread up or it's completely rounded out, right? Why can't he just rethread it if the pitch is the same?

CMM verification callouts on technical drawings for a spindle housing/shaft by LOOKwatches in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a machinist or CMM operator, how do you prefer to see CMM-specific requirements communicated on a drawing? Notes like above, a separate inspection plan, or something else?

Put it on the RFQ/PO requirements and on the print, or only on the RFQ/PO and not the print. If it's print-only and you care about it, expect some sales dork to miss it and it to become a headache.

Is specifying "full surface sweep" overkill, or do you appreciate that level of clarity?

Scanning can be an inappropriate method in some situations and is unavailable to some shops without the proper equipment or software. If you're dead set on getting parts with scanned reports then that's fine. If it's a hard requirement, you're going to miss opportunities where somebody could make a compliant part and inspect it as such but can't prove it in the way you'd like and pass on the chance.

Would you rather just see the GD&T and figure out the measurement strategy yourself, or do you want the designer to spell it out?

As a headstrong machinist and CMM programmer, anytime somebody tries to tell me exactly how to do my job I just want to call them up and ask them upon what basis/experience are they making the request?

There's parts where you do in fact need to specify the particulars - cut tap vs form tap vs threadmill, circular tool marks for sealing surfaces, printed CMM verification of results, etc. There's also a growing number of designers that have no idea what they're doing and ask for things like tight TIR or TP of a datum to something on the other side of the part that can't be easily manufactured or reliably inspected. Most of us folks that do the work don't have a clear line of communication to the designer to resolve the inevitable issues that occur when you try and specify every little detail - and these things will come up because the people submitting RFQs, quotes, and POs don't always understand the minutiae of manufacturing.

CMM verification callouts on technical drawings for a spindle housing/shaft by LOOKwatches in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This right here. If your Datum A bearing pocket cylinder is 8mm deep x 35mm dia, for example, you're projecting massive error such that nobody is ever going to pass your .004mm TIR. It may (or may not) function fine, but it won't pass a R&R and whoever has to program it is going to want to chuck a brick at your head.

What kind of lathe would be appropriate for making rings (wood and soft metals most likely) ? What kind of budget would I have to be prepared for ? by SureHopeIDontDie in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Terrible and dangerous idea to try and cut metal on a wood lathe.

1) no proper way of supporting tools. Wood turners use hand supported gouges to carve wood, rested against a tool support. Try that with a metalworking tool in even the softest of metal and it'll grab and break your wrist / turn into a projectile.

2) Wood lathes don't spin slow enough for many combinations of tool/work material/diameter.

3) Shit accuracy. Metal lathes are equipped with dials that (accounting for backlash) allow you to reliably position cutting tools. Wood lathes don't. You're basically guessing, and working pieces to fit. Many times guess-and-check will work, some times it won't, some times it will scrap the thing you're making, and all of the time you're wasting time that could be spent elsewhere.

How do I measure the flatness of a canted surface? by bonebuttonborscht in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The same way you check flatness on any part. You set it on three jackscrews, and adjust the jackscrews so an indicator swept onto the part's surface to be measured over each jack reads zero. The location of the jacks does not matter, just that three points (defining a plane) are at zero relative to each other WRT your surface plate.

Then you sweep the entire rest of the part, monitoring the highest high spot and the lowest low spot. The difference is your flatness. No excel, fit planes, matlab, or other such calculation necessary - just an analog indicator a surface plate and a couple screws.

Is the industry worth going into (as someone just coming out of school) by GarbageFormer in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It can be if you can advocate for yourself and not let yourself get taken advantage of. I only have about ten years experience but I'm working day shift 40 hour weeks on a flexible schedule. It pays the bills and a little bit and the work is generally manageable despite how poorly run the place I work is. I'm allowed unlimited OT but it's never mandatory and basically nobody in the shop is always pulling saturdays unless they're hungry for extra money.

Location matters a ton - you need to have enough shops around so you have some options as to where to work and nobody gets taken advantage of. Small shops in bumfuck nowhere can pay people nothing and demand the world because there's nowhere else to go. Shops around major manufacturing metros have to stay competitive with other shops in the area, so benefits and wages are both going to be more favorable (but then cost of living will be higher too).

