Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] CNC polishing with a mill?

>How about 3M's "surface conditioning" disks on an arbor in the mill. They
>make a big variety of pads, disks, and wheels which can be used for
>grinding/polishing to debur or remove the tool marks. You would have to try
>the finest grades for quality of polishing. I guess it depends on how
>smooth a finish you require. You won't be able to get a mirror finish and
>any amount of metal removal with any single type/grade of abrasive.
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This seems like a pretty good idea.... I've found my supplier
(RScomponents) has some rather nice little "ballnose" felt polishing
mops, an inch in diameter, as well as some plain cylindrical ones. I've
been thinking of using these.. In the CAM I'd define them as a tool just
a little bit undersize (say 25mm instead of 25.4mm - an inch), then
generate a finishing toolpath with wide oversteps. The undersizing in
the CAM side would mean if you made it follow a "profile" path, it would
press the tool quite hard into the vertical edges, and get a nice polish
on them, too...

You could use a really big step down value, since you're not cutting,
and max-out the speed, too. It'd make it pretty easy to do a few dozen
passes until it's nice-looking, and if it's not, you just send it around
again...

I'm going to test this out and see how well it works.. I think you're
definately right that you'll need different grades of abrasive though,
but it should still be more reliable than hand polishing..

I've noticed chronos UK have these rather nice wire brushes that fit
intoa drill chuck. They're circular with the bristles pointing down...
these will probably work for it quite well too, I think..
~Abby