Rotary toolpath start position

Onefinity Rotary 4th Axis 'The Revolution'
1

Hi guys.

Before I ruin a large square blank, I’m trying to think my way through the rotary setup rounding wizard.

I have two questions about the tool path start position. First qualifier is I need to zero the Z axial on the surface of the blank because my cutting tool can’t reach the center of the blank in order to zero it. So the first question is, do I zero on the blank’s flat surface or do I zero on the tip of the corner. In my mind this is important because the final diameter will be based on where the cutting starts.

Second question is, do I jog the rotary axis to get the blank into my desired start position then use the touch block to set the work home positioning and expect Vectric to automatically know where the corners are?

2

So from the limited knowledge and experience I have with the rotary, these are my recommendations.

  1. Work from the centre of the work piece and add 2 inches to the length to avoid hitting the chuck and tailstock
  2. When using the rounding toolpath gadget, it recommends using centre of the piece but I prefer material surface to prevent taking too much off during the intial passes.
  3. I set my x,y and z positions manually (Eventually I’ll figure out the the touch off probe)
  4. Run an air cut (no bit) for your first test pass. Gives you a chance to hit the E-stop before the machine does something unexpected.
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