Sharing my expensive mistake

It pays to double check toolpaths and workholding, even on the most simple jobs.

I managed to take out a steel clamp with my 1" surfacing bit at about 100ipm, about 1/4" DOC . Needless to say it doesn’t work quite as well now. Figure I’ve gotta share the bad stuff as well as the wins!

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I did that once with a 1/4” end mill and an aluminum clamp…end mill didn’t care, the clamp did, haha!!! Scared the beegeezuz outa me. Thank goodness for my E stop button!!!

Dan

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@DanoInTx haha yes my estop got a workout too. I have managed to not hit the actual clamps prior to this, this one caught me because the bolt sits higher then the clamp (duh) and the toolpath extended past the workpiece further than it should have.

My 1" endmill was only designed to cut timber and plastic, and would probably do ok in aluminium, not steel at that feedrate though haha.