Method and apparatus for non-rotary machining

A method for removing material from a workpiece for providing a substantially fine three-dimensional surface finish, similar to that obtained by turning as opposed to milling, comprising the steps of:

• a) positioning a non-rotating cutting tool near the surface of a non-rotating workpiece;
• b) driving at a sufficient surface footage the non-rotating cutting tool through the non-rotating workpiece along a cutting path in any simultaneous combination of three dimensions three-dimensional combination so that material is removed by shear stresses inducing controlled fracture and not chaotic rupture from the surface workpiece to impart thereon a rough three-dimensional open or closed surface approximating the finished shape;
• c) repositioning the face of the tool within a three-dimensional work envelope relative to the workpiece so as to remove additional material for rough machining a three-dimensional precision shape on open surface and closed surface on the workpiece;
• and
• d) repeating steps a) through c) to produce a finely machined three-dimensional complex finished surface on the workpiece without chaotic rupture of the material.

A method of machining a surface of a workpiece comprising:

• providing a machine capable of performing a subtractive machining operation;
• providing a cutting tool;
• fixturing the cutting tool to the machine capable of performing a subtractive machining operation;
• moving the cutting tool at a substantially high surface footage of its cutting edge relative to the surface of the workpiece to impart thereon a rough three-dimensional open or closed surface approximating the finished shape through deformation by shear stresses inducing controlled fracture and not chaotic rupture without rotation of either the cutting tool or the workpiece such that cutting tool can be oriented in any of three dimensions with respect to the workpiece while a portion of the cutting tool is in contact with the workpiece to thereby cut a portion of the workpiece away and machine into it a three-dimensional complex surface having an open surface or closed surfaces on the finished workpiece;
• and
• repeatedly moving the cutting tool along a plurality of cutting paths through the workpiece in any simultaneous combination of three dimensions three-dimensional combination to produce a finished surface on the workpiece.

A non-rotary shaping center for machining a workpiece comprising:

• a tool holder;
• a non-rotating cutting tool having a cutting edge positioned within the tool holder;
• and
• wherein the non-rotating cutting tool is oriented at any angle relative to a predetermined path so that the cutting edge moves with sufficient surface footage in any of a three dimensional cutting path to remove material from the workpiece.