Anyone interested in collaborating on proper Auto Z Touch Plate for the TinyG? Assuming we have some events that trigger when Z Min is hit I assume it would be possible right?
There is definitely an event that is triggered when Z Min is hit. The whole auto-level widget is based on this event. My low-end touch plate is just a 1 inch square copper clad piece of FR4. It’s exactly 1.75mm thick. I soldered a wire to it. I alligator clip the other wire to the endmill and then run the “Home Axis” menu item on the Z in the Axes widget.
You can also use the probe command G38.2 Z-10 F25
I would recommend just grabbing one of these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CNC-Router-Mill-Z-Axis-Tool-Setting-Touch-Plate-works-w-Mach3-FREE-SHIP-/221636469672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339a9023a8
Is there a way to make it so chilipeppr had a spot to input the offset of the zero tool so when the homing cycle runs zero is properly set?
What command are you specifically saying you want to run after a homing cycle? Are you wanting to switch to like a G55 layer? Or manually shift the machine coordinates like on a G28.3? Why not just program your G54 offset?
When you use your touch plate and start a homing cycle, when the end mill touches the plate does that register as zero or 1.75mm?
Oh, for now I just lamely move down 1.75mm so I can prove to myself I’m at z 0, then I hit “Zero Out” in ChiliPeppr. I hear what you’re saying. It would be nice to add a new widget called “Touch Plate” and then have a button that issues the homing command and then the offset. Want to build it? I’d fork something easy like the Macro widget or Laser Solder widget and then just do some simple buttons. The key part would be issuing the offset at the end of the probe.
I will give it a try in a week or so when my schedule opens up some, but my coding skills are pretty basic so we will see how it goes.
Do you know where i can find a touch plate in europe like the one has in the link John provided?
What did you have in mind specifically? The how of it or the physical touch plate itself? Just curious as I’ll be looking into touch plate setup just for simply zeroing the work piece height once I get converted over to my new hardware.
Both of them but i have some tips from shapeoko forum in how to do, for the physical part i will use a PCB like John said before
The only problem with circuit board is that it can become quite misshapen, a solid chunk of metal is quite a bit more durable.
There are quite a few purpose built touch off plates on the market already. They’re a known easy to remember height that you can just set your offset after touch off. Typically they are spring loaded as well to help protect your bit in a tool crash.
I would think you could fork the auto leveling widget and strip out all but the first touch. Have a textbox to set your touch plate thickness and search feed rate. Let it touch off, retract by x and pause until you remove the touch plate and then proceed back down by the thickness you preset.
I was thinking of adding it to the tool change prompt.