Changing router bits mid-job without an ATC

[Sword]

My router has ER25 Collet spindle and I use Swissi's ProbeApp which is configured exactly for this situation. His mfunc6 is setup to match this config along the lines of Shawn's 2nd paragraph above.

kb58,

A tool touch off , two is even better, is the cat's meow for router users. If you don't have at least one, again, two is better, tool touch offs on your router you are really missing out on it's advantages and wasting A LOT of your own valuable time running tool paths one at a time. No premeasuring of the tool or tool library setup is needed, it's all calculated automatically for you by the macro. Wait till you have a job with 5 different tool paths and you'll understand why it's just a necessity. Try it and you'll wonder how you ever operated a CNC router without it.

Another vote for Swissi's ProbeApp. Before that, I used a modified mfunc6.mac based off these, that performed basically the same way for multiple toolchanges.

[kb58]

Nigelo, ShawnM, and Sword, thank you very much for the input - I'll look into both tool touch-off units and the suggested routines.

[kb58]

I'm curious: what's the purpose of the second tool touch-off?

[ShawnM]

One is movable that you place on top of the stock or on the spoilboard, jog the router to it and run the z zero macro to set the initial z zero with the first tool in the router. Some users use the top of the material and some users use the top of the spoilboard. Your choice.

On the subsequent tool changes the router will move to a "tool change" position you set up, it's anywhere that it's easy to change the bit. Typically the front , center of your table. You change the bit and when you press cycle start the router moves to the second, fixed tool touch off, and measures the second tool and adds or subtracts the offset from the first tool. This sets the new tool at the same z zero height and it goes back to cutting.

This is what I call "semi-automatic" tool changes. You can accomplish the same thing with just a movable tool touch off it just takes longer and there are more steps for the user. it's not as "automatic".

[kb58]

Ah, okay, thank you for the explanation. This reminds me of that cartoon about "This isn't a cheap hobby, boy!" Yeah...

[ShawnM]

To do this on the "cheap" could cost less than $80.

[kb58]

... How are you setting Z zero now? Please don't say you are using the paper method.

I sent off an email to swissi regarding his app, and will wait until he answers to decide on what type of tool touch unit(s) I should use. Seems like if I go with the two-unit solution, the movable one could be a cheap fixed height unit, while the permanent one off to the side should probably be a higher quality unit that has a bit of "give" in the sensor plate.

[ShawnM]

Both of mine are optical sensors that are spring loaded with an LED for a visual indication. They are identical units and very low profile. I wont use the simple conductive plates (which work just fine) because I cant stand the thought of driving my $70 router bit into a solid piece of aluminum at any speed. Especially my O flute bits with a nice sharp point.

There are a lot of options out there to choose from and you can spend a little or a lot or just somewhere in between. I bought mine years ago and spent about $175 for both units if I remember correctly.

[suntravel]

I am using a Z-Finder:

https://www.sorotec.de/shop/-Z-Finder-i ... -6863.html

With the base it could be used in a fixed location and on the part as needed.

Uwe

[kb58]

I'm looking through the Acorn User Manual and haven't found if I should get a NPN or PNP type touch device (I want one that has a touch surface with some give). For a mechanical switch I'd go with normally-closed, but with solid state sensor it's less clear. An NPN transistor pulls low when activated, but what "activated" means isn't clear. It could be when something is present, or when it isn't. An PNP transistor would typically pull the output high, but there's the same issue with what "activated" means, but it's (probably) the solid state equivalent of "normally closed." Regardless, which type works better with the Acorn board?