Making your own diy touch probe for cnc. Easy and accurate

Here is the next part in my DIY touch probe.
It went well ( better than most of my projects).
The pdf drawings are here: drive.google.c...
These are offered for free with no warranty or liability accepted.
You use these at your OWN RISK!!!
Commercial use is strictly prohibited contact me for licensing.
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[@user-gt3xz6wo3o]

I hope you live a long, healthy life and continue to pass on your skills to your juniors.

[@CazualHaze]

Thank you.

[@johnsmith-000]

Good job. But because you said you're lazy, and my philosophy is that we lazy people should support and help each other, as long as it's not too hard to do it, I'd suggest that the next time you're making a CNC probe, just ditch the balls and solder, and use the domed head bolts. Laziness is mother of most, if not all inventions:)

[@CazualHaze]

Hi @johnsmith-000 I did think about using bolts but they may not be made to a good enough tolerance so having height differences would make the probe non concentric. It would still work fine but there would be no chance of changing the probe without a recalibration. Cheers

[@averagejoe1943]

That’s Awesome!!!! I’ve always wondered how those probes work! And seeing one being made in the home shop!!! Absolutely awesome!!!

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks 👍

[@seimela]

Wow this deserves million views, the PCB is awesome

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks Moshendo SSS first time I tried to route one. Worked well I thought. Cheers

[@theorangebaron1595]

Stumbled across this channel…absolutely love it.

[@CazualHaze]

Welcome aboard!

[@toddspeck9415]

Really impressed watching you make this touch probe. That black finish looks awesome. Thanks C.H.

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks the finish is quite easy to do.

[@PeckhamHall]

Making one of these is something else. I didn't know how one worked until now. Great stuff 👏

[@CazualHaze]

Glad I could help! Cheers

[@joecnc3341]

Great Videos, David - I am very happy that I discovered your channel! I'm a cnc enthusiast from the USA. Mach3 is my favorite controller package -running on my mill, lathe, and router table

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks Joe Yep I like Mach3 too but I do find it a bit limited. I am of the generation that likes physical buttons and M 3 is not good at letting you map buttons to functions Apart from that it's pretty good Cheers

[@joecnc3341]

@@CazualHaze I only wished that Art Fennerty would have kept developing it - rather than selling it

[@petergoose8164]

Well done David. The pcb contact plate fabrication I like. I have a Syil X4 myself and have thought about making a touch probe.....maybe some day I will.

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks Peter. I am testing it at the moment it looks ok. This whole probing thing is another thing to learn. Cheers

[@Molb0rg]

"Don't like new - expensive" Lol)) Excellent, the thing is awesome

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks it worth the effort.

[@taranson3057]

Interesting design, I have seen something similar to this but they used surface mounted resistors to improve the accuracy of the tool not to mention the complexity in making the tool.

[@CazualHaze]

I was pretty stunned just how accurate this turned out. Does beg the question with a bit more effort just what you could achieve.

[@dwaynesykes694]

I don't see how resistors could improve accuracy, either the circuit is open or closed. It's likely they were using resistors to limit current flow to whatever was reading the signal.

[@PaulMorley1]

Really great vid!!!. Thanks for sharing and documenting the process. side: Little chuckle at 25:43. "Point zero zero zero five'th of an inch". I'm gonna have to start using that one. :-)

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks for that! @PaulMorley1 Cheers

[@ewildgoose]

The upgrade to consider is an oil bath inside to prevent the contacts oxidizing. I believe this is what some commercial designs do? (Gold plated contacts might also work?) 👍

[@CazualHaze]

I might revisit this and use gold pins pcb pins are cheap accurate and reliable Cheers

[@TlD-dg6ug]

Great video! Small correction, that is a DI not a DTI. DTI is lever type typ.

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks for the info! Never knew that Cheers

[@joegroom3195]

Nice! You've done an excellent job! I always wondered how these work. I've seen cheap probes for CNC routers that are basically a block of aluminum and an alligator clamp that goes on the bit. They close the circuit when the 2 touch. What about making something like this but is triggered like the cheap probe? This would allow for over travel but should trigger immediately on touch. Obviously, it would have to be a conductive part and may be difficult to always clamp to. Thoughts?