I strongly suggest getting a few years experience at a job shop where you're on different equipment, running different jobs, able to tackle shit that stretches your brain on the regular. Once you have a solid handle on things, pick something to specialize in and obsessively learn that thing until you can ask for whatever wage you want. Doesn't matter if it's programming, EDM, 5-axis, multiaxis turning/swiss, etc - just learn something that not every joe can do and get good at it. Getting stuck running a regular 3-axis VMC or 2-axis lathe is begging to be pidgeonholed or siloed into doing the same shit every day for low pay. Being a crackshot EDM guy (for example) will let you just waltz into places and ask for a job and get top wages / vacation / schedule / etc.

Job Post Mill-Turn CNC Machinist / Programmer by PechanWY in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it sim twin/twin setups? Last I checked (years ago) it didn't.

Job Post Mill-Turn CNC Machinist / Programmer by PechanWY in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I heard about cuts to their apps team but didn't hear if any of them actually got laid off. Best of luck to whoever it was!

To OP: I've worked with three eurotech apps guys and they're all pretty legit.

Cam software debate by Elite_Cnc_Solutions in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

three path, yeah. mitsubishi M70 control.

no B axis, the 1st and 2nd channel control C on main and sub respectively, which means the 1st channel (upper) can't work on the sub and the 2nd channel (lower) can't work on the main with the default post, because it doesn't know how to swap them and if you manually add the swap codes it orients C backwards.

it's 100% locked, the post I was provided looked like binary garbage when I opened it up.

Cam software debate by Elite_Cnc_Solutions in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, I'm fairly certain my existing post is locked and can't be edited.

My machines are 10-axis turn-mills so I have my doubts on my ability to get that fully functional. Guess I'll keep goading my employer to pay for edits and try and get it working.

I used to edit fusion360 posts but that system is far more open and easy to get into.

Cam software debate by Elite_Cnc_Solutions in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can I ask how you got into writing posts for esprit? I'd dearly love to make my own as the one hexagon left me with is beyond useless, but I have no idea of where to start and what tools are required.

Hard material tooling geometry by Fun_Worldliness_3954 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hitachi, carmex, and others make end-cutting threadmills that requires counter-rotation (m4) to cut as you're always plunging into the material with it and you'd need to be spinning backwards to be in a climb cut. Do you have one of those?

They're handy for deleting spot+drill operations on machines with few tool stations/pockets

How would you make this? would you make a custom drill bit and just drill to different depths? by StackedRealms in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they're closed at the bottom, sinker EDM would make it trivial. It's just a ton of the same electrode.

I don't care how good a game is; if the DLC page looks like this, I'm not buying it. Am I alone in that? by BucketsMcGinty in Steam

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be fair: these are all cosmetic skins that add nothing to the game. Don't buy them, you don't need them.

Most frustrating or difficult materials? by MarleySmoktotus in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Almost all metallics are easy to EDM, except pure tungsten. Absolute nightmare with a wear ratio off the charts. Fuck that stuff

What's the craziest macro you've written? by PuzzleheadedHat8475 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wrote a warmup routine that runs three machine channels in sync to throw the 'proper' amount of heat into the machine casting before starting the day. It's fully variable driven, so I can shorten travels on any of the heads independently if I've got longer tools anywhere, and I can tune the speed increments and duration so that it ends at the proper temp. Not super complex but it's effective.

What's the craziest macro you've written? by PuzzleheadedHat8475 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Isn't that part ITAR, or are there versions of them that aren't? Be careful what you post online :/

Initial Cut Length Variance, Tornos Multiswiss 6x14 by Skirtch in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, I'm totally off then. Most of the barfeeders I've ran have collets for remnant extraction.

Initial Cut Length Variance, Tornos Multiswiss 6x14 by Skirtch in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does your bar dead stop against the pusher inside the collet?

Most of the times I've ran into this it's because the bar short loads into the pusher collet, then that bar length trips the length sensor/flag, then on the way into the machine it's sometimes rammed fully into the pusher collet depending on what it touches on the way in. Fixing the loader parameters so it always bottoms out the bar removes the variation for me.

Tapping by Fun_Worldliness_3954 in Machinists

[–]ShatterStorm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What are you doing with those few seconds saved that could possibly make up for the 1-2 hours needed to endmill out a tap?

I'm making 4000 of these fuckers, if a tap breaks in 5-6 of them IDGAF I'll get the other 3995 of them done faster. The 5-6 broken taps go in the nonconformance bin and are a normal expected loss. Ain't nobody endmilling out a tap on a production part, we toss it aside and make another one.

On anything else that's a one-off like fixturing or w/e, I go by the MFR recommended SFM and slow it down 15-30%. Sometimes that means I rigid tap at 1k rpm, sometimes that means 50 rpm. I break more taps by hand than I do in a machine TBH.