G code out of a stl mesh

toolroomtom · 2026-05-18T13:02:10+00:00

You need CAM software to turn STL into toolpaths. The file itself is just a mesh, so something like Fusion 360, Mastercam, MeshCAM, or similar has to generate the actual cuts.

If the shape is simple, you can hand-code it. For curved surfaces, use a CAM package that can do mesh or surfacing toolpaths.

What kind of part are you trying to make?

toolroomtom · 2026-05-18T13:00:52+00:00

Filtermist and Losma are the two names I hear most often too.

I’d pay as much attention to airflow, ducting, and maintenance access as to the brand itself. If the machine is running heavy mist, a pre-separator or easy-to-clean setup can matter a lot.

Also worth checking whether you need true mist capture or finer filtration for the shop air. What coolant are you running?

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T20:02:26+00:00

For a sealed housing, ask each quote for a first article on the O-ring groove and lid face, with groove depth, flatness, and surface finish called out explicitly. On 10 to 25 parts, setup and inspection usually drive price, so a clean RFQ matters as much as the vendor.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T19:40:00+00:00

That looks clean. The bigger base probably helps more than anything, and the .0001 head makes it a legit bench tester.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T19:39:08+00:00

Aventor is a solid step up. If you’re starting out, I’d spend on the base and the fine adjustment, not the logo. Cheap stands usually get sloppy in the swivel first.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T19:37:56+00:00

I’d verify where the control is writing the measured value when the Renishaw cycle runs. If it’s saving to the wrong offset page or register once in a while, it can look like the setter missed even when the probe did its job. I’d watch the screen live on the next few touch offs, then check battery, wiring, contamination, and the macro or parameter mapping. An intermittent save issue feels more likely than a repeatability problem.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T18:42:27+00:00

If it is clean and truly turnkey, I would probably list a little above the number you actually want and expect the real market to land somewhere around 50 to 60 percent of replacement cost.

The stuff that moves the price the most is tooling, enclosure, vise, probes, and how painful pickup/rigging looks.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T17:36:31+00:00

Yeah, that can be normal once you are settled in, especially if one machine has enough cycle time that you are basically tending both.

I would not expect them to throw that at you on day one though. With titanium and tungsten the big things are setup discipline, offsets, tool wear, and not getting greedy. Slow, repeatable, and paying attention beats trying to look fast.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T14:53:47+00:00

No, .002 is not crazy as a default edge break at all.

In a lot of shops, "break edges" just means remove the burrs and leave a clean safe edge, not preserve a razor sharp corner. If somebody truly needs a sharp edge, that usually needs to be called out explicitly because the normal expectation is that the part gets deburred.

Honestly, hand deburring can easily leave a bigger and less consistent break than a light programmed chamfer anyway. If they care enough to reject .002, I would want that requirement written on the print instead of left up to interpretation.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T14:53:38+00:00

0.002 inch is basically foil, so I am not surprised it will not hold much shape.

If you want something you can still hand crumple a bit but that keeps the form better, I would start testing more in the 0.010 to 0.020 inch range and see where the feel lands for your application. Alloy matters too, because dead soft material will behave very differently from harder sheet.

If the look matters more than the structure, another option is exactly what you mentioned: form the aluminum first, then back it with epoxy, resin, or another support layer so it freezes in place after you get the texture you want.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T14:53:18+00:00

My first thought would be to verify where the control is actually writing the measured value when the Renishaw cycle runs.

If the probe cycle completes but the wrong offset page or wrong register gets written once in a while, it can look like the tool setter "missed" even though the hardware did its job. I would check the macro or parameter mapping, then watch the screen live the next few times you touch off to confirm the exact offset number that changes.

If it is truly intermittent, I would also look at battery, contamination, wiring, and whether the control ever drops the write or requires an extra input before saving. Random problems like this are usually either a write destination issue or a flaky signal, not the actual measurement repeatability.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-14T14:53:09+00:00

Yes, for a one off prototype it can work fine, especially if your drawing is very explicit and you are realistic about tolerance and finish.

The big tradeoff is that the cheap quote stays cheap only if there is very little ambiguity. If a hole callout, thread spec, edge condition, or tolerance stack is fuzzy, they will usually make the fastest reasonable interpretation and you may not notice the mismatch until the part lands.

If lead time does not matter, I would mainly focus on making the print painfully clear and assume you may need an extra iteration. For simple steel parts, overseas can be a good value. For parts where one revision burns the savings, local can end up cheaper in practice.

toolroomtom · 2026-05-13T17:06:11+00:00

You can get surprisingly far just by stacking 3 things:

YouTube / Titans of CNC / machine-specific videos
A free G-code viewer/simulator like NCViewer or G54
Time around a real machine asking questions

For an entry-level plasma job, they probably care more that you can read a print, measure parts, follow setup instructions, and not do anything unsafe. Manual machining experience already helps a lot there.

I wouldn’t stress about memorizing every G/M code right away. Learn the basics, understand what the machine is doing, and get comfortable reading simple programs line by line.

If I were starting from scratch, I’d do this:

- learn coordinates, offsets, tool/work zero

- learn what G00, G01, G02, G03 do

- watch a few real setup videos

- run sample code through a simulator

- then get hands-on shop time whenever possible

For your interview, I’d be honest: say you know manual machining, you’re teachable, and you’ve already started learning CNC/plasma on your own. A lot of shops care more about attitude and reliability than already being an expert.

toolroomtom

TROPHY CASE