Manual tool change info

[ken_rychlik]

Ok guys, I am getting some trust for this program and want to get a maual tool change to happen.

I put tool 11 for outline and rout/dado. .25 MC bit

I entered tool 12 for drilling (down spiral .25)

Both of these are the same diameter, but different purposes.

I ran the file with shopbots MTC file and it never stopped or ask me which bit I had in there.

Do ya'll think I have the tooling set up wrong, or is it time to try the MTC file that was sent to me?

Thanks

Kenneth

[dlcw]

Set all your router/spindle tool numbers starting at 11. Your drill is going to start at tool number 31.

Don

[ken_rychlik]

I checked with scott at thermwood and based on what I sent him it is calling for a tool change, but the MTC file is not working.

I tried Ryans advice from shopbot and now it won't even function at all, much less do a tool change.

Gary, what do you charge to fix this mess? I have a pile of plywood to cut and a dead machine.

[ken_rychlik]

Oh and Don, I don't have a drill. Just trying to change bits in the router. Are you saying I have to call the drill bit 31 even if it's in the router?

Kenneth

[ken_rychlik]

Dove through the spoil board now.

I think Zeroing to the bed will give better parts, but Ryan has the bot files with the link zeroing to the top of the material.

I found this out the hard way.

Is everyone zeroing to the top of the material?

Kenneth

[thewoodcrafter]

I am setup to zero to the bed.

The Link generates a variable called &offset that is your corrected material thickness and offsets your zero higher by that amount.

Your files need to be setup so this works correctly or you will be cutting air.

Don't know about zeroing after changing the tool.

I had a heck of a time getting this to work right last April when the Link was released in Beta. Found out the offset command in the control software was not working.

Anyway, is Ryan the only one at ShopBot familiar with setting up the Link?

[ken_rychlik]

I was cutting the opposite of air. lol

They always pass the phone to him when its a link question or issue.

[dlcw]

I don't use the MTC file that came with the control machine. I use one I got from Gary Campbell and modified to work with my machine. I I have not had problems with my tool change file.

As far as zeroing goes, I first zero to the table top prior to launching the SBLink cutting file. With the first call to a tool change, all zeroing is done to the material surface from that point on. My MTC file takes into account the material thickness when rezeroing to the top of the material. I have no idea if the Shopbot supplied MTC file takes this into account or not.

The downside to having to do tool changes (I'm stuck with it for now) is that when you zero from the material surface, you can throw off cut depths because where you zero, the material might be thinner or thicker then the material thickness you entered into eCabs to create the TWD file. I've tried to limit my tool changes by how I build my cabinets in eCab. This has helped my cutting accuracy and dado fits tremendously.

Don
www.dlwoodworks.com (http://www.dlwoodworks.com)

[dlcw]

Kenneth,

In regards to tool numbers, since you don't have a drill you don't need to start your drill numbers with 31. This was for an air drill setup.

Just make sure that when you create your "drill" bit tool you choose the appropriate checkboxes to mark it as a drill bit and not a router bit. This will make sure the SBLink treats it as a drill and not a router/dado bit.

When SBLink calculates its tool paths it will go through your list of tools (tagged properly) and find the smallest one that will complete the job. That's why it's important to have your largest tools listed first and subsequently smaller tools further down the list.

Don

[ken_rychlik]

Thanks guys. I was thinking that zeroing to the top of the material would defeat the purpose of acurate parts.

I guess its back to garys files and stay away from bit chages for now.

Ryan actually did get me running on his 'bot files, but I know my parts will come out better if I zero to the bed. Live and learn.

Kenneth

[Gary Campbell]

Kenneth...
One problem at a time. First the tooling.

Setup a group using your materials and set tool #11 as the ouline tool and enter your parameters
Under operation 1 set tool #12 as drill only set diameter and plunge speed
Under operation 2 set the .25 MC bit to rout and dado... not drill.

That will fix that part. The lack of asking for a tool change was most likely due to the way you set it up, not a software problem. There is not a great deal of printed material concerning this, and since all machines seem to react slightly differently, its hard for me to come up with a rule of thumb.

As far as zero to bed or material... I prefer the bed as it seems to yield much better parts, especially when using mortise & tenon joinery. I am not sure why the OEM versions do this. There is, of course, a consession made if you change bits manually. I have a location to do this that is over a divider in my plenum where I zero the bit to the bed and rezero a manually changed bit. I have also mic'd and remic'd plywood enough that I know what value to place in the eCabs file or TWD to ensure accurate parts. But it didnt come really good and consistant in the first hundred sheets.

I am probably between 4 and 5 hundred sheets cut with the link now and have another hundred in front of the machine to be cut in the next week or so. Most anyone that has cut for a while, especially the beta testers, will tell you this is not a 1 hour learning curve.

I have sent you files that work. I have not tried the latest from SB, but I can say that cutting a 10 or 20 sheet file with 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 material that are not in any particular order will reduce expensive materials to kindling if you do manual changes that are zeroed to the top of the material. But, I could be wrong. So, if there is someone out there using the OEM files, changing bits or swapping axes AND zeroing to the material while cutting different material thickness' please chime in and tell us how they work.
Gary

[loriny]

When zeroing to the table, there is no need to rezero after switching to a different material? I currently zero to the top but do no tool changes but occasionally get a bit of inaccuracy on dadoes.
Lorin

[Gary Campbell]

Lorin....
There are many ways to approach the zeroing for Link files. You can set up to zero to the bed, and then run muliple sheets in 1 session of varying thickness'. The SB Link outputs a variable equal to the material thickness and the software adjusts the height accordingly. These adjustments are taken care of behind the scenes by either the SB MTC files or my toolchanger files, whichever you are using.

As long as I dont shut down the machine, there is no need to rezero for any material unless you change a bit or shut down SB3.
Gary

[ken_rychlik]

Thermwood says to zero to the bed. Shopbot makes it zero to the top of material now. The wires are crossed somewhere.

Lorin, I am sending you some basic files that I had working when I zeroed to the bed and did not do a bit change. (thanks Gary)

Kenneth

[thewoodcrafter]

Kenneth,

How did things work out?

Did you get your machine working right?

[ken_rychlik]

I think I am going to sell the link.

[thewoodcrafter]

That's not funny.

Things can't be that bad.

[bill_lumley]

Ken , hang in there . We all get frustrated with software and machines at times but when you get it working you will find you have a new machine . I can't imagine going back to making cabinets without it now even though I get frustrated too . My big beef is E-Cabinets speed and Thermwood told me today they are working on that . There are solutions a lot more expensive out there that are not as good as the Link and E-Cabinets!

Bill