[@CazualHaze]

Thank you very much! My first probe was a simple touch style as most of my machining is in steel and ally it worked. However I did bend it. I hope to re it this and make a wireless one no idea when but it’s in the pipeline. Software has been written and tested on a breadboard not in the field. Thanks for the comment cheers

[@poppabear9279]

Very very impressive! I need a ring standard gauge to measure mine accurately for my Tormach.. I cheated however and simply purchased mine from Tormach.. The probe is good, but some of their hardware sucks.

[@CazualHaze]

Tormach is not really available here in the UK. I do think you can get very similar levels of accuracy at home with a bit of care. Cheers

[@jsincoherency]

Yep, .0005 inches is half a thousandth. Great project and nice work! Can't wait to see it in use on the mill. I'm surprised you managed to solder those steel balls, did you do anything special to make the solder stick?

[@CazualHaze]

Hi James, Thanks for confirming the 1/2thou I still find Imperial confusing, too many digits!!!! I used balls from a bearing that were magnetic ( hardened carbon steel not stainless). The flux is the key I used plumbers active flux. I think its slightly acidic and strips all the contaminants from the joint. I was surprised it went as well as it did. Cheers

[@sto2779]

19:22 - Custom made CNC panel? Nice. 24:21 - Clever design of the mechanics... so is this based on capacitance sensor?

[@CazualHaze]

Hi the sensor part is a kinematic system the three pins short out the ball bearings on the pcb. Moving the stylus breaks this connection and triggers the software. Really simple and surprisingly accurate. Cheers

[@espressomatic]

Very cool. However the machine setup time alone, not including actual machining, would have paid for multiple new commercial probes. :) Same goes for the resale price of those repurposed materials, at least one probe with a ruby tip.

[@CazualHaze]

I agree with you. But where's the fun in getting out the credit card? For me it's more an exercise in can you do it and is it any good when you have. Cheers

[@lucaspanichella6747]

love this, i will keep following you

[@CazualHaze]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@hudmut]

I have a Renishaw touch probe on my Tormach and that repeats about them same. All so make my own custom probes out of thin wall carbon tube or ceramic heat insulter profile

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks hudmut good to hear I am in the right ballpark with it. just testing it at the moment. Looks ok or should I say more than good enough for the sort of stuff I make. I am about to make a cheap probe good to hear it can be done. Cheers

[@tat2joeelliott]

hell of a job!!!!

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks appreciated. Cheers

[@aubrymacielpereirafilho3017]

Valeu muito obrigado!!.

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks Aubry Cheers

[@shantamwoodworks6531]

Good job,anway how much voltage do you run through your touch probe? cause im building this touch probe.thank you

[@CazualHaze]

Hi Shantom Woodworks. The probe is wired to my pc interface card which has a pull up feature. The result is the card input sits at 3.3v and is grounded when the probe is plugged in. When triggered it floats to 3.3v and shows as an active input. I hope that works for you too if not you may need a small psu no more than 5v as you could burn out your input pin on the card. Cheers

[@shantamwoodworks6531]

@@CazualHaze Thanks alot

[@Kosh42EFG]

I love the video. But damn you! I'm trying not to buy a lathe. This is not helping me.

[@CazualHaze]

What can I say! i have had a lathe for over thirty years now started with a small Hobbymat MD65. After all this time I would not be without one very useful bit of kit. The 'king of tools' for a reason! Cheers

[@HeathLedgersChemist]

You need to have a serious look at your retraction setting in your slicer software.

[@CazualHaze]

Thanks for the feedback, I used the basic setting's in Creality slicer. Do you have a better setting? Cheers

[@HeathLedgersChemist]

@@CazualHaze I can't give you numbers as I don't use it / your printer/ filament etc, but I'm currently using Prusa Slicer. Have found that to work well with pretty much default settings. Maybe give that a try.

[@CazualHaze]

Cheers I will take a look at it.

[@Gabriel_lfm]

Man you have a lathe, why are you using a ruler to measure your dimensions ????

[@CazualHaze]

I really don’t know I don’t have a dro on the lathe yet! Cheers