Cutter Path Cut

[jamesframes]

I am trying to make grooves in a part model, to simulate an actual part being machined with a tapered end mill that has a flat bottom. I want to experimant with the shapes of grooves I can get into my part by playing with the taper angle and the cutter path and the orientation of the cutter relative to it's path (tilted). Tilting creates a tapered groove with an eliptical bottom and tapered walls with a different angle than the end mill.

On way would be if there was a way to make a sweep type cut using a volume rather than a planar sketch? I have used CAM programs that can show this type of cut in their simulation mode. You just model up the cutter shape and make a cut with it. But other than making a sketch with calculated angles and an eliptical end to simulate a tilted end-mill (and then using a sweep cut), I can't seem to figure out how to do it in SW (this is a tedious way).

Can anyone offer any help?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

SW2008 has a Swept-Solid function.

 

[handleman]

As long as your cut path is straight (and I correctly understand your intention!) you can model your tapered mill at an angle using a revolve, then create a plane normal to the cutting direction and use "convert entities" to get the bottom and sides of the slot correct. No need to do any calculating, and when you change the cutter geometry or angle the slot will update accordingly. See the attached file....

 

[jamesframes]

Thanks both of you. Cor, I am on 2007 and have reasons for now not to update, but it is good to know that feature will be there when I do. Handleman, your solution is a good one -and thanks for making the model to explain it. This is pretty much what I am doing so I will use that technique for now.