Machsupport Forum
General CNC Chat => Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) => Topic started by: DICKEYBIRD on December 13, 2014, 01:46:22 PM
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Most all my work is modifying or repairing existing parts that don’t get faced off and I’m always having to touch off the tool on the face or a feature of the part. I’ve used all the methods including a USB microscope to set Z-zero but it’s a real pain to accurately do this on 15 or 20 parts in a row. So, I decided to build this device. It’s a Z-axis probe that’s semi permanently mounted to the back side of the carriage of my lathe. It has a little opto sensor/board I got off ebay from Holland. A spring loaded plunger with a flat dial indicator tip on it, some aluminum scraps & acetal bushing is all it needed to work very well. It’s dead-nuts repeatable & accurate as I can measure with a tenths D.T.I. I use the “Set Home Z” button on Tool 0 in the standard Mach3 Turn screenset. I’m in the process now of setting up all of my tools’ Z-axis offsets in the tooltable. Once that’s done, I should be able to home the Z to a feature of the part, slap on which ever tool is needed and cut away with confidence that it’ll come out on the money.
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/DBAviation/ZHomeProbe1_zps64d937a8.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/DBAviation/media/ZHomeProbe1_zps64d937a8.jpg.html)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/DBAviation/ZHomeProbe2_zps0e9b55c0.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/DBAviation/media/ZHomeProbe2_zps0e9b55c0.jpg.html)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/DBAviation/ZHomeProbe3_zpsff4921ba.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/DBAviation/media/ZHomeProbe3_zpsff4921ba.jpg.html)
Here’s a pic of a typical setup
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/DBAviation/ZHomeProbe4_zps697c4f7e.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/DBAviation/media/ZHomeProbe4_zps697c4f7e.jpg.html)
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Would be nice if you had a tool tab as shown below and suggested for Mach4 lathe.
RICH
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Looks great Rich but I guess I need some Special High Intensive Training. I don't know the difference between "Clobal Shift" and "Global Sh!t." ;D
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Hey Hey..... at least you can read / spell ......I can only write! :D CLOBAL ::)
Graham was supposed to do a full write-up on it sometime for Mach4. >:D
I think you will only find the "Global Shift" term used once in Smid's books and it is not defined.
Have a look at the Mach4 lathe manual for definition of G52 and you can also see page 14 of 21 Appendix "F" in the LazyTurn Manual
for a partial use of G52.
Other than that, it's a DAH :D on my end also.
RICH