Homing and workflow

I did a lot of searching and reading but ams till a bit unsure, so here is the same question posted many times but asked a different way.

Xcarve 1000 with homing/limit switches and z probe; if I turn on the controller with the spindle in some random position and issue a $H command either in Easel machine control or UGS, will the machine home using the limit switches and not go crashing into the rails or doing something else unexpected?

I use a bump stop and hope to make my workflow like this.
Home using $H
go to workpiece zero (bump stop) using G28
Get Z height with probe
Carve

Any help or input is much appreciated.

Clay

What you describe is my exact work flow. It is easier to remember, if call the switches by their proper name, “Homing Switches”. These switches will not limit or stop the movement of the router except when using the Homing command.

Additionally, I use G30 to move the router out of the way, to allow ease of attaching material.

You only have to use the $H once, unless for some reason your usb connection disconnects. Then you have to use the home again.

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Thanks. So you set g28 to 0,0,0 of your bump stop and workpiece and G30 to 0,0 with z raised a bit?

Here is my process:

With machine off and usb unplugged, I slide gantry to its maximum position (slowly!! Steppers generate electricity when manually operated). I have stops installed slightly past what I have set in soft-limits. This ensures the y-axis is even, but this ONLY works if your machine is perfectly square and the stops are in the right place
Turn on and plug in machine, home
Jog to where work piece zero should be (eyeball method since I don’t need a high level of accuracy here)
Zero out workpiece x and y axis through UGS (G92 X0 Y0, I think)
Jog onto the material (so the probe block sits flat)
Zero out z-axis with probe
Jog to carving extents to make sure I’m still on my material
Carve

The first few steps are only used if I turned the machine off, or something happens to cause the position to be off.

@ClayCarson I actually set my g30 to raise the bit and move it to the back of my table, out of the way. I always keep the g28 set to my bump stop, but I quite often change the g30 depending on my needs.

I kinda wish there were a few more of these that you could use.

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Exactly what I do, too. Seems to be the easiest, and most efficient way to start a carve. I also use G30 to jog the spindle out of the way after finishing a job

This step is unnecessary. Work zero can be set using a G10 L20 P1 X0 Y0. Then it’s just home, set Z, carve. If you don’t need to set Z, just home and carve. I use G28 for a tool change location and G30 for a parking out of the way location.

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Thanks @PhilJohnson. I am not quite at that point yet. I am not even sure how to use a macro in Easel.

Ahh
That is my next step, UGS.

With the hassle I’m having right now, it may be sooner rather than later. For some reason, my X-stepper seems to be locked up.
I have tried shuting everything off and restarting, no joy. I have had a couple of bumps this morning, but it was working after that, now not at all. If I turn off the controller, the x-axis does move, smoothly, under manual power. When I power it back up, Y & Z both work, but not X.

I’m not sure how to add video, but here goes

I finally figured it out. I don’t know when or how, but the White and Red wires for the x-stepper were loose. I figured it out, when I realized that the x motor wasn’t locking and I could push it even while powered.

It actually looks like the white wire may have shorted and broke the insulation. The screw on the white terminal, also seemed to be very tight. Took it all apart, wrapped a little electrical tape around the white wire and tightened everything up. I am back up and running. One thing is for sure, its never boring.:roll_eyes:

"Work zero can be set using a G10 L20 P1 X0 Y0. "

And this is where I get confused. I assume the x0 and y0 should reflect the actual distance from home? So like Work zero can be set using a G10 L20 P1 X100 125.

G10 L20 P1 X0 Y0 will make your current location your work zero (X0Y0).
G10 L20 P1 X100 Y125 will make your current location your work X100 Y125.

Distance from home does not matter. You can set any arbitrary point as work zero. Home, jog to where you want zero to be, and send G10 L20 P1 X0 Y0

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