Zeroing automatically...

[lrheimpel]

I saw this video in Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENoIdEcxeFc&feature=related showing how to automatically zero X, Y and Z and thought it was just for me as I have the same type "L" table and need to set the zero on XY right on the corner.

Is the sbp file for this type of test available anywhere?

I looked though the Zzero.sbp program and I can probably modify it to do the work on all 3 axes but it would take me a few days of trial and error. Figured it was worth asking first !

[jerry_stanek]

I have this unit it works very well for me

http://www.k4mg.com/Hobbies/CNC/xyz.htm

[lrheimpel]

Jerry, your jig seems awesome! I am making myself one first thing tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the info. Your website is great, I liked the story of the arrival of your shopbot. I took pictures when mine arrived about 3 weeks ago but have not done anything with them.

[knight_toolworks]

I used to use one but most of the time my jigs don't move and if I do I use a laser. If I use a jig I like the machine locate it when I make it. I only reuse one and that uses dowels to get it back in place.

[jerry_stanek]

Thank you for the compliment but I can not take credit for it. It was posted by Barry Rimmer here. I just tried his design and liked it. I ended up making 2 one is routed out deeper so it wouldn't work on laminate as well as the other. They both are a great time saver.

[jim_ludi]

I use the Morris Dovey 'Super-Zero Fixture' and have been very happy with how it functions. The fixture locates X, Y and Z positions. Morris, a long time ShopBotter, provides software routines to zero in a number of different ways - different corners, center find, etc., so it's pretty versatile and accurate. It also has 'fences' that can be moved or removed for different zeroing needs.

A big advantage, for me, with Morris's fixture, is the center finder function. The fixture ships with a precision milled hole, in the aluminum block, that allows the installation of a plexiglas reticule so an exact position -well, at least as exact as I can see - can be pinpointed and zeroed to anywhere on the table.

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/SuperZero/ReadMe.html

[lrheimpel]

Thank you Jim Ludi for the info on the Morris jig. I filed the link for reference.

Jerry, I stand corrected. Did see Barry Rimmer's name afterwards. Still, thank you for passing along the info and if Barry reads this, thanks to him for doing the work and helping us along.

I went out and got a 1in copper tubing end cap, a piece of wire and an aligator clip. Came back, manually set XY to 0,0 on my holding jig and machined a piece of MDF to fit in the corner of the jig, and hold the copper cap on the other side, tested it and it worked like a charm !!!!

Here are 3 pics of the jig.

http://flic.kr/p/8LZBcU
http://flic.kr/p/8LZBcU

http://flic.kr/p/8LWyyn
http://flic.kr/p/8LWyyn

http://flic.kr/p/8LZBbs
http://flic.kr/p/8LZBbs