These buggers are kinda expensive. Holders typically run around a hundred bucks and when something goes terribly wrong its painful to whip out the Visa to get a new one.
Last night I'm running some motorcycle parts and had a brain fade. I went into MDI (manual data input) on my CNC lathe and programmed a "G0" move (rapid tool movement) without first telling the machine what tool it had in the turret.
It did exactly what it was supposed to: crash into the 1 1/8" piece of stock I had in the spindle. (grrrrrrrrr)
Tool holder is munched. It killed the insert and the shim. Luckily I had a new shim but with the impact it dinged where the shim sits pretty hard and there's no way I could grind/machine it flat enough to prevent the thing from fracturing when the center screw gets snugged up.
Silver solder to the rescue! Just place your shim, snug it up as tight as you dare, heat the thing up, draw in some solder, and presto. Back in business and your Benji stay's in your wallet. The insert is what does the chewin so as long as it gets a flat purchase on the shim no worries. For me I'll probably have to shim the holder in the turret now as I'm sure it sits a bit off center, but no biggy. It's a common practice with CNC lathes anyway. For a guy with an Aloris tool post it's just a matter of adjusting the jack screw that sets the height.
Maybe this'll save someone down the road. I know it'll remind me to put "T0202" (tool #2 with tool #2 work offset) in my screen before I hit the cycle smash button again. (500 inch per minute rapid rates are a beautiful thing right up till the moment the "whack" happens!)
Hope this helped.
C
Last night I'm running some motorcycle parts and had a brain fade. I went into MDI (manual data input) on my CNC lathe and programmed a "G0" move (rapid tool movement) without first telling the machine what tool it had in the turret.
It did exactly what it was supposed to: crash into the 1 1/8" piece of stock I had in the spindle. (grrrrrrrrr)
Tool holder is munched. It killed the insert and the shim. Luckily I had a new shim but with the impact it dinged where the shim sits pretty hard and there's no way I could grind/machine it flat enough to prevent the thing from fracturing when the center screw gets snugged up.
Silver solder to the rescue! Just place your shim, snug it up as tight as you dare, heat the thing up, draw in some solder, and presto. Back in business and your Benji stay's in your wallet. The insert is what does the chewin so as long as it gets a flat purchase on the shim no worries. For me I'll probably have to shim the holder in the turret now as I'm sure it sits a bit off center, but no biggy. It's a common practice with CNC lathes anyway. For a guy with an Aloris tool post it's just a matter of adjusting the jack screw that sets the height.
Maybe this'll save someone down the road. I know it'll remind me to put "T0202" (tool #2 with tool #2 work offset) in my screen before I hit the cycle smash button again. (500 inch per minute rapid rates are a beautiful thing right up till the moment the "whack" happens!)
Hope this helped.
C
