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Good video! I'd like to add to the discussion, if I may. When everything goes right, manually setting your X, Y, and Z zero is a perfectly acceptable method. It's when things go wrong that the 3-way touch plate like the one you demonstrated really earns its keep. I've had the power go out in the middle of a project, and that throws all of your project settings right out the window. Having the ability to probe the X, Y, and Z locations after the power comes back on, then resume the project with reasonable certainty that the tool is going to cut where it's supposed to cut is worth its weight in gold. You can also start a project, cut to a point, shut everything down, then pick up where you left off at a later date or time without having to worry about finding your zero locations. All in all, having a 3-way touch plate like yours is an easy way to reduce the number of possible mistakes, recover from malfunctions, and avoid wasting potentially expensive materials.

I am a little way behind you in my CNC journey having finished my shed and getting up and running in the last 2 weeks so having someone discoving stuff just ahead is great, seeing the comments section also helps a lot with people like Mark jumping in to pass on their experience, congrats on 2k

Great video, again. Thanks for the content. I'll be ordering my Onefinity soon. 👍

Enjoy the holiday Damian. See ya next year!

Good video. Just a comment about measuring depth with your micrometer. Rather than doing what you did, open the jaws about 3/4" or 1" and then look at the tail end of your micrometer. There is a little rod that is sticking out the amount you opened the jaws. place the end of that tail into your routed groove and then slide the ruler part of the micrometer down until it touches the top of your piece. That is an accurate measurement of the depth of cut. It is easier than trying to eyeball the points. Congratulations on breaking 2000 subscribers.

Great info... thanks. keep it up for 2023.

Great video as always. A couple of keys points I'd like to add. Definitely invest in a joypad, driving it around with an xbox type controller where you can adjust the speed and slowly walk it down to the probe is so much easier. Sometimes with smaller tipped vbits I will hold the probe against the bottom of the bit and walk them both down to the surface, it's much easier to see the space between the bottom of the probe and the wood than trying to swing your head around sideways to see the tip of the bit. It does go faster when you are closer to the probe, but you can be 3/4" above the probe before it times out no finding the touch probe. Also if finding x,y,z the touch probe only works from the bottom left corner of the material. Also, touch probes really shine when you are using multiple bits. Setting multiple bits by hand you won't get the exact same results and you will be able to see a noticeable height difference. With the probe, however, you will get the same results, and much more quickly. Using my calipers to find the thickness and my probe for the height, it's cut so precisely that it cuts through the material but not the blue painters tape underneath holding it to the bed.

XYZ Manually is by far the best for me. I've had my machine run the bit across the probe and cause me nothing but troubles, My new method is finding the offset numbers and using them for zero. The Z position is quick enough with he paper method. Also if you have multiple cuts building jigs is a great method in getting the correct area evetime. Great video, you need a joystick controller more than a touch probe IMHO. Have a great Holiday

Just subscribed.

I agree the probe is the fastest and easiest way to set the machine. I would suggest getting the game controller from Onefinity, it makes it so much easier to move the xyz around and set everything up. Great video

Touch probes are over used IMHO. I set XY with known offsets or eyeball and Z with paper or a jewelers loop. Highly accurate and repeatable. For anything absolutely critical I use a gauge that is +\- 0.001. I’m just an experienced hobbyist, but I also Zero to the spoilboard 90% of the time as do most industrial shops.

Hoping you can shed some light on probing and settings. I use the probe block successfully on my OF woodworker and haven't any problems until recently. I set my stock point of origin in the center of the work piece (butcher block) as the stock was larger than the machine parameters. Setting Z axis was not an issue but now X/Y confused me . Do I set X/Y at (0) at the center of Origin in the middle of the stock. Thank you, Great videos by the way.

So my sister in law just bought this same machine. It works great, but! When she unplugs the machine than plugs it back in. It will loose it z touch off and she will plunge through her material and waste board. (All most to China) She's using a puck style touch probe. I sent her your link to the x y z probe you use. Have you ever unplugged your Machine and went back later and lost your x y or z pick ups? Great info on your videos. Thanks for sharing.

Nice video but your audio volume is erratic.

Get yourself a remote controller. A lot easier than using the touch screen.