Baby steps, made my first tool change

Made my first tool change with an engrave tool path with a v-bit first and a cutout contour with a flat endmill second.


That is actually a pretty big step. Everything after that is just dialing in CAM settings. Means you have kinda mastered the hardware side. Congrats!


I haven’t even tried Changing bits during a job, I feel like I need a proper homing system in place first, as every time I touch the router to remove it, I end up jostling it. Would be be OK for cutting out a carving at the end, but I would be scared to do anything precise.


It’s definitely a little nerve racking every time I do it but the torque of the steppers seems to keep it in a consistent spot while removing the router to change the endmill out. The lowrider stays powered on while I make the tool change so it keeps the location of the previous origin zero point and I manually job back to that and re-home my z height but a touch plate once the new tool is in the collet.

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I read up on it, apparently Ryan is going to invent cnc router tool changes in the future. :slight_smile:

(Makita router, low rider 2)

Breaking the gcode into separate files, homing to a reference point, putting clamps on the rails, etc. I am sure they are valid ideas, but the makita router clamp is quite jarring at times, even with the motors engaged, it’s like pulling teeth. If I use a physical block of some sort and just run another gcode file, will the motors catch the same way every time I wonder? I am wary of clamping the rails as I seem to have a knack for imputing overreaching coordinates and jiggling the belts and cursing the 10 minute zip tie redo when the 3d printed bit goes flying. (Still waiting for 10 mm belts, redoing the belts at 6 mm is too fiddly for human hands, I have the 10mm idlers installed though.)


I’m running a Makita as well, maybe you could lessen the tension on the mount clamp slightly as it’s really not that difficult to engage/disengage mine.

Jamie beat me too it, he skips all the hard stuff and just does a router/tool change!


That’s hilarious, but effective. :slight_smile:

Perhaps so, didn’t realise that was possible, but yeah, there is a tiny bolt inside the clamp handle. Will have to give it a go, if not for tool changes, just changing the height when things go south.


That’s my favorite MPCNC video. :slight_smile:

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Holy crap. That’s impressive.

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