Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

Omax is interested in helping machine shops or schools which use their machines to make robot parts. They are looking into supplying teams and their sponsors with abrasive, maintenance help, etc. Please PM me with the information if you are interested.

Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

Can any of you imagine what a nightmare that would be to do on a mill? I thought milling lightening holes into our chassis pieces was nightmarish...

Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

And this is why CNC was created :)
If I only have a manual mill I usually use a 3/4inch drill bit to do my lighting.

Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

Tabs.

Tab the parts in, we do it for everything.

Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

Hmm, tabs, not a bad idea. Or leaving a couple thou at the bottom and cut it out with a knife after, and deburr. We're new to this CNC routeri business. and still experimenting. For tabs, I don't think our CAM software has auto-tabs. We'd have to draw them in which would take a while. Either method requires some manual cleanup after.

Re: pic: 1538 Waterjet Samples
 

I used a 3/8 inch 2-flute end mill. I started our with a 4-flute and learned that 4-flutes and aluminum don't mix :( it melted my piece. And the absence of WD-40 caused the aluminum to stick inside of the bit :eek:.
Also, it was manual.