Since my mishaps last night, I realized I had to take a step back and set plans in place for setting up cam easier and more accurate, also known as infrastructure.
I would typically set up my part in Fusion360 and generate toolpaths as I went, exporting and running each one. I did this mostly to make small changes easier when I was first learning how to machine parts. However, its very time consuming, and I often make mistakes (like yesterday), leading to sub-optimal outcomes.
Today I am working on replacing my old system with a library of tried and true toolpaths I can duplicate for other projects. The first part of this process is putting all my tools in my tool library; this allows me to quickly select the endmill I want to use and have all the settings already programmed into it. It would also give me the propper feedrate, rpm, and tool number without having to re-enter in the information each time I set up a new CAM setup.
The other half of the coin is setting up the toolpath settings; I can duplicate my known toolpaths to new CAM setups and quickly generate them, which I can then make small changes for the different parts I machine. I'm setting these up with some baseline guidelines, so I know they work, then change them depending on the situation.
I'm also shuffling through some of John Saunders' older videos on programming tips to embed into the toolpaths, as well as recommended finishing processes optimized for accuracy and efficiency.