[CS900]

Getting ready to tool up my CNC taig mill at my local makerspace, and I'm trying to make it as easy as possible for someone not familiar with tool offsets to work the mill. So besides the A2ZCNC tool holders, what do you guys do for repeatable tool heights? I've tried drill stops, but they lack good repeat ability. I've ordered some 1" hex stock so I can make my own tool holders similar to the A2Z ones, but if there is an easier way, I'm all for it.

[phoglite]

Getting ready to tool up my CNC taig mill at my local makerspace, and I'm trying to make it as easy as possible for someone not familiar with tool offsets to work the mill. So besides the A2ZCNC tool holders, what do you guys do for repeatable tool heights? I've tried drill stops, but they lack good repeat ability. I've ordered some 1" hex stock so I can make my own tool holders similar to the A2Z ones, but if there is an easier way, I'm all for it.

I'd just teach everyone how to zero the Z for each tool. Manual jog to a known plane (usually top of stock) and touch off and input position. You can get one of those z touch setter indicators and locate off the table if your zero plane will disappear between tool changes. Just note the z position to table with it and use for future tool change inputs.

[CS900]

well I'm trying to make it as simple as possible. and touching every tool before use is asking for a crash. It's what I currently do now, but after setting up a tool crib on my PM45 and the tormach tooling system, I'm really looking for alternatives. any way, I bought some 1" hex stock to make some holders. I guess that's my best bet for right now.

[phoglite]

Ahh, well there is an off the shelf option but it's a little pricey. You can use the lathe spindle along with the ER16 adapters as tool holders. Taig posted a video illustrating this method a while back (see below). You could also use a similar method by using the lathe spindle along with the prefabricated arbors (here) that you could make into custom tool holders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea6oAj6tifg

[CS900]

yeah, for that much effort and price i'm probably better off just getting the a2z adapters.. but I'm cheap, so i'll try making some first, lol. If I fail miserably, I'll probably break down and get some.

[CS900]

So, gave it a go today. Came out ok, but I need a better M22x1.5 tap to chase the threads. My intention was to have the threads bottom out on the spindle and have a chamfer on the holder to make it concentric. So because my tap sucks I can't get it threaded on all the way, but as-is i have a total runout of .0015. Not great, but not terrible considering it's locating on the threads. Once i get it threaded correctly i'll find the high spot and put the set screw right there.

[CS900]

So new tap came in today. Finished that tool holder, and either I got very lucky with this piece or my manufacturing process is pretty good. .0006 runout once it located on the spindle shoulder. Going to make a few more and see how they turn out.

[fretsman]

Not bad at all! Good job!

[tbev]

It took me a month to figure out how to work the tool offsets, I had a bad z stepper that would lose count so I thought I had to touch off every tool, I was only using conversational and one too ops, now I break, and manually confirm my z0 before just about every opp, it made me pretty spastic but ive saved a handful if would be crashes.

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