[kstrauss]

I have had zero experience with LinuxCNC but is it possible to disallow access to motor tuning or any other capability for that matter?

What do you mean by "a mobile touch pad"?

[phoneman]

Tormach tool setter is a form of mobile touch pad in that you can move it from place to place. The problem I see with it is the size and price. On my other CNC mill I can use a piece of circuit board of a known thickness that is wired to an input port on my G540 controller. When I Z down to it with it sitting on a work piece and the tool touches it. It triggers the controller and I can set Z to that 0.

Dave

[mountaindew]

Tormach tool setter is a form of mobile touch pad in that you can move it from place to place. The problem I see with it is the size and price. On my other CNC mill I can use a piece of circuit board of a known thickness that is wired to an input port on my G540 controller. When I Z down to it with it sitting on a work piece and the tool touches it. It triggers the controller and I can set Z to that 0.

Dave

Help a new user out here.
I don't have a atc on my tormach and don't understand what a tool setter is used for unless you have one.
I understand you load up the tool changer with tools and run a program that measures all the tools and puts numbers into tool table
Then your ready to run your program that uses those tools.
Is this correct?
Is there any other use?

After watching the webinars I like path pilots probe touch off edge finding, I use a hamier touch probe and would change to a electronic touch probe if its is semi automated and built into software. Would like to add this to cam even as a ao.
md

[Hirudin]

The ATC makes the tool-measuring process more automated, but a tool-setter could be used to measure a single tool just as easily as a whole changer full.

It's an expensive convenience that replaces a height gauge and surface plate.

Advantages...
* make it so tool measuring can be automated
* measurement is done using the machine, which could add a tiny bit of consistency to the measurements
* measurements are not subject to transcription errors

Disadvantages...
* mostly cost
* if a chip or something is stuck to the tool it'll measure to the chip because machines are dumb
* greater potential for breaking very small cutters, though a quality tool-setter probably isn't really going to break tools

[phoneman]

md

Tormachs passive probe is a great tool. You can probe part edges and set X and Y zero automaticlly. In Mach3 I have probing screens and routines that will probe and set all 3 axes in one operation. My probe is also my master tool so I can set tool length offset by measuring my tools off line and adding or subtracting that number to or from my master tool length. In my case my probe triggers at 4.150" so if a tool measures 5.00" my TLO is +.850" if the tool is 3.015" TLO is -1.135"
I do not have an ATC so all my tool changes are done manually. Last job had 7 tools and 8 tool changes with 1 speed range change all with 1 Z0 setting.

Dave

[mountaindew]

I do not have an ATC so all my tool changes are done manually. Last job had 7 tools and 8 tool changes with 1 speed range change all with 1 Z0 setting.

Dave

Ok, Different methods I guess!
I use a height gauge and mach tool table. I have about 48 tools setup in mach tool table with lengths and only check them every few months of use.
I run programs with up to 30k lines of code that require 2-10 tool changes per ucs or upwards of 60 total tool changes per part. Don't check tool height during all this or for months for that matter. I could see using cam to generate a program and tools 1 - x and then each new program you use the setter for the tools 1-xx in that program and never have a fixed table like I use.

Is this also a method for a tool system that has only collets for holding tools and no repeatable stop like a tts or other tool holder design?
trying to learn what other strategies people use and why!
md

[popspipes]

The tool table in sprut and mach is a problem for me, If I run an old program and sprut calls for certain tool numbers, I have to re edit some of them, diameters in Sprut and Lengths in Mach. I do grind my own tools so the lengths and diameters change on them.
If I used all new cutters the diameters would stay basically the same but the lengths would change when the tools are replaced. I usually touch off every tool in a new job in Mach and check the diameters in sprut, it sure would be nice if there was a way around this..........

[phoneman]

md
If I had 48 tool holders I would be in heaven and broke If I used ever tool I have it would be about 12. As I change cutters or drills in holders I have to remeasure them and up date my Mach tool table.

Mike Sr

Getting Mach tool table and Sprut tool table to match is a problem. I do not have a tool and cutter grinder yet so only standard diameters. I have both touched off with gauge block in machine and done the math and just entered it in the Mach tool table for TLO

I am looking forward to receiving my upgrade to Path Pilot. My TMC was new enough that I only had to buy the new port card. Also looking forward to the release for the draft manual for PP.

Dave

[klaas123]

How about this idea: mach3 auto tool zero - YouTube

[popspipes]

Toolholders here around 50 with ten more er16's on the way, I hate changing out tools, however if you look at the cost of them maybe I should take a new interest changing out tools??

[popspipes]

Toolholders here, around 50 with ten more er16's on the way, I hate changing out tools, however if you look at the cost of them maybe I should take a new interest in changing out tools??

[Methylethylketo]

Toolholders here around 50 with ten more er16's on the way, I hate changing out tools, however if you look at the cost of them maybe I should take a new interest changing out tools??

