Adding Tools to Touch Probe

CNC Machines Shapeoko
1

Got the touch probe and want to start using it, but have a question:

I need to use a 2.2mm end mill for the work I’m doing, but this size does not exist in the touch probe tool library.

Is there any way to add tools to the touch probe library?

I know for probing Z, it doesn’t matter about the diameter of the tool, but for X,Y I’m assuming it does? Or, since the probe is basing 0,0 on where the bit touches the side of the probe, does diameter of bit not matter?

I would prefer to use the Shapeoko as stock as possible and not start injection a bunch of third party variables in to my process. Need to have things very repeatable for my projects.

Thanks!
Tim

2

Hi Tim,

With Carbide Motion’s current implementation, you can’t (probe a tool which diameter is not in the list).
The workaround is to use any tool that is in the list, probe X & Y using that, then change to your 2.2mm tool, and re-probe for Z only.

EDIT: and to answer your question, the tool diameter does matter for XY probing, since the probing process establishes the coordinates for the center of the tool, by subtracting half the tool diameter from the coordinate where the (outer edge) of the tool touched the probe.

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Thanks for the tip! I will try that with the 1/4" end mill that was provided with the machine then do the tool swap. Would still be nice if there was a way to add tools :slight_smile:

4

Yup, I seem to remember this was discussed earlier and it is probably somewhere in the “todo” list for CM development.

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5

Alternatively, you could manually set X and Y (by eye), set those two zeros and then probe for Z which would save the time switching bits.

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