[ger21]

Looks like a spaceship landing with those lights.

With a flexible plate light that, you can probably increase the probing speed of the first probe, to speed up the process.

You can see how much it overshoots now, though, and probing faster would overshoot more. Probably not an issue unless you're using 1/32" or smaller bits.

[kenrbass]

If you run the spindle down at a different spot, you will get a different reading on it. Also changing bit sizes will change the zero height due to the bit contacting the plate further over.

It looks nice, but watch out for that.

Ken

[Claytonc]

I love the lights! I cut the whole dust shoe on my little 12x12 zen. The lighs where only 5 bucks for the 2 strips of LEDS and they light it up great. When the dust shoe is on it's really hard to see the spindle so the lights help a ton. This is a new build and I've actually not cut one thing on it yet! One issue after another but its coming along.

I don't think I will be using any bits that small. heck, I can't seem to find any bits less than an 1/8th " or so with a 1/4" shank...

I would like to speed it up but I'm not exactly sure where to do that. I'm assuming the script would need to be altered. I'm using the 2010 screenset. Where would I adjust that speed?

[Claytonc]

If you run the spindle down at a different spot, you will get a different reading on it. Also changing bit sizes will change the zero height due to the bit contacting the plate further over.

It looks nice, but watch out for that.

Ken

I agree. The toolchange probe touches the same place each time but for the movable one I think I'm going to put a dot on it and try to hit that dot each time.

[ger21]

I would like to speed it up but I'm not exactly sure where to do that. I'm assuming the script would need to be altered. I'm using the 2010 screenset. Where would I adjust that speed?

You'll need to change both e M6End.m1s and M881.m1s macros.

Both have a similar chunk of code near the beginning.

If GetOEMLED(801) Then ' On = English Measure INCH
FirstProbeDist = 6.0 ' Probe Down 6 inches
FirstRetractDist = 0.05 ' Then Retract .05 inches
SecProbeDist = 0.25 ' Then Probe down .25 inches
FirstProbeFeed = 10 ' First Probe Feed @ 10 ipm <--- Change hear if machine is using inches
SecondProbeFeed = 1 'Second Probe Feed @ 1 ipm
ClearAllow = 0.125 ' Max Z Travel = .125in below Machine Z zero
CurrUnit = "inches"
Else ' Off = Metric Measure MM
FirstProbeDist = 150.0 ' Probe Down 150 mm's
FirstRetractDist = 1.0 ' Then Retract 1 mm
SecProbeDist = 6.0 ' Then Probe down 6 mm's
FirstProbeFeed = 250 ' First Probe Feed @ 250mm/min <--- Change hear if machine is using mm's
SecondProbeFeed = 25 ' Second Probe Feed @ 25mm/min
ClearAllow = 2.0 ' Max Z Travel = 2mm below Machine Z zero
CurrUnit = "mm's"
End If

[Claytonc]

Thank you! I will give it a shot some time today. Much appreciated.

[Claytonc]

Thank you for that Gerry. Its working great now

[RomanLini]

Very nice working version of the touch probe! Congrats.

Also looks like you used the same procedure I use on mine; first come down fast to get a rough reading then back off 3mm and a real slow creep down to get the very high accuracy reading.

If you run the spindle down at a different spot, you will get a different reading on it. Also changing bit sizes will change the zero height due to the bit contacting the plate further over.
...

Actually that's not true! If the sensing plate is horizontal (which it should be) then any downward movement even of a couple microns is enough to break the contact and give a reading. The "break" occurs when the bar is horizontal so it is not at all critical where to tool is in relation to the bar it will still read to within a 0.0001" or so.

ClaytonC, you can test that if you like, by bringing the tool down in different positions. The only time it might make a difference is if the mount is machined wrong and the bar is not horizontal, in which case that test will be good as it will tell you that the bar is not horizontal.

Having said that, for a movable probe I would draw a little 10mm target circle on it anyway, and hit that spot just for peace of mind.