Thread Milling

I’ve seen many questions on thread milling and have had great help from the forum, over the years. I’ve decided
to create my own little guide for thread milling. I realize there are different ways to do things: quick & dirty when time is
short, tool geometry in part file on separate level, separate file for tool geometry, etc… I will try to describe how I do it,
as simple, but detailed as possible. I hope it may help other use this feature of Mastercam. I view it as a great tool that
has been very confusing for many, myself included.

My process is based on separate tool geometry files for each thread mill, stored in my library under Undefined
Tools. Typically, I do not build them on a separate level within the part file I am working on. However, using the geometry
in the part file does help when changing versions. When trying to update tool libraries, sometimes it’s more helpful to
have the geometry for the tool follow the part file. Whatever works for you, do it. This is how I do it, I hope it helps.
This is based on X5 MU1

Steps:
1: Tool Information

2: Thread Information

3: Draw Tool (follow guidelines in Mastercam Help)

4: Define Tool and Save to library

5: Program thread, define stock, using only “Points”

6: Verify and backplot

- Example will be a Carmex thread mill for a ¼-20 thread, Part # MTS0250C55 20 UN

o always measure the neck diameter for an accurate tool drawing

Step 1: Tool Information

 This is straight from the Carmex book. I measure the neck diameter and list
them and save to the pdf for future reference. Whatever manufacturer is used,
this information may be available, or easily measured. This information will be
used to draw the main body of the tool in Mastercam. Draw half the tool in the
Top view/plane. Mastercam will rotate this about the Y-axis when creating it for
backplot and verify. See pic on left. I’ve used the dim’s from the pdf and the neck
diameter to draw half of the tool, centered on the Y-axis. Bottom tip, and tool
center are located at the origin. Dimensions show are actual in Mastercam,
dimensions in ( ) are what the diameter would actually be.

Step 2: Thread Information

Above is the complete page for most imperial threads I’ve needed. It’s straight from the Machinery’s Handbook.
There’s much more information than we need for this example, so below is a simplified version. You will use these and
the thread pitch (.050) to define the three teeth on the bottom of the thread mill.
Step 3: Draw Tool in Mastercam

Now you’ve created the Tool Body and the Thread Profile on the tool in Mastercam. The location of the first
thread from the bottom of the tool is typically ½ of the thread pitch, for me anyhow. For the ¼-20, the thread pitch being
.050, I’ve located the center of the first thread approximately half the distance from the bottom. Now we can save and
define the tool using this geometry. This can be a little tricky, also.

Step 4: Define and save Tool to library

Make sure the only geometry in the file is half of the tool diameter on the right side of the screen, no center line.
The green, below, is the tool geometry. The black lines are only origin lines in the file, not geometry.

- Save the geometry in your Tool Library, named so you’ll be able to easily identify which thread mill it is.
 - Now, we’ll use this geometry file
to define the tool. While you still
have the file up, open the tool
manager, right click, and select
Create New Tool. You’ll want to
select “Undefined” under the
“Type” tab (below,left).

Under the “Undefined”

tab, select “Custom
File”. The open file
dialogue box pops up.
Select the Mastercam
file you just saved.

Once you’ve selected the file, the “Undefined” tab comes back in the
“Define Tool” dialogue box. Note the default diameter is set to 1.0 and the
red dotted line on the right where the geometry you created shows up.
Mastercam will comp the tool as if it were a 1.0 diameter tool.

You’ll want to change the diameter, and only the diameter, to the actual
tool diameter. In this case, the diameter for this thread mill is ø.1870.
See next pic for how the diameter moves the red dotted line where Mastercam will comp to.

- Note how changing the diameter moved the red dotted

line to the edge of the actual diameter of the thread
cutting teeth on the thread mill.

- Next, we’ll finish the cutting parameters and be ready for a test cut.

- Set the parameters as necessary for your application.

Click on “select” beside “Tool File Name” to ensure you
have the same file as you selected for your tool
geometry. Label “Tool Name” and “Manufacturer’s Tool
Code” for detailed organization purposes. Typically, you
just need to green check out and you’re good.
Sometimes, if I save to library, it will save it once, and
then save another copy of it when I green check out. Just
be aware if you end up with 2 of the same tools.

- Next we will program a threaded hole. Start a new file

and place a point on the screen. Make sure it does not
share the same location as anything else, even the
origin. You want to only select the point for the toolpath.
For this example, I will create a point at the origin, but .
500” above the zero.
Step 5: Program thread, define stock, use only “Points”

- I’ve created a point at the origin, .500” above Z-zero. I’ve also created a cylinder that will be used as my stock for
verification purposes. Now we’ll create the toolpath.

- Select toolpaths > circle paths > thread mill. Select the point you created, green check out.

Select the tool you just created from your library with the filter set on “Undefined”.
- You can leave “number of active teeth”
set to 1. Change thread pitch to what
you need (.050 for 20TPI). Change major
diameter to .250. The rest of the
settings are your preference, as is lead
in/out. We’ll skip these and go straight
to the linking parameters tab.

- I will set to absolute and thread -.375

deep for this example. Next, we will
verify and look at a section view.
Step 6: Verify and backplot

- We’ve ignored the drilling of the hole, which

most likely result in a crash warning during
verify, but we get what we need. You get an
accurate representation of your thread, which
can help for pre-chamfering, threading on
angles or round parts, and so on.

- You can also backplot and see the tool has now been rotated
about the Y-axis you created it on and is now accurately shown
in Mastercam.
 I hope this has been helpful.

-Mr. Wizzard………..