Re: just some pictures from this weekend's shop time.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gregt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Chad, do you just touch off the thread mill on the top of the thread and set a g43 offset for it or is there something trickier? I've haven't tried to chase a thread in the mill as yet. </div></div>
Watch the vid clip.
Don't have to mess with a G43.
Here's what I did. Cutter comp the snot out of the thread mill so that it doesn't touch the part. When the insert gets to a comfortable height in the hole so that you can see what's going on (say two revs down from the top) you slow the feed way, way down (10% of programmed rate) till the tool is on the "Y" zero position. At that point (or as close to it as you can get, if your +/- .005 from "Y" zero your still plenty close enough) you note the <span style="font-weight: bold">z position </span>of the tool (with the G43 active mind you) and stop the program.
Now jog the tool over to the thread and use the Z to move up/down until the tool's profile fits into the thread feature on the receiver. Use a flashlight and back light it so you see what's going on.
Tips: TRUST YOUR EYES. Human eye has a resolution of about .002" That's PLENTY close for this kind of work. Your pushing the thread bigger so .002" doesn't mean a thing anyway. It's no less accurate than jamming an ID threading tool into a hole when setup on the lathe so have no fear.
Now that the tool is in the part note the shift in the Z on the "distance to go" callout on the position display.
Lets say during your thread milling operation you stopped the machine at a Z height of .800" above the lug abutments. You paused the machine on it's Y zero and jog over to the existing thread and jockey the thread mill into the thread. Now your DRO reads Z .0174". What does this mean? It means your are now actually at .8174" (.8 + .0174) above the lug.
Now go into your program and just add a couple lines of code to make it easy the next time you run the program on later actions. There's probably a more elegant way to do this with a G10 or something but I'm too lazy to dig the book out and sort through it. This works, I understand it, and it's pretty simple. If I were doing a hundred actions a day or something I'd be more inclined to invest more time into streamlining it a bit more.
(Safety line);
T2M6;
G54G0G90X0.Y0.;
G43H2Z2.0;
Z.800;
M00;
G0Z2.0
Normal thread milling program starts here. . .
You can get the thread timed two ways from this point.
1. Just bump your work shift in the Z axis by .0174
2. Bump the tool length offset by .0174
Personally I opt for the tool length offset because screwing with the work shift means ALL my tools used later are also going to be affected positively by .0174. Isolating the edit to the tool length page only affects the thread mill which is all I'm after.
Easy stuff! Seriously!
In my case however TWO tools are edited because I use an endmill also written to a thread milling cycle to counterbore and truncate the thread lead. If you don't edit this as well it with either leave some of the thread or eat partially into the one you want to preserve. Gotta do BOTH if your going to add this feature.