Cgode to lock/unlock spindle

CNC Machines Nomad
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Hi All,

I’m measuring the levelness of the stock bed for my nomad 883 pro and wanted a gcode command to lock and then unlock the spindle. I am using a dial indicator and securing it into the spindle using an appropriately sized collet except I need the spindle to be locked. I know that gcode (for GRBL controller in the nomad) can be entered directly into carbide create using the MDI interface but needed the codes.

Thanks in advance!

Sincerely
S

2

I don’t believe the Nomad has such a feature. You can see Carbide 3D’s list of supported G-Codes here.

I’d look into using a regular plunger-style dial indicator instead.

Aside from that, the best option is probably to either make a mechanical spindle lock (e.g. a right-angle bracket with a hexagonal hole in it to keep the collet nut in a particular place) or make a new mount for the DTI that attaches to the Z-axis carriage.

2 Likes
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No G codes exist for this in GRBL, and it would be somewhat difficult to implement with the spindle on Nomad in any case (it’s a brushless motor, not an stepper).

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Thanks Mike and Lucas. I was trying to avoid mechanical design but alas, seems to be the way forward.

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I think you may be overthinking this. A DTI holder unscrewed from the mag base, screwed into a new hole in the spindle bracket works quite well :slight_smile: without a lot of effort (drill hole, thread). I think it goes without saying that the stock mdf bed is going to be nowhere near as flat as a cast aluminum one. There isn’t a lot of room inside the nomad cabinet, but it can work if you use a small dti holder as your donor and get it folded up in just the right way. Another option would be to use the spindle as a probe (use a small dowel or indicator tip in the spindle, hook up that to the probe pin, make a tiny metal puck to use as a probe surface and ground that). I’ve also done so with a microswitch hot-glued to a dowel and used that as a probe (it’s small, it’s hacky, but it works pretty well). Lots of simple options here. Don’t get me started on the time I hot glued a mouse to the collet nut on my shapeoko and started measuring movement regularity…

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