Setting xy origin with machine home

Is there a way of using the machine home as the xy origin?

I made a corner bracket for my machine and moved my limit switches so that home is at the bottom corner of the bracket.

I’d like this point to be my xy origin more often than not.

The problem I have is that when I walk through the carving steps I use the probe so that the xcarve knows the length of the bit, but to do that I normally need to move the machine a bit away from the origin so that I have enough room for the touch pad.

After that I’m asked to set the xy origin, but because I can’t home the machine again and the limit switches aren’t active during this process I can’t get back to that exact point every time.

This isn’t a stop-my-work issue, but it would be really cool if in addition to being able to use the “last xy origin” I could move the machine to xy home and use that instead.

All of that said, I’m super new to the xcarve and milling in general, so if this isn’t a good idea or if there’s a better way of doing it please let me know.

Thanks!!

You know, as I typed this out I was thinking through what I could do and I realized that I can make sure the limit switches are set so that when the machine is homed there is enough room for my touch plate to fit into the corner under the bit and the bit is stopped towards the lower left of the touch plate, enough over the plate that it will def make solid electrical contact but not so far that I start losing a lot of cutting room on my sock.

I had a chance to test it out because easel stopped part of the way through a job :scream:. I had done the home -> probe -> don’t move -> set xy origin when I started the cut so I homed the machine and started the cut again.

The bit followed the same path, there was maybe a millimeter of the cut that was off but on this design that’s not an issue.

So, for now I should be good, but if there’s a different/better/more dependable way of doing this please let me know!

If you need to move the router so the bit can touch the material just count the steps and when you’re done setting the Z axis you can return the router to the same position. After you set the Z you can move the router where ever you want and then set the home position. Then if you change bits or use different material then just use last home position.

1 Like

Why not carve the “dogbone” in your corner jig to fit your probe block?

3 Likes

I always move my spindle away from the corner, so I’m not touching just the edge of the probe block. I set the step distance to 10mm, jog once to the right and once up. Then I do my probe and before I press the set x,y I move it back. Once left and once down.
I like your idea of setting home at my work zero, I have always used G28.

Thanks for all of the replies, def some good info and ideas here.

I hadn’t thought about counting steps after homing. I’m used to seeing the distance from home on the laser cutter at my local maker shop, but I didn’t think of doing the same by adding up measured steps (puts that in the mental toolbox).

The idea of sinking the touch plate into the corner bracket is a good one and I’m definitely doing that, especially since I modeled that corner bracket so I can update the model with the actual diameter of the plate.

Thanks for the tips!!

Turns out I had a chance to test out the new alignment theory this morning. I was carving a piece and realized after switching to a different bit and different part of the design that my original cut didn’t actually go all of the way through to the sacrificial board.

So, I switched back to the original bit, re-homed the machine (I know I could use the “use last xy origin” setting, but I wanted to test out the home adjustment theory), walked through the wizard without moving the machine to measure the z axis, set the xy origin, and carved.

It’s off by a mm but it worked fine :slight_smile:

(I forgot to blow away the sound so mute before you watch)

probably a silly question but whats G28? I presume it’s some type of short cut to home the machine, Please explain. Thank you.

Its basically saved location based off of the home position, great for jigs like the corner fence… then x, y do not need zeroed, only the z would need to be set for each material thickness…

G30 is a second g28 sk that you can have 2 different saved locations