Prompt for Bit Zero clip attachment in Carbide Motion

Prompt in Carbide Motion to attach crocodile to help prevent damage to bits, bit-zero and Shapeoko. Much in the same way as Carbide motion prompts for bit changes and spindle on/ off etc. As a relative newbie this has happened a couple of times and its really bad. but newbie or not I can see that this could easily happen at anytime to anyone as all it takes is a momentary loss of concentration. It seems like an omission (speaking as a programmer) not to have a prompt especially when not attaching the clip has such a dramatic and potentially costly effect.

What is that?

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I meant crocodile clip!

Get rid of it and replace it with a magnet. Search the forum. There are numerous ways to do that.

As far as prompting? That’s why you are there.

PS. A crocodile clip is something similar, but that is called an alligator clip. Just like the animals.

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Actually they are the same thing.

I’m old … I know these things. :smiley:

PS. Just in case someone wants to know the difference between an “alligator clip” and a “crocodile clip”.

And in my opinion, the crocodile clip would have been a better choice for the bitzero tool.

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I modified my Bit Zero (Touch Probe) from 3 wire to 4 wire conductor. Since the ground wire is short and near the Bit Zero, it always reminds me to clip it to the bit.

You can do the same by tie strapping the ground clip wire to the Bit Zero wire so that it is always together and will remind you to clip the ground wire to the bit.

With the Bit Zero and ground wire separate wires, the ground wire gets left behind and forgotten and thats when the Oh $hit happens.

Here’s the link to the mod I did. After doing this I never forgot to clip the ground wire to the bit.

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https://community.carbide3d.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/a/fac8dbeea130f6a4b835d70d53e80105e83401bb.jpeg

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Whilst you’re waiting for a fix or modifying your probe…

I also repeatedly forgot so I printed Dymo labels saying “Probe Z” and put them on the carrier for my dust shoe so just as I go to put the dust shoe back and start cutting I get the reminder to re-probe Z. It’s low tech but it’s a quick patch whilst you sort something better out.

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Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions I will certainly be looking at the probe mod. I still think that a prompt would not hurt and would benefit new users like myself. I get it, no-one likes to be nannied and some may like to feel so confident that they would never ever loose concentration even for a second, but my understanding of machines like the Shapeoko is that they are meant to be “accessible” to all human users not just the gifted.

I saw that this has been requested here before, but failed to get traction. In that thread there was a suggestion to set a prompt as an option in the settings so you could choose to be reminded or not. As a programmer I know how easy this is to do and it would certainly help new users like myself and prevent potential damage.

Mark, I’m sympathetic with what you are saying, but the “gifted” can sometimes mean those “humans” with all their body parts intact. One might exchange the word “gifted” with experienced. :smiley:

No, I’m comfortable with what I said, but thanks.

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I’ve found my bit zero to be inaccurate. Frustrating to probe twice and have two substantially different zero values. So I use a piece of paper and do it by hand…and that’s fine.

However, when I did use it, I got into the habit of touching the probe to the bit to make sure the light would come on before probing. I didn’t do this to make sure I put the clip on, rather because I was finding that certain types of bits - or bits with even just a little bit of pitch on them, were not making connection on probe and plunging into it. So I got into the habit of touching the probe to the bit just to make sure the connection was good. Once you’re doing that, and taking nothing for granted…you don’t forget to hook the aligator clamp!

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Please let us know about your BitZero difficulties at support@carbide3dcom — it should be dead on or just about.

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