So this weekend I am hoping to further my knowledge on CNC/machining stuff. I am pretty green so bare with me please! This week I completed Hoss's MAD system, received a couple of tts tool holders and made two of my own.

Here is what I have to work with:
  • Inventor HSM
  • 5 tools in tts holders
  • G0704 cnc mill
  • Mach3
  • 2" indicator block
  • tts collet
  • Hoss's design MAD


What I hope to do this weekend is learn how to build a tool table in Mach3 and hopefully be able to export it to Inventor HSM. I'm not sure where to start with what I have at hand. Using the 2" indicator block can I indicate the height of the mill head then indicate the tools in their tool holder to get the tool height? It seems this would be accurate. I would be using the measurements on the Mach3 DRO to get the differences and that would be the tool's height. Will this work accurately? If not do you have another suggestion other than buying some sort of height indicator like Tormach sells.

Thanks for any input.