Changing out the bit between jobs

I’m new to CNC and I have a shapeoko XXL. How do I change a bit between jobs when the router doesn’t lift high enough to do so? Is there a setting that I’m missing that raises it up higher between jobs? Also carbide motion doesn’t allow me to zero out the Z axis in between jobs to make sure the bit is where it should be. What am I doing wrong?

This is how it’s supposed to work:

Is this technique not working for you?

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I sense that you have not watched the training videos. Even though I am a very experienced CNC machinist, the Shapeoko is a little different and I learned a lot!

That doc says the spindle moves to the center back position when it completes the job. Mine returns to Home.

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Thanks I completely forgot about the training videos.

Thank you. I guess I was looking in the wrong place for answers and I never watched the training videos.

I’m becoming quite opposed to CM these days, it seems :slight_smile:
If you’re willing to get your hands a bit dirty, grbl-panel is a great gcode sender and (once you get past the preponderance of buttons) I find to actually be simpler and more predictable than CM. Just my $.02

Just doesnt make sense to have the option of tool change and its not functional. Is that something that is being fixed? Or atleast worked on in an upcoming update? causes more files to have to be saved for future use to have one project with different tool changes within it. Just wondering if anyone within the company is going to roll out the fix to actually be able to use this feature without turning machine off and basically starting over with a new file just to finish the project…

It works on a Nomad which has a tool length sensor.

For a Shapeoko, the recommendation is to use multiple jobs so that one can rehome / verify that changing the endmill didn’t alter the stickout and so forth: http://docs.carbide3d.com/tutorials/tool-change/

yes I have read and watched videos and tutorials (which are GREAT and have helped ALOT), thats how I know I have to create more than one gcode to get the job done. if it only works on Nomad why have it as an option for Shapeoko if it doesn’t work? that’s why I asked if it was going to be corrected later on to actually work for Shapeoko. If it just raised up half an inch more the tool change option would work, but its just shy of lifting high enough, then of course there would have to be a prompt to rezero the Z before hitting continue. I dont know I guess it was truely just a question of will this ever work in the future?

One of the thoughts behind my design for a Probe Holder was that it would allow one to use it as a tool length sensor — if someone can work that up, we can see about the software angle.

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