How to Setup a Touch Plate to Auto-Zero Z-Axis in Mach3 

Steve, just followed your instructions on how to hookup the Z zeroing plate and it worked the first time flawlessly! Great tutorial, thank You!

I'm new to the CNC game and using Mach3. Your videos are among the most informative and to the point I've seen! Thanks for the help, and keep up the good work!

Finally I found the answer I was looking for. Out of all the other forums and videos I've watched and read in the last year, no one has ever mentioned that the retract height has to be greater than the plate height. Great vid ..

Great video with easy to follow directions to set up the Auto Tool function. I'm puzzled as to why people go to all this trouble when you can take a say, 1/4" drill bit, lay it on the table and bring the tool down until the drill just rolls under the bit and call that 0.25" above the table into Mach3? Mach3 has the Tab key to bring out the Handheld unit where you can set the rate at various steps for precision movement. No wires, no doubt about connectivity, no Visual Basic code, no damage to the bit or table if things weren't right.

Thank you. The only video that explained what I needed. For those who use mm, make sure you set G1 Z1. F50 line to a high thickness, like: G1 Z30. F50 .

Perfect. I've asked my CNC supplier to let me know what pin I can use in their control box, then I'll give this a go. You're right, it is not fun trying to guess Z at zero so this is an excellent solution.

This video is still relevant. I set up a touch plate on my mill last night, and it is working flawlessly. Thanks so much!

Finally!!! A tutorial that is simple and understandable! Awesome job Guru

Thanks for the clear and concise instructions! This has always intimidated me because I don't want to see a blue flash and a wisp of smoke coming out of my control box because I hooked something up wrong. I can't afford down time because of a self inflicted wound. But you have made it very clear what to do, and I'm going in confidently now! I wish I had seen this BEFORE the Christmas season when I zeroed 400-450 bits manually...

Thanks so much for putting this video and the script together. I had been manually zeroing after tool changes, and I tend to change tools pretty frequently. I just set this up on my mill this weekend and it works perfectly! This is going to save so much time and hassle.

DUDE! THAT WAS SWEET! It's 1am here and i've been fighting this issue all day. TY

Thanks Steve I made my tool probe from 10 mm plate and some single sided PCB and got it working well. I just had to edit the VB script to metric values and played with the feed rates until I was happy with the settings for my particular machine. Great video!

I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, I didn't realize how simple it was, thought I had to buy a special touch plate. Thanks for such great information.

This was an awesome video. After watching it I checked the manual for my GeckoDrive 540 board. Everything in your video applies except the + wire screws down to any open spot between terminals 1 thru 4 and the - wire screws down to any open -V terminal on the 48v power supply. I'll be putting this together tomorrow. Thank you

this video is awsome. if you pay attention to all that is being said your installation will be easy and painless and should work flawlessly. I should have done this two years ago. thankyou so much.

Yours is the best Zero vid I have found, and I have been looking for some time. Wired my machine right up and works like a charm. the only thing I would add is some break out boards you have to jump the 5V pin. I ended up looking up from the manufacture how to do this. I used a 2.2K resistor. Any way, great vid and thank you for taking the time. Sean

I am working on putting my table together also. This is my first attempt at cnc and I am finding out fast that I will need all the help I can get/find. Keep up the good work.

Very good dude! Its been hard to find well documented clear concised video tutorials on CNC stuff I jut got mine built yesterday and set all my limits and home switches, Im now ready to cut this is the last Zero I need to set. I appreciate it. Im going to browse some other videos of yours now.

You still need to measure the voltage at the bit and plate ends to account for the voltage drop and then calculate the air ionization gap covered by that voltage given the current humidity level and add that to the plate thickness for an effective zero. I'm obviously just kidding. That was an awesome and helpful tutorial. Thanks a million!

Ovo je najbolji vido za setovanje auto zero tool mach 3 . Jasno i jednostavno. Hvala!

Been planning to get round to this for years, finally bit the bullet and it works flawlessly. Nice one.

I just added my auto Z to my machine. Spot on instructions and it worked perfectly. Thanks for the brew and VB code! Thanks Steve!

You explain things so well I'm a learner and you have showed me what to do thank you

Sir you are the best instructor in the world=From Pakistan

Very good and clear explanation of how to connect the machine and how to take precautions. Thank you.

