Inexpensive touch probe option for 2d on a router??

[slodat]

I’m wondering if there’s an inexpensive touch probe option for use in my CNC router. I create templates of a shape (a car door panel in this case) and an having a heck of a time getting them drawn accurately. I was thinking a touch probe on my Acorn equipped CNC router might be the way to go. I would of course be upgrading from Pro to digitizing.

Any ideas?

[slodat]

This is the probe I'm considering.

What I'm wanting is 2d (x & y). The piece I would be digitizing is of uniform thickness. Is this something I can do with the CNC12 digitizing bundle and a probe like the one I linked?

[slodat]

After reading the digitizing section of the CNC11 manual, a few times, it looks like I would use the "Wall" routine to digitize a flat two dimensional part. I'm working with something that's about 45" on X and 18" on Y. I'd like some assurance this will work before I commit over $500... anyone have any input on this?

Thank you!

[martyscncgarage]

After reading the digitizing section of the CNC11 manual, a few times, it looks like I would use the "Wall" routine to digitize a flat two dimensional part. I'm working with something that's about 45" on X and 18" on Y. I'd like some assurance this will work before I commit over $500... anyone have any input on this?

Thank you!

You might get it to work. I don't think anyone is going to commit to spending your money.
You can buy the probe and use it with the basic probing routines and test it first before committing your money on the Digi bundle.

Let us know your progress. I would certainly wire it with probe detect circuit. Its a safety to let the control know you have a probe detected.

Good luck!
Marty

[AMHKnives]

You have a few options on good to awesome probes, tormach sells a relatively inexpensive wired probe as a good starting point, or if you have time to wait watch ebay for renishaw probes like an lp2 wired probe and make an adaptor for yor spindle, i believe i got mine on ebay for $150. If you really want to spend bucks watch for the optical probes ever once in a while you can find a smoking deal on one you just need a receiver for it too. Hope it helps.
Alan

[slodat]

Thank you for the responses Alan and Marty.

I'm only wanting to know if I can do what I'm wanting.. use a touch probe to get the outline of a 4' x 1.5' piece for importing into my CAD software (Aspire). It looks like it will do what I want.. maybe one of the Centroid guys will see this and offer some info.

[cnc_smith]

Based on what you are describing - car door panel - you would use the grid digitizing. The wall following for doing a wall - side of part- like the red dots are showing on the Wall Following view. Grid you define a rectangular bounder then it will move X and Y direction and moving Z up and down as needed to get the Z surface. The Mustang and Eagle were done using the grid digitizing. Then when the digitizing is down in the Grid Digitizing screen there is a F6 Dig To CAD key that will convert the digitized file for CAD systems to read the file.

[slodat]

This is a template with the outside shape of the panel. All I want is the X and Y. No Z.

[cnc_smith]

Then the wall following is what you want. It will do a single pass.

[slodat]

Thank you for the info!