Unpopular opinion: Setting your tool length offsets wrong is the most common mistake I see

I do side work fixing up used CNCs for small shops, and almost every time someone calls me in a panic it's because they crashed a tool. Nine times out of ten I find they set their tool length offset from the spindle face instead of the gauge line. That half inch difference adds up fast when you're running a long end mill. Last week a guy in Phoenix trashed a $400 fixture because of this exact thing. He swore he'd been doing it right for years, but his DRO told a different story. I have to ask, has anyone else noticed this with newer operators or is it just the guys I work with?

2 comments

2 Comments

knight.xena1mo ago

Eh, I dunno man, seems like kinda a small thing to wreck a $400 fixture over. Like, you gotta be really dialed in for that half inch to matter that much if your spacing is right.

julia_fisher281mo ago

Oh gosh, I totally get where you're coming from, that does seem like a lot of money to gamble on a tiny measurement.