Automatic tool height

Technical Details
41

@TalleyMakeWork,
I won’t be able to make a video, but let’s see what we can accomplish.

The approach hasn’t been adopted by enough users to turn that on yet, the ‘greyed-out’ button is a place holder for now.

For now, I use one of the Macros to achieve the same thing. In Settings, down toward the bottom, find ‘Macro 1’ and ‘Macro 1 Title’
Click on ‘Macro 1’ and paste or type in this:

G20 G90 G38.2 Z-.15 F1 G20 G90 M02

Click on ‘Macro 1 Title’ and give it a name like: Z Axis zero

To test the rig before using it, attach the clip directly to the ground plate and try the macro. The z-axis should not move, and the line “z axis zeroed” should appear in the GC terminal if the wiring is correct. Watch out if the z axis does move - it will try to run until it arrives at -.15 inches. The ‘Stop’ button will be your friend if the travel gets too near the end stops. If the first test wash successful, then disconnect the clip and try it again, touching the clip to the ground plate after a second or two to simulate a bit touching down. The z-axis will move until the clip touches.

Here’s my sequence for zeroing before a cut.

  • unplug the router and install the bit you’re going to use.
  • rig the z-axis cable from the PowerControl board to the ground plate and the bit
  • use the ‘Z-Axis’ controls to move the router bit to within 0.15 inches above the ground plate, and ‘Define Zero’. This doesn’t have to be exact, just close, and if it’s too far you’ll get another chance without hurting anything.
  • Now, when you run the macro you created, the z-axis will lower until either the bit touches the ground plate and the z-axis is set to 0, or the z-axis reaches -0.15 inches and gives up, reporting “error: probe did not connect, program stopped, z axis not set”
  • if the z-axis is zero, unrig the cable and ground plate and you’re ready to plug in the router and cut
  • if the z-axis reported “error”, take a close look at the bit - is it still above the ground plate? if so, use the ‘Z-Axis’ control to set the zero here, and run the macro again. If the bit is touching the ground plate and lifting the sled, recheck the connections…

I hope this helps, ask any questions I’ve missed. If it works, you could do a video :smile:

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