Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

I'm just getting around to getting the Tormach quick change tooling on my mill and want to setup tool offsets. I bought a KP-3 probe but haven't used it yet, but while reading through the documentation it occurs to me that it might make sense to make the probe itself the master tool. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if that was the master tool, couldn't I just go through a Z axis only probe cycle to find where I want my Z to be and then all of my other tools are automatically offset?

Am I missing something? Is there documentation that describes how to set this up?

Thanks,
Matt

Indeed, if you execute the "Zref" move using your probe, it does what you say. By default, the probe is tool #10. Setup is covered by the Acorn wizard. If you have a knee mill, the Zref needs to be reacquired each time you raise or lower the table. And if your tool setting reference surface is not in a fixed place, you also need to do so each time you move it.

I take it you've read the KP-3 manual https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_di ... _probe.pdf

But I'd recommend using Swissi's probe app anyway. The documentation is excellent and the functions cover everything you need. https://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=6149

You can do that but you I don't understand what you mean about all your other tools being automatically offset. What you are describing will work if you have already set up all the offsets in the tool table. A master tool (at least how I use it) is used when setting up the tool table. I use a 1/2" drill bit as a master tool on a fixed reference surface. The 1'2" drill bit is never used for cutting so it's height never changes. After that I set up all other tools against the fixed reference (including the probe) to fill out the tool table.

After that you can use the probe to find Z height of the work piece. All tools are then correctly referenced to the correct Z height based on the probe.

Technically you could use the probe as the master tool but I don't think it's a good idea. The idea of a master tool is that it never changes so you can use it indefinitely. If you drop the probe or crash the probe it's length is no longer guaranteed to be accurate. If you bring in a new tool it will be off relative to the other tools by the amount that the probe is made inaccurate by an incident.

If you want to save time setting up tools get one of these. It's very accurate and easy to use.