Beginner needs help with steam valve

[jrlandau]

For the slide valve (5/8 x 1 inch) on a model steam engine, I need to cut two slots right across, one (1/8) the long way and one (3/16) the short way, all centered.  No problem designing it in design mode, but I am stuck in mfg. mode.  I've tried 2D Contour, Slot, and 2D Pocket, but I can't find a way to tell Fusion what I want to do--I keep ending up with no toolpath!  Any help will be much appreciated.

[johnswetz1982]

Either use trace or slot with appropriate sized tool. With the slot operation you will need to lie to fusion and say you are using a smaller tool (.124) than the slot actually is because slot will not work with an tool the same size as the slot.

[jrlandau]

Thanks for your help. I changed the tool diameter to .124 but I still
haven't gotten the slot to work. I don't know how you are supposed to
indicate where you want to cut, of how deep the slot is, and I am out of
ideas. I feel that I just don't understand how it is intended to work.

I have also tried 2D Contour but again failed. It would not create a path
at all until I killed the lead-in and out. I choose the four sides of the
bottom of the slot for the toolpath, but the result is that the cut stops
where the circumference of the tool touches the end of the slot, leaving
metal at both ends.

[johnswetz1982 · Accepted solution]

See the attached as an example. I would go through some of the examples that come included with fusion to see how certain toolpaths and selections work. There is also youtube were there are tons of videos and how I taught myself Fusion

[engineguy]

@jrlandau

FWIW Just another option for you to try, file attached, DOCs, feeds,speeds etc, your choice 🙂 🙂

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob

 

[jrlandau]

That did the trick. Many thanks.

[jrlandau]

Beautiful!  Was it simply experience that told you to use 3D Pocket, or is there something I should have known? For this case at least, it looks much nicer than 2D Pocket.

[engineguy]

@jrlandau 

Hmmm, not sure if it is something you should have known, just the way I looked at it 🙂

If I see something that has different levels as in the case of your two slots then that to me suggests 3D so I would approach the task with that in my mind and be more inclined to look at the 3D options first.

Not a hard and fast rule to be sure, for example there are times when a 2D Trace does a 3D task, what works best works, IMHO this was the best method 🙂 🙂 🙂

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob