RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Help with digitizing probe

Just an untried thought at present in the quest for cheap toys.
If you chuck one of those rubber/plastic drive alignment UJ bushes we use to
connect stepper motors, with a probe hanging out the end.
The bush allow a little movement, and insulated the probe from the machine.
You can then hang a wire on it and take that to the probe input. Touch the
surface and it's grounded, a digital point. Of course your sample object
must also be metal. It seems these bushes will take quite a knock and come
back fairly true, it might not have microns of accuracy, but would certainly
be cheap for learning.
Regs Mark


_____

From: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of KM6VV
Sent: 26 September 2006 00:47
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Help with digitizing probe



Hi Jack, Craig,

Fred Smith has a digitizer probe on his IMService website.

I made my own, a disk that rests on three screw points, and is upset by
the tip of the probe. Upsetting the PCB disk interrupts a series
circuit with one or more of the screw point contacts. Small ball
bearings might make an even better digitizer probe.

MaxNC also has an inexpensive probe.

Alan KM6VV

Jack Coats wrote:

>I am quite interested too. The only one I have heard about that works
>is the pseudo-proprietary hardware/software of ShopBot.
>
>I would like to know of something more generic. It looks like Mach3
>had the ability, but could not find any real information in the docs
>about it.
>
>Anyone have a word of knowledge for us on this topic?
>
>Quoting km4rp <km4rp@yahoo. <mailto:km4rp%40yahoo.com> com>:
>
>
>
>>Hey guys, need a little guidance here. I've recently purchased a small
>>CNC router with steppers. I'm wanting to reproduce some old carvings
>>that are about 10"x14"x1/2". I would like to purchase a digitizing
>>probe and was wondering about where I could find them. Any guidance on
>>software would be appreciated also. I've got a copy of Mach3 right now
>>and it looks like it will work just fine ?? Any help on the probe,
>>mounting, ect. would be appreciated.
>>
>>Happy cutting,
>>
>>Craig
>>
>>

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