And I will admit the way I programmed the part is unusual. My logic comes from my only other experience with the mill where the part is hidden under .050 (or whatever) of stock so it can be faced. That is the intuitive way presented in fusion. I suppose I could program normal and just start the facing at -.050 which would make the code easier to read and easier to trouble shoot. I'll admit today while I was trying to read the code just for my own learning, it did throw me for a loop for a sec.
In the future, ill just write the code at the machine, or even in me post editor and then transfer it. I now understand why EVERYONE says they program at the machine. I just wanted to be able to CAM for more complex parts and I thought it'd be easier. I was wrong haha.
Hello T_Duds,
I'm not really following your explanation with regards to facing the work-piece, be it a lathe or mill project. Logically, the part drawing and Z Zero of the part should relate. If there is 0.050 stock to remove from the face of the part to get to Z Zero (Mill or Lathe), then the surface of the un-machined blank is 0.050, not Zero.
As far as drawing the part and creating the program using a CAM system, you would draw the part using whatever is logical as the Z Zero, either end of the part, but most commonly the Z+ end of the part when using a lathe. Most CAM Systems will have a setup page for describing the Blank Material size and this is mainly for safe standoff of the tool when approaching the part and for simulation before Post Processing to create the CNC program code.
When setting the Z Work-shift Offset for a particular job in the lathe, if there is 0.050 material to remove from the face of the work-piece, then the setting tool is touched off on the end of the work-piece and the Work-shift Offset set using Z0.05 as the current position, not Z Zero. If you can't do that and only know how to touch the end of the work as if it's Z Zero, you can easily work around that by doing the following:
1. Touch setting tool on end of work-piece
2. Have the Relative Position page of the Control display and set the Z display to Zero
3. Move the Tool clear of the work-piece in X and Z, then move the tool in Z to Z-0.05, using the Relative Position display as your guide.
5. The tool will now be aligned with where Z Zero on the work-piece is and the Z Work-shift can be set to that point.
Regards,
Bill