homing switches

[wood doctor 12]

Shark hit a home run with their homing switches. I have an HD3 with an HD5 controller, so I had to retrofit my Shark to add the homing switches. That was easy to do with two magnets and some alien tape. (The HD5 controller is already set up to use homing switches.) As you start doing longer and bigger toolpaths, the homing switches are very convenient. I found that the homing process is accurate to 0.001 inches on repeat homing. That is really pretty good.

I also bought the new 3 HP spindle, which requires some simple modification to work right on the HD3 chassis, and a new steel clamping plate, and added cable drag chains. It is like a whole new machine. I also made my enclosure a little larger to make it easier to retrofit all of this. The spindle has a lot more power, runs well at lower RPMs, and is so quiet. It is unbelievable.

Nice job on these updates (the homing switches and the spindle.) Congratulations to NWA and all those involved. The machine I have now has really come a long way from the machine I bought in 2015.

Wood Doctor 12

[markjonesranger]

After watching hundreds of videos on CNC machines and them going through the CNC startup process and going from one edge to the other ..................................................................................................
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. .............................. I figured there is a lot of time homing and watching the spindle come up to speed (I edited my post processor file to stop that) ......................

Home is where I start the machine or move it to. Simple and fast.

Now if I had a Automatic bit Changer homing would be a must. However I don't have that so homing is a not the best use of my itme unless one gets a lot of satisfaction watching the CNC move around... (it's fun at first) *GRIN!

I use dozens of jigs. Some use center some use corner. Some have 4 jigs on the same jig board and each one has it's own "Home" position that I can set in seconds.

Now if one is in the habit of crashing their CNC into the rails...well I can see where limits can help. However after the first time or two of me using my CNC it occurred to me not to do that as I loose my home position coordinates. This also happens when a bit gets snagged, or a vac hose get's in the way...(I removed mine and use a enclosure) or a broken bit from time to time.

The 6.0 version of the pendant gives us a home setting in the front left by testing for the end of the run in 2 directions and then off setting that by a hair so it won't hit those hard stops that cause the cnc to loose it's coordinates. (I really haven't used this as I can always determine my startup/home position at will)

I enjoy my Shark HD510. It would be nice to have a ATC Automatic Tool Changer. Yet the Shark works very well as it is.

[tonydude]

Wood doctor 12, I sent you a private message about the homing switches.

Tony