Thanks - this is what I was looking for
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I would love one of these. But the custom and import duty is massive in the UK. I had to pay £105 to get my HDZ into the UK. Is there no way of setting up something in the UK to help us guys over here?
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got mine, installation was a breeze, super simple… the instructions are good but barely needed.
works like a charm in my workflow (mostly using carbide create / carbide motion)…
… totally worth it!
I often used smaller endmills for area clearance since the lack of accuracy of resetting Z manually gave visual marks on the work and I need the smaller mills for the details around letters/graphics. Did a test sign yesterday with a larger mill for the area clearing and a small mill for the details… and the accuracy of the “auto Z” did not leave any visual marks… this thing is going to give me a lot of time savings!
I suspect I’ll end up being more comfortable making more complicated work pieces as well with this. Especially for 3D stuff where after roughing there might not be a convenient surface left for setting Z this will make a difference.
I was wondering about dust boots, but I can leave mine on no problem (I don’t use suckit but something simpler) even during probing.
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Set up mine yesterday as well, along with the touch probe. I’m not sure why I waited so long on the touch probe. The combination of the two so far has been great for me, and I, like others, can’t believe how nice the bottom of my pockets now look!
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Hi
Installed my Bitsetter and ready to try it out. I am using the latest version of Vcarve to generate my files. What post processor should I use to be able to output all the toolpaths in one file?
Please see:
What is the difference between Grbl_mm_TC.pp and Shapeoko_mm_TC.pp and which one should we be using? I’m assuming it is the Shapeoko one but the other day I was told to download the Grbl one. I see that these are updated so is the Shapeoko mm TC.pp good to use now?
Thanks in advance,
Jim
Not much. The Grbl one adds an M5 at the end.
Doesn’t matter. I don’t know why there is a separate Shapeoko one, but I figured most of you guys used it so I modified it.
That was the first one I modified for testing. I was losing track of versions…that’s why they’re on GitHub now.
JUST updated a few details to keep them in line.
Yes…please provide feedback. I’m just a guy that likes when things work better.
You got it.
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Thank you neilferreri, I suppose I don’t need the command to turn off the spindle so I guess I’ll go with the Shapeoko version… thanks again for the explanations.
@neilferreri - So does this now work with “manual” routers? By that I mean, when bit 1 is finished it stops and asks for bit 2. Change the bit and it moves to bitsetter, finishes with bit setter and then pauses to allow me to turn router back on. I know at one point it would move to bitsetter and immediately return to cutting so one had to be there with hand on the switch to turn it on as soon as it finished bit the bitsetter.
I finally received my BitSetter today and installed it. It seems to work, I will now have to start a project for a real test.
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@neilferreri - Neil, does it matter whether I use the inch version or the mm version? I thought I read somewhere that it didn’t matter, the the PP will make the appropriate calculations. I do most of my work in inches, though occasionally I use millimeters
Doesn’t really matter, but it makes sense to use what you’re used to.
It will use the appropriate dimensions, but that will affect your jogging as well.
I use mm for almost everything…If I switched to inches now, I’d have issues crashing when I thought I was jogging my Z down that last mm and end up driving it down 1 inch.
I got my bit setter installed and updated CC and CM. Sat down to use noticed right away added features. So the machine homed and moved to the front center and waited for a bit. After inserting the bit the router proceeded to touch off the bit setter. Since this was my first job I had turned on the router after zeroing z. I dived for the off switch realizing the router was heading to the bit setter. Luckily I got the router shut off and got a microscopic dimple in the button on bit setter. I do like the new workflow with the app asking you to start and shutdown the router.
I get the same; just set it up and was confused to see it move to front center after initialization instead of front right. I’m going to abort this operation/cycle power because I’m not sure if the next move is to jam the tool into some fixturing I have hanging off the front face (looking for a bit setter).
On another note, this is an impressively made piece of kit! (as the Brits like to say). If I can get it to go front right for the tool change, seems like it’ll be a great add on.
Hi Rob - can we get some feedback as to what’s going on w/ the front-center move (post init) vs the front-right that’s relayed in the instructions? thanks
the first front center move is for you to put the right tool in it
it then in 2nd step moves it to the bitsetter to measure
ah… okay, I moved my fixturing to try it out. For anyone wondering, I think the instructions just haven’t followed the latest programming.
So, as someone else reported, after init, the router will move to front-center for the tool change. Then it’ll keep the same Z and move to the bit-setter for the tool length sensing. Would definitely prefer a selectable tool-change zone, because I often have fixturing on the front side of the machine. Fixturing might be anywhere, so would like to be able to select the zone for tool changing.
PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS until there is a TRUE FIX TO THE SOFTWARE. Going to the center is fine, if you use the outer 6 rapid spots with HDZ and ears, you crash… Going to front, then to the bitsetter is fine!!!
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