If you figure a half hour to pull the old tool, change the tool out, measure the height, update the tool table, and continue cutting, extra toolholders start to make a lot of sense. And once you hit the magic 30ish holder threshold, you can run multiple independent jobs using just the tools you have already in your caddy. At that point, you're golden.

Also, using ER collets to hold drill bits is like the best thing ever. No chuck wobble, stupid high gripping power, and tool holder+collet is way cheaper than a good quality drill chuck. For drills you use all the time, it's amazing.

[phoneman]

md

Klaas has shown us a mobile touch pad and a fixed touch pad at the tool change position in his video. Both touch pads are configured in Mach as normally open switches. When a tool touches one it closes the switch and signals Mach. If you are changing tools in say a drill chuck. Once you hit the cycle start again after the new tool is in the chuck Mach will lower the tool to the TCP TP and measure the tool. then it updates the TLO and continues back to the part and does the job it was called for.

Hope this helps

Dave

[Steve Seebold]

Half an hour to change tools is EXACTLY why I don't use the tool table. I can change tools the way I do it in less than 5 minutes.

If you figure a half hour to pull the old tool, change the tool out, measure the height, update the tool table, and continue cutting, extra toolholders start to make a lot of sense. And once you hit the magic 30ish holder threshold, you can run multiple independent jobs using just the tools you have already in your caddy. At that point, you're golden.

Also, using ER collets to hold drill bits is like the best thing ever. No chuck wobble, stupid high gripping power, and tool holder+collet is way cheaper than a good quality drill chuck. For drills you use all the time, it's amazing.

[phoneman]

Steve

Could you please explain to me the method you are using that does not include the use of a tool table.

Thanks

Dave

[popspipes]

I started out not using the tool table, but I had to zero Z for each cutter, thats OK for one part but for several sticks of parts the tool table saves me time.

[mountaindew]

md
If I had 48 tool holders I would be in heaven and broke If I used ever tool I have it would be about 12. As I change cutters or drills in holders I have to remeasure them and up date my Mach tool table.


Dave

I was dreaming I guess!
I have 36 total with 30 having some sort of cutter . mill, drill, tap, saw, thread mills... and 6 with height indicators and edge finders of different types.
The 30 tools are set with heights in mach tool table and I make sprutcam conform to this number system. I don't check height much unless I see a problem or I replace it with a new one.
A third are drills and taps and I could use another dozen drills and tap sets just to eliminate table changes and speed mill operations. As a foot note on sprutcam I said in the past I had about 1000 tools defined in it. I went back and looked and found I have number system for about 1400 and around 600 actual tools detailed or defined for fast use in cam models.
md

[popspipes]

I was dreaming I guess!
I have 36 total with 30 having some sort of cutter . mill, drill, tap, saw, thread mills... and 6 with height indicators and edge finders of different types.
The 30 tools are set with heights in mach tool table and I make sprutcam conform to this number system. I don't check height much unless I see a problem or I replace it with a new one.
A third are drills and taps and I could use another dozen drills and tap sets just to eliminate table changes and speed mill operations. As a foot note on sprutcam I said in the past I had about 1000 tools defined in it. I went back and looked and found I have number system for about 1400 and around 600 actual tools detailed or defined for fast use in cam models.
md

I tend to buy too much stuff, I needed a couple more holders, but there was a deal on ten of them ha! I have several redundancies as I grind my own tools if they get chipped or dull, so there are several that arent full diameter and some short ones.

My Sprut tool tables are a mess, I havent found a way to get the tool table back into numerical order, one day when I get a "round tuit" I will work on it.

I could use some of your expertise MD!

[CNC-Dude]

Intriguing! I thought I was alone in not using the tool table. After all, it is one of the main advantages of CNC equipment.

However, to do one measly part it is kind of a hurdle. I also have less than 40 holders which means I am continuously changing tools anyway. I can't imagine ever owning a holder per possible tool! But like Yoda would say "That's why you failed..."

When I have had to make two parts with a bunch of steps, what I have done is to type down the offsets that I see before I zero the Z axis. This way, on future iterations I can quickly go to what is supposed to be the zero.

I have seriously considered starting to use the tool table, though.

[mountaindew]

The thread was about making money "I side tracked it" and I spend way more then I make. Spending the time to learn, practice and master some of these skills keeps me occupied and out of trouble. That alone saves a fortune! All this stuff works together and is mostly very straight forward to learn. A reason for so many holders is utility and also non limiting. When I design something I don't want to be held back thinking I don't have that tool defined and setup for use. This mostly applies to drill operations. I like to group them in predefined cam sets and after loading them into model all I have to do is select holes and check or set depths. The operations I know are pre set for spot drill, size drill, tc thread, clearance drill and chamfer or counter sink. If all the tools are in holders and ready for use your programs are easy to run and complex parts are no big deal.
From what I have seen I have a very modest 36 and many tormach users have 50 or more tool holders couple vises, atc........ making what I have look down right marginal.
I just started a year ago and found the machine to be only half the cost and cad, cam, fixtures, holders, cutters and measure tools to add up to as much as the machine.
md