Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Questions/answers/discussion about initial setup of your CNC Shark

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wipiid
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Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:35 am

Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by wipiid »

Is it possible to set or save a permanent home x,y position?
I like to work from corners and would like to be able to place jigs/fences then register my parts against the fence instead of random space. is there a way to have the shark save a home point to recall later?

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Kayvon
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by Kayvon »

Sadly, no. You'd need to install your own limit switch system to get precise repeatability in placement each time.

The closest I've gotten is turning off the machine, not moving it, then turning it on the next day. It winds up in the same position, but it's possible to gain/lose a step on the motors when starting up. This is fine for some applications, like making wood signs. It's not precise enough for others, like precision aluminum milling (Hi, Rando!).

Rando
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by Rando »

LOL....Hi Kayvon! Fancy seeing you here :D

And for me, I just leave it on. I'm pretty sure the last time I intentionally turned it off was last summer. maybe July?
The computer reboots whenever Microsoft insists for an update, but as far as I know, I don't ever lose steps.

When I do turn it off, the Z-axis used to slowly drift down (it doesn't now), and I'd "park" the head on a block of foam
with most of the weight just counterbalanced.

But yeah, other than that, if it's off it might move :(

Regards,

Rando
=====================================================
ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

wipiid
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by wipiid »

I have found that even there is no permanent “home” there is an x,y zero app that will home to the lower left corner from within 3-4”. You can then set an offset to get to your corner.

Edit: this is on the HD520 extended

markjonesranger
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by markjonesranger »

I use all kinds of jigs. I secure the jig and it has a xy point on it. It's designed to be parallel with the gantry but other than that it can go anywhere on the table. I use the corner sometimes and the center sometimes depending on the jig. I really like using the center point most of the time as it centers what I am cutting in the middle of the board allowing me to put hold down screws in the waste part of the boards.

My spoil board is used and I like the clean cuts by using it. When I keep using the lower left corners after a while the hold down screws will get sloppy so I move it over a few inches and don't have that problem anymore.

When the spoil board gets to cut up I just surface it and if I get down to the first MDF board with the nylon bolts and nuts in it I then glue on a new piece of MDF. Also use a replaceable quarter inch piece of plywood as a replaceable spoil board as well. I just tack it down with pin nails.(they are soft and I have not noticed them dulling the carbide bits when hit.)

Barksport
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by Barksport »

I have used an L bracket mounted to the corner with a Zeroing .25 hole. I usually use a .25EM on most jobs so I quickly run it to the hole, and bingo...Zero X&Y.

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Rut Row
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by Rut Row »

I've noticed that "home" will fluctuate by as much as 1/4" between resets.

Rando
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by Rando »

For repeatability, I often use fixtures to mount the stock on. The fixture then goes into the machining vise, located via a workstop
on the vise.

When I machine the fixture, I will include an L-shaped cutout with the "inside" edges located at X-0.1 and Y+0.1, like on these:
20210911_142040.jpg
Then, I use either an electronic edge-finder, or a "wiggler" type to accurately locate those inside edges. Since the barrel of both
kinds of those edge finders is 0.200", when the X and Y edges are indicated, the system is then at X0 and Y0.
20210911_142206.jpg
Doing that means I can load and reload the part and fixture with accuracy easily within 0.001", and even if for some reason I
lose X0Y0, it's a simple and quick process to re-get those.

Just remember when cutting the L-shaped pocket, to leave enough room to get the edge-finder down in the hole before it's in
contact with the edge. I typically make the arms 0.40" wide. Be sure to use a light finishing pass on the L-shaped hole, too, so
that it's got as near-perfect edge placement as possible, 'cause Sharks are not rigid ;)

Rando
=====================================================
ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

markjonesranger
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Re: Setting/Saving permanent home x,y?

Post by markjonesranger »

When looking at the home app on the pendant it says "sensor". My 510 doesn't have sensors on it. So I have not used the app before.

It says to get it with in 4" of the lower left corner in both x and y and let it do it's thing. Is it the hard stops it is sensing to come up with xyzero "home" ?

I need to try this out just for my curious monkey mind.

I really like "home" is where I set it. But the app home has me curious. What say you?

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