Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

I'm looking for suggestions on a low profile tool setter (under 3"), does anyone have a good one they can recommend? I've looked at the TT-4, it's a bit pricey and is pretty tall for my limited z height. I could probably measure most all my milling cutters with it, but most drillbits would be pushing the limits.

I've got one of these generic Chinesium ones https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000480 ... ruiU9sWp9V

They are not all the same, some are doubtless worse than others and I forget where I got mine but it's been fine, with repeatability that is better than the machine itself. If you want to scare yourself, Marty took one apart on Youtube. But like a lot of stuff, you are simply best not to look too closely.

I managed to win a Renishaw TSR-27 recently for about $200 which is a better quality part obviously but you need luck and patience to get a good one.

I am using a swiss made Z-Finder:

https://www.sorotec.de/shop/-Z-Finder-i ... -6863.html

Uwe

If the size of the contact area isn't an issue, Metrol makes a few that I am currently looking at for a build.

https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/sh ... 11ddb-duld

This one from automation direct is very small and works very good. i use it on my mill

1 inch tall, .75 inch wide, 1.25inch long

claims 0.0005mm repeatability

rk9268vc wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 2:32 pm https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/sh ... 11ddb-duld

This one from automation direct is very small and works very good. i use it on my mill

1 inch tall, .75 inch wide, 1.25inch long

claims 0.0005mm repeatability

Yes this is one of the Metrol that I like.

That Metrol one is a perfect size. I've never used a tool setter before, does the touch off pad need to be larger than your tool? 5mm sounds really small, if I measure a 3/8" or 1/2" end mill with it will I get accurate results? Or is it only a matter of visually aligning the tool cutter edge to the tool measurement pad and hoping all the cutting edges are the same height?

I've also only considered mechanical tool setters up until this point, is inductive vs mechanical purely a matter of preference? I'm leary about random Chinese ones, they're cheap enough to gamble with though worst case.

I prefer inductive, because there is no shift on the triggerpoint. Size do not matter, you touch off mills on the tip from one tooth.

Uwe