Probe and copy function

[harryball]

Moving to this forum as it seems more approriate at the moment. RE: http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/31/14857.html?1157990048

I'm running the probe on a small chalk elephant, a little less than 2" x 3". I've set the resolution to .03 and expect about 3 hours to probe the surface. Previously I left it overnight and it took 12 hours, the file it created was not readable by any software and had more than 50,000 points.

I tried again and when I came back after about 45 minutes I observed the bot sitting over a single point going up and down.

zzzup,zzzdown,zzzup,zzzdown,zzzup,zzzdown... x,y was not moving at all, I observed on the computer the numbers were not changing. I just watched and after doing it about 5 minutes it suddenly moved on. The red light was turning on and off each time it touched, just the x,y would not move on. After a couple of minutes it started doing it again. I aborted the scan.

Ideas?

Robert

[bill.young]

Hey Robert,

How about sending Support at ShopBot (attn Bill Young) a copy of the "vt_probe.sbp" file that's in your "C:\program files\ShopBot\Virtual Tools\Copy Machine" folder. It's the custom probing file that's created by the Copy Machine and will let us check out your settings. Add any additional information that might help in figuring it out...what kind of probe you are using, if you were probing all the way down to the table or just probing the surface of the piece, if the input light in the software was just going on when the tip touched the surface or if it was flickering as it went up or down, that sort of stuff. The more info we have the easier it is to sort out.

Bill

[Ryan Patterson]

Robert,
I have found if it is probing at or close to Z zero and the surface has a gradual slant the probe will just sit there going up and down for quit a while then move on. I think adjusting the surface tolerance will stop the stall from happening or make sure Z zero is below the part being probed.
Ryan

[harryball]

Been out on a PAYING JOB today!!! The client is still impressed at how well I cut circles :-) LOL I left the paint drying and go finish up in the morning.

Anyway, I'll get that file sent and give Scott a call back tomorrow afternoon.

FYI... Zzero was above the board surface slightly. The stall I observed did not occur out in the open area but on the downhill side of a contour that was headed toward the table top.

Robert

[lpcsales]

Robert,
I've had my probe for maybe 2 weeks now and still have a lot to learn on it, but I had the 'same' problem you described on my first scan attempt. After trying various things/settings that did not help, while watching it doing it real close, I thought I saw a slight rotational movement/jerk one time. I placed my finger ever so lightly on the probe's body, just to see if I could feel in rotate, and it jumped right out of the up-down loop it was in and continued on. So...I tried a piece of masking tape on the router collet up to the body of the router to help keep it steady and..would you believe, it actually worked. It hasn't gone into the loop since.

You might try some tape or something (plumber putty?) and see if it helps on your system.

David

[propellers]

I put a wide rubber band on the collect then connect the other end on the Z frame to eliminate rotation of the stylus during probing, works perfect.

Lonnie Prince

[trakwebster]

I use masking tape, securing the probe housing and wrapping the tape onto the router housing in one direction, and then another strip, fastening it in the other direction. Quick, cheap, and easy.

[c_kling]

i have a prob that keeps brakeing the tip i need to get it working it hits the peace and keeps going can anyone help

[rob_jones]

search the posts for "probe problems" I think the last one like that was the wiring was wrong either at the connector, or at the control box board inputs. This is a picture of my setup which works fine. You should see the red light on the table, and the input 1 lit green in your red status box. The green input 1 light should go out when you deflect the probe tip with your finger. Refer to the manual for correctly wiring the connectors inside the control box.
5329

[myxpykalix]

Mine was wired incorrectly from SB and had the same problems you experienced and i called Scott and he corrected the problem. It was a connection in the harness wasn't right and he guided me thru it and got it right.