When I enter the IC of my tool .250 the size is way off compared to the stock and model. My tool is a TCMT 2-1.5-1. The .125 in the second picture was for testing.

Overall tool size dosen't show correctly but i think the tool tip radius shows correctly.
RICH

I am also finding a problem defining tools.  I want to define a round cutter, 6mm diameter (.236"), so I select a button tool, but I cannot specify a tip radius of 3mm (.118").  LT keeps changing the radius to the same value as the IC that i entered.  I can get by this by defining a different shape of tool, but I don't know if that will cause other issues.

pstenabaugh,

I'll get back to you with an full explaination on what LC actualy does rather than post something from memory since it's been a while since I used LC and want to verify what I post.  

Later today............,

RICH

ok, thanks Rich.  I just cannot get LT to work for me, and I dont have a lot of time to try to figure it out.  I have decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and I have gone out and purchased a copy of Dolphin's Lathe software, and they also gave me deal on the Pro Mill package which I can use down the road.

At any rate, the tool issue still needs to be resolved in LT as it is impossible to generate a proper round cutter.  the only issue seems to be that the nose radius is copying the I.C. of the insert shape, whereas it only needs to take half that value and things should be good.  They way it is now, I imagine that any generated code will be out of position by the tool radius.

Right now I have a hybrid setup, using my cnc router to do profiling with a mini wood lathe strapped to the end of the router bed to hold and spin the material, so I am now using a manual mini wood lathe as a cnc lathe, but I dont have proper software for it.  I am using Aspire to generate code as if I were milling a pocket, which creates its own set of problems, then I have to edit the code to strip out the Z tool paths, and then do some more editing to compensate for the missing Z pathways so the cutter doesnt pass through the middle of my spindle..... lots of work, especially when i need to make changes, I have to start all over....

The Dolphin software is cool since both the Pro Mill and the Lathe package will accept an IGES file directly from Solidworks, so that saves a lot of time for me especially with my hybrid since I wont have to run the image file through Draftsight to clean up the dxf file, and then through Aspire, I should be able to go direct to Dolphin and generate the proper code..... that alone can save me 4 or 5 hours of editing for a single project.  I am really looking forward to trying it out.

The inscribed circle ( IC) definition is incorrect on page 16 of 50 - Rev 8 of the Lazyturn Manual.
The inscribed circle, diameter in the cataloges I looked at, is inside and tangent to the tool's edges.

By default, a button tool is round thus IC = the button tools diameter.
A button tool can't have a different sized radius. Also a  square tool can't have a IC equal to it's width.
So if you have a odd ball shaped tool not represented by the standard insert tool selection then you may want
to use say a groove tool and limit the flank cut depth.

Just remember that LT uses tool info to check and apply anti gouging so if you trick the software gouging is affected.

So the value you input for IC should be the button tool diameter.  The program won't allow you to
input a radius value for the Tip Radius of a button tool and will default to the input diameter as you replied.

Tip Radius applies to other tool shapes since they can have different tip sharpeness even though the IC's are the same.

----------------------------------------------------------
Now note the following:

Page 19 of 50 in the LazyCam Manual states:
"Use Tip Center - When selected will discriminate between using Mach3's offset registers with compensation , or
just to create the code pre-compensated using the tip radius as that compensation from the tip center."

I generated the code both with and without checking  "Use Tip Center" and the generated code was exactly
the same. In the generated code, only a G40 was generated, thus compensation is cancelled. Upon backplotting the
code one will find that it is all pre-compensated with the cutting edge away from the profile a distance equal to the
button tools IC and not it's radius.

See attached pic.

RICH

Just a comment on my reply.
I have never used a button tool here. It's rather confusing and think the intent way back whenever was a bug in thinking.
I would probably input the radius of the button tool for the IC instead of using a G52 to offset it. Would have been nice if the
tool was shown to scale in the graphics area of LT.

Enjoy Dolphin and don't try to compare the two lathe programs.

RICH

Thanks Rich.  I am looking forward to using the Dolphin, from what I have seen on the web so far everyone really likes it.  I know it will easily pay for itself in labour savings over the next few weeks alone.

Pete