Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: dude1 on May 22, 2012, 10:40:22 PM

Title: touch probes
Post by: dude1 on May 22, 2012, 10:40:22 PM
what is the best touch probe to get to run with Mach3. will be needing to get one as will be making pistol grips for .22 target rifles
Title: Re: touch probes
Post by: dude1 on May 23, 2012, 08:11:21 PM
Touch probes for sale
aminear@wyomingwireless.com
$125
has any brought one of these are they any good
Title: Re: touch probes
Post by: RICH on May 24, 2012, 06:57:07 AM
Can't recomend one but seems like it should have a replacable probe tip. 
How do you plan on using the probe and generating the 3D file and gcode to cut the grips?
RICH
Title: Re: touch probes
Post by: dude1 on May 24, 2012, 05:09:55 PM
will be using digitize wizard in mach3 or mach cloud will hopefully be using auto desk 123d beta, if that don't work out maybe cut3d, dont know much about this stuff so play it by ear and see what happens.
Title: Re: touch probes
Post by: dude1 on May 24, 2012, 11:00:48 PM
wont be using autodesk 123d beta defiantly be using one of the Mach3 digitize wizards, if need be will get cut3d.
does anyone have good instructions for using the digitize wizards, point cloud, so on this all new to me
Title: Re: touch probes
Post by: RICH on May 25, 2012, 06:55:28 AM
Quote
dont know much about this stuff so play it by ear and see what happens

Your not alone....in general:
You will be using a probe to digitize the part using the wizard.
-Z travel height should be higher than your part.
-Z Probe depth is how deep you want to go. I think setting it to 0 would be the bottom of your part.
-Stepover is the spacing of the point grid.
-Feedrate is how fast to probe. Don't probe too fast, or the probe won't be able to stop when it's tripped. It has to decelerate after it makes contact.

Do a search and you will find info on digitizing. Gerry posted the above.

After the collection of points Mach Cloud will convert the pont cloud to a stl file. The stl file is a mesh which basicaly creates a surface by connnecting all the points ( not a solid). There are other porgrams that can be purchased or used to create the mesh. Some programs can manipulate the mesh some can't. Maybe you'll want a solid to work with.

The stl file is used by a CAM program to generate the  gcode so it can be machined.

SO in general :
Digitize the part, generate a solid or mesh for use by a modeling program, cam it, cut it.
I have an expensive probe,never used it and certainly don't want to damage it. So over time want some insurance on functionality of the digitizing. Depending on what you want to do you may need or want to
modify the steel file. ie; how are you going to do the checkering for the grips. Guess i am just saying that
one needs to get the right mix of software ( and hardware ) to accomplish the task without breaking the bank and miniizing the learning curve.

RICH