One of the most distinguished advantages of five-axis machining is that complex free surfaces(such as impeller) can be machined by one setup. Five-axis CNC machine, however, is very expensive so that its usage is restricted to a few large companies. As an economical approach to five-axis machining, this paper presents a method for machining the five-axis free surfaces(using ball-end mill) on a three-axis CNC machine with an index table. The method developed consists of: a) determining the minimum number of part setups and their interference-free and collision-free potential machining area, b) calculating actual machining area for each setup, and c) generating 3-axis cutter path for each part setup. The method has been successfully tested via computer simulations for several complex surfaces including impeller.