Newbie Question. Currently trying to sketch the Crown with a pen. I have dual end stops installed, and when I click Home, the machine will go till it finds the stops. That is now registered as 0,0,0 Home. Then I will jog the machine to my work piece (paper), click Start Print in Repetier, and the whole machine homes all over again! What is the correct process to start where I last left the head (the corner of my work piece)? Thanks!
You probably have a home in the starting gcode. Depends on what program you’re using to generate the code, but usually there’s a config for adding stuff to the beginning and ending of your code.
To effectively use Dual End Stops you will always consider home as home X=0 Y=0 and Z is not really homed
Z Home is whatever the top of your material is.
You can check for starting scripts that home the device before beginning and delete them
but keep in mind that this is not the normal way of using End stops.
You want to off set your artwork in whatever Gcode creator you are using
Example is Estlcam
Think of the table as a 1in grid then measure from Y0 X0 to where you want to place your material
My table is 609mm x 609mm (23.97in x 23.97in)
I measure out 2 inches Y axis and 2 inches X axis and place my material
In Estlcam I do the same
[attachment file=“BenchyV1LogoPlacement.png”]
[attachment file=“Estlcam Grid and Work area.jpg”]
[attachment file=“Reperier Printer Settings.jpg”]
Then Home X and Y and set Z to the top of your work piece
Hit Print
Now every time you place a piece of material in that location and print that piece
It will go to that location every time.
This is also how you can setup multiple jobs with Tool Changes
If you just want to move the gantry to a location and start printing, get rid of the end stops
or delete any and all references to Home which defeats the purpose of having End stops
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Great explanation JMS, really appreciate it. I dove into the dual end stops more for the auto squaring feature, didn’t really think of it in a way for multiple prints or tool changes. Makes perfect sense now. As for the auto squaring, does one need to put manual offsets or does the firmware adjust on its own after the homing sequence. I’ve seen it explained both ways, and it still isn’t clear.
No need to set offsets.
Do not use home all. Home X and Y individually.
Lower Z to the top of your work piece just till it touches.
Don’t worry about Z touch probing right now.
Work with foam board till you have a full feel for how everything works.
I then use this script to Zero everything out
Set as Script 1 in Repetier
G92 X0 Y0 Z0
Then Home X and Y
You will notice that Z has raised up a bit, manually lower back to Zero using the manual controls in Repetier.
Then hit print.
Do that same process for every piece you want to duplicate or for tool changes.
It is advised that if you are going to do tool changes that you break up your work into multiple separate g-code files per tool used.
This is the same concept as a 3D printer, but more manual process.