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Author Topic: XY and Z zero  (Read 22725 times)

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Offline kak

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XY and Z zero
« on: June 03, 2009, 05:13:10 PM »
Hello

I`m playing with my little router milling blue foam and learning. I just made a Z touch PCB plate and it works great.

But how to zero the X and Y axis?

I used my eye and moved the X axis so the edge of my router bit was touching the material. I did the same with the Y axis and zeroed them.  I was expecting to mill 1 mm around my material, but the first 2 edges was not milled, and the opposite 2 edges was milled 2mm.
Here is my milling video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXxEmQW-Ro

Is the X and Y zero not where the tool touches the material?

Can I get any help how to zero the X and Y axis?  I like the PCB idea - how can I use it to zero the X and Y axis? I`ve seen it on youtube somewhere, but without a description.

Adam
« Last Edit: June 08, 2009, 05:13:13 AM by kak »

Offline Hood

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2009, 05:18:01 PM »
If you touch the edge of the material and zero the DRO your zero position will be off by half the diameter of the cutter, so instead of zeroing the DRO type in the number, eg if its a 10mm dia cutter then enter -5.

Hood

vmax549

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 07:34:03 PM »
X and Y zero can be anywhere. It is usaully depicked by the CAM or the progamer to make it easy to setup.  Look at the code to determan where it is.  Take into account if there is tool comp or just tool offsetting involved.


OK just looked at the vid I think HOOD has your answer  (;-) TP

Just a thought, (;-) TP
« Last Edit: June 03, 2009, 07:40:49 PM by vmax549 »

Offline kak

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2009, 12:22:31 PM »
Thanks for your answers.  I will try that.

But one more thing.  Is the Offset screen in Mach3 working? I don`t know anything about this VB scripts, but I`ve seen that the Edge Finder buttons has some scripts assigned.

I use the PCB as a Z axis zero tool which is connected to GND and port 15 - it works great.

But can I use the same tool to find the X and Y edges using the Edge Finder screen?   And how?

Adam
« Last Edit: June 05, 2009, 10:54:01 AM by kak »
Re: XY zero
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2009, 02:37:53 PM »
Thanks for your answers.  I will try that.

But one more thing.  Is the Offset screen in Mach3 working? I don`t know anything about this VB scripts, but I`ve seen that the Edge Finder buttons has some scripts assigned.

I use the circuit bord as a Z axis zero tool which is connected to GND and port 15 - it works great.

But can I use the same tool to find the X and Y edges using the Edge Finder screen?   And how?

Adam

If you look in the Files section of the group, there is a file "RayLs Probing Macros", or something close to that, that contains all the macros, and a modified screenset, to enable edge, corner, center and mid-point finding, and tool length touch-offs using that page.  With the stock screenset, most of those buttons don't do much more than zero a DRO.

Regards,
Ray L.
Regards,
Ray L.

Offline kak

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2009, 07:09:15 AM »
Thank you Ray

Something is moving on Mach 3 screen on my home PC - without the router. Now I go to try it with my router.

I`m a metric user, and I saw you wrote something about inches - do I have to modify something, somewhere?

This PCB I use or a piece of a metal pipe as the Z zero and edge finder tool - is it enough to conect it to port 15 and have some wire connected to GND and my router bit, and mark it as a Probe in config menu?

Adam
Re: XY zero
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2009, 10:05:39 AM »
Thank you Ray

Something is moving on Mach 3 screen on my home PC - without the router. Now I go to try it with my router.

I`m a metric user, and I saw you wrote something about inches - do I have to modify something, somewhere?

This PCB I use or a piece of a metal pipe as the Z zero and edge finder tool - is it enough to conect it to port 15 and have some wire connected to GND and my router bit, and mark it as a Probe in config menu?

Adam

Adam,

You do need to set Mach3 to operate in metric, but it has no effect on the macros - they use whatever units Mach is using. 

For the tool length setting, all you need is a piece of PCB material with a wire soldered to the top side, and connected to the PROBE input of your BOB.  You *might* need to put a pull-up resistor on the BOB end of the wire, if the BOB does not already have pullups.  The tool will be grounded, so when it touches the plate, the PROBE input gets yanked low.

For edge finding, you can use the same piece of PCB material, slipped in between the tool and the part, but in that case you'd need to set the "probe diameter" DRO to the radius of the tool plus the thickness of the PCB material.  This will work fine, but will sometimes be hard to get the PCB material in the right position to get an accurate reading.  I use a Fowler electronic edge finder (about $30 from Enco, etc. - see Enco P/N 307-3436) that I've modified by removing the "guts", and connecting a wire to the probe tip.  I made the wire short (about 6"), and put an alligator clip on it.  I have the piece of PCB material permannently connect to my probe input.  When I use the edge finder, I just clip the alligator clip to the piece of PCB and go to work.

Regards,
Ray L.
Regards,
Ray L.
Re: XY zero
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2009, 10:06:33 AM »
Thank you Ray

Something is moving on Mach 3 screen on my home PC - without the router. Now I go to try it with my router.

I`m a metric user, and I saw you wrote something about inches - do I have to modify something, somewhere?

This PCB I use or a piece of a metal pipe as the Z zero and edge finder tool - is it enough to conect it to port 15 and have some wire connected to GND and my router bit, and mark it as a Probe in config menu?

Adam

BTW - Make sure you configure the PROBE input as active LOW.
Regards,
Ray L.

Offline kak

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2009, 10:39:30 AM »
I can`t thank you enough Ray - it`s working :-)

But the Vise X - why does it touch the same side of my material twice? There is only 1 zero point.

Edge Finder:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwOuTb0O1_Y&feature=channel_page

Vise X:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rtn5gTvzeU

Center finder:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UUwVK6FYN0&feature=channel_page


Adam

Offline kak

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Re: XY zero
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2009, 12:43:39 PM »
One more question.

Now I can zero the top of my material, but if I mill it away and I need to change the endmill to ballmill and run a finish pass - how do you do it?

My future plan is to mill a wing mould for a radiocontrol aeroplane. But if I mill the top surface of my material, I will loose my Zero.

Adam