Workflow for pro (bitsetter, no bitZero)

Unfortunately, the tutorial video hello world has you disable the bitsetter. So i:

  1. re-ran setup new machine to set and enable sitsetter.
  2. connect to cutter
  3. initalize machine (it homed back right, then positioned front 3/4ths to the right.
  4. Then I go to jog, found the x,y, and Z of my coaster stock.
  5. Click on set zero. on the set zero screen click zero all. it went to bitsetter and back to my set x/y
  6. click done.
  7. go to run, load new file. dont save g-code to file, but just click done.
  8. start job???

Yes, see:

ok, but i’m done that. i’m on my first cut. coaster. but you said workflow was good. crossfingers. running job now.

ok. that did not go well. So you don’t turn on your router before you hit start. It come over for a tool change. i just killed the power because i thought it was going for the bitsetter.
Starting all over again.

after i reconnected to machine. do i need to reset zero every time. or is it still set. Can i just load file and run?

Zero as set should be persistent — I always verify it to be sure, there are Rapid Position commands specifically for this.

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Yay!!! i cut something… how exciting… same question though. i’m pretty sure the answer is that zero is saved. but want to make sure.

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Once you set X Y and Z zero it stays persistent over power cycles. The only caveat is when you power on and initialize you can get thousands of an inch difference between power cycles because the proximity switches (homing switches) can trigger sooner or later on each initialization. The proximity switches are pretty consistent but then can vary ever so slightly. On the SO3/4 if you turn off your BitSetter you need to power down and power up and go through initialization. Turning off your BitSetter does something to the internal coordinates of your CM/Controller. I have been told on on the SO5 you do not have to re initialize but I dont have an SO5 to confirm that.

It has been said here on the forum that some people rarely or never change their X and Y origin position. Those people usually have some of fence that they use to set their material in the same place over and over.

For me I 90% of the time use the center of the material so that persistent X and Y does not necessarily work for me because I dont run the same thing over and over. Another thing I do is use bottom of material in job setup for most of my jobs and all of them that will cut through the project. This saves my spoilboard and I dont need to surface and/or replace my spoilboard.

Honestly after having to set zero 4 times, i’m liking the fence idea. Guy, what do you mean that you use the bottom of material in job setup to save spoilboard. I was pretty confused about the z axis. I set the material height in the job setting. I set the z zero to the be the top of my work surface then it asked me to change the endmill. this seems very odd, because i just zeroed my Z and now i’m changing it??? then it used the bitsetter, so in the end i figured it just ignored my z axis when i set zero.

You always accurately set your material height. In CC you can set up in job setup top of material or bottom of material. By using bottom of material the Shapeoko will stop cutting at the level of the spoilboard. A lot of people use top of material by default and sometimes you wind up cutting through the material and into the spoilboard.

You can use either the top or bottom in job setup. I just prefer to use bottom and not cut through my spoilboard. Plus if you are setting up your material in the same X and Y you dont need to set Z zero. You do have to accurately set your material thickness in CC but you need to do that no matter which Z origin you select top or bottom.

One precaution about using rapid positions using bottom of material as Z origin. In jog rapid positions you can move to the X and Y position. You can also move to the Z +6MM. If you are over the spoilboard that works but if you are over your material the bit will crash into your material and possible mark it up. So if you use bottom of material and use jog rapid position of Z+6mm be sure you are over the spoilboard and not your material.

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