Spindle drop from Z Home for tool change, is there a way to change distance?

I'm guessing the drop is for the Auto tool changer but I just have the PDB. The reason I need it to drop less or not at all is clearance from tool to material. Sometimes I have large drill bits or milling a pocket at the end of a large part (hole on and of 11.25" block in a vice with less than 0.100" clearance). I'm now moving too off part and manually inserting z height into G-code after tool change to bring it back up.

Is there a file that defines this drop height I can change?

Not sure from your description, but you may be referring to your G30 setting.... When you press the "Go To G30" button (lower right corner of PathPilot screen) does your Z axis home to this position? If so, you can set the G30 position using the button in your Offsets window... Hope this helps. Gerry


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If mach3 go to the settings tab and change your tool change location to Z0. That will run Z up to machine home.

Mach3 toll change position on my machine is set to -3. in the z. not sure where PP has anything set.

For reference, I'm using Pathpilot. I'll definitely check the G30 tonight and see if that's the right thing.

Luv2ride, sounds like its pretty simple in Mach3 but PP definitely takes away a lot of buttons for tuning.

Do you write your own code? You could omit the M998 and just use G53 Z0. and M0. Put your height offset in the following line or between the two here and the Z would go home and mandatory stop for the tool change.

Just to loop back around on this, The "Set G30" works perfect.

Before F360 tool change would go to top with coolant still spraying and spindle spinning, then hit start and it drops 2" for a tool change (maybe I caused it at some point hitting Set G30 when I was figuring things out). Now it goes straight up to top and spindle/coolant stops for tool change.

Thanks guys!

Could be worse... I must have accidentally hit the "set G30" button with a endmill holder in the spindle, and the next time I did a tool change with a drill chuck installed I barely hit e-stop in time to prevent a crash as it drove toward the table...