I received my new HDZ for my Shapeoko XXL today. I have to go to Houston, TX tomorrow for a funeral on Saturday. So if anyone has any installation tips or more importantly pitfalls please reply. I will most likely install on Sunday.
I have downloaded the 3.3 installation instructions and have read them. But as many of you have installed the HDZ already I would like any advise you may have.
Wash your hands after reading this message.
Please be sure to use the most recent instructions:
and to check that the axis can be moved by hand through its entire range of motion before installing as they note.
Everything else was straight-forward except that on my older machine the wiring was really tight, so I had to get a replacement wiring harness — that won’t be the case for newer machines — and they sent me a Z-Plus wiring harness, so then I had to wait for a Z-axis homing switch to be delivered (and make a bracket for it once it was here). Actually securing the wiring was a mix of Z-Plus drag chain and original drag chain brackets.
(Yes, serial #6 w/ its early XL upgrade and HDZ and inductive homing switches is something of a Frankenstein’s Monster)
Double check they included all hardware. Mine was missing some and didn’t realize till halfway through. Lost a weekend till they overnighted parts.
I got my HDZ installed today. The install went smoothly but took me longer than the estimated but because I did a lot of cleaning before proceeding.
I had a single comment about the 3.3.1 instructions that I downloaded and Will Adams had also sent. The configuration instructions should mention the bit setter. I had a bit setter and when answering the configuration questions either the bit setter was already checked or maybe I checked it. When the configuration was sent I initialized and that worked perfectly. Then the router came to the front and the dialog box with the loading of a tool came up. I put a tool in and then the router headed for the bit setter. Because the HDZ sticks out further than the stock Z assembly I could see that the bit would miss the bit setter. I just powered down the machine and repowered and resent the configuration without the bit setter. Then I got out the bit setter installation and followed the instructions and jogged to the bit setter and it set properly.
The instructions for 3.3.1 do not mention this and should include that if you have a bit setter you should not select it for the first configuration. Then when the homing works properly go back and select the bit setter in the configuration and follow the bit setter instructions to set the new location of the bit setter.
good to know… good thing you powered down quickly
I set up my fly cutter in the custom tool database. I flattened my spoilboard but had to do it twice. The first time I had about a 1/8 inch left on the left side of the spoilboard. I made the Myer Spoilboard and removed the fences. I also realized on the first go round that my dust collector would hit the bit setter. I quickly loosened the set screws and removed the bit setter. I had marked the position with a silver magic marker so it went back on quickly. Now my spoil board is smooth and flat. The first pass was a corner zero problem because of the 1 inch fly cutter it was hard to judge the exact corner. I was able to use the touch probe for Z and took off 0.010. This spoilboard had been flattened a few times and this is likely the last pass. The other issue is the spoil board is getting close to the height of the front steel support and I dont want to hit it with my cutter.
I had used my 123 set up blocks to tram the router yesterday and the flattening did not have a ripple any where on the spoil board. Very happy with the HDZ upgrade so far.
If you have a dust boot that sticks out too far be aware it may collide with the bit setter during flattening.
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.