Just what I needed to set up a touch plate on my own home brew CNC machine. Thanks for the info.

Your setup was by far the best I have found Anywhere. keep up the awesome work buddy. You make this CnC business much easier.

thanks a lot for the accurate detrails.I did all the changes foe metric native units and work perfect .Go on for more

I did this and it totally works! Going to check out your limit switch setup because that is NOT working on mine.

Thanks Steve I fallowed your instructions and it's done many thanks from Iraq

Just exactly what I needed. I'm switching over from ShopBot to Mach3 and fine your help very thoughtful.

Hey Steve! Thanks so much for all the information. I followed your instructions and it works just like you show in the video! THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is THE BEST ENHANCEMENT I have ever done to my cnc router! Totally worth it. I wish I had done this years ago! BRILIANT!

Hey Steve watched a few of your tutorials and you make it simple to understand I've not started yet with mine just watching and learning Great Job

Excellent examples and explanations. Got a lot out of this. I am currently trying to setup my auto Zero button. I hope you have more like this on MACH3 setup. I'll be looking

Thanks a lot for this! It's getting into this field, recently CNC'd a G0704 and find your videos VERY helpful. I'm not making chips yet, but hope to in the near future. Keep up the good work!

Thanks so much for this; especially the annotated code! Took me a bit to figure out which pins to use, but I think I have it working now.

I've been doing this so wrong for so long...thank you! Great video in both content and video quality. This is too easy now. And you give us a ready made script file. I hoist a beer to your excellence.

I have been looking for something like this for over a year. Thanks for the complete description it really helps. Will have mine set up tomorrow :-)

Loved it! Built it! Using it! Thank you for clear concise method. Loved that little holster. Jules

Couldn't explain it any better thanks Rich

Thanks, the best explanation and video on this subject I have watched to date. About to implement it on my machine. :) I did find that I had to edit the script slightly. Took a bit of doing but now a few weeks later it works perfectly.

This is amazing, I've wanted one for years but hesitated because I didn't know how to hook one up, but finally said just look it up and see what you find, which brought me here. Now I have a home-built touch plate that really works! Hey, one problem, though, when I remove the plate and tell the z to go to zero, it leaves just a little over a paper's thickness between the bit and the material. I tried adjusting the plate thickness on line 15 in the vb script from between .059 and .064, because I'm using a piece of 1/16" thick aluminum angle iron, too, which measures .062 on my calipers, but even though I restart Mach3 each time, when I tell it to go to zero, there's still just barely room to slip a piece of paper under there. Anyone else encounter this?

super informative, our machine is coming today as a backup to our Dahlgren ! !

Thanks Steve!! Another great video with hard to find information. You have been so helpful to me in my CNC journey...

Hi there, I implemented your script for tool height setting. It worked awesome. Thank you I have a 6040 CNC Router, I would like to be able to do one program and use multiple tools. So say once tool one has done its thing, it stop, waits until i change tool, press a button and it remeasure the tool then continue. If you could help that would be awesome! I have no idea how to program script, but after modifying yours I can see its very in depth. Great work on your channel. Cheers Ryan

Wow, I have been struggling with my Syil X4 forever, your videos helped me and I am looking forward to setting this up!

What a nice video! god i wish i saw this video 3 years ago when i couldn't figure all that out lol You know what I still can't figure out! How to set a location in x and y for the probe to be mounted and machine move to it touch the plate go to next task in middle of a project. Mind you i have a auto tool changer set up now lol

Great video. I'll hopefully be setting up my machine soon.

Thanks for the guide! Can't wait to get a touch plate going.

Beautifully explained. One of the best methods of training I have seen. Thanks for putting this vid together.

Excellent video, very easy to understand, mine is working fine except when its supposed to retract to z height its going down instead

Great video. Just what I needed. Thankyou! I suspect with a little work one could also have it do the x & y axis too. Please keep the CNC tutorial video's coming. Your a good instructor.

Great video with clear explanation. Thanks a lot. Using information here I managed to set my StepCraft Tool Length Sensor up perfectly...

That's brilliant... I knew there was an easier way that purchasing a zero tool.

Thanks Steve. Followed the instructions but must have got something wrong. Everything works fine to the point where it touches the plate and instead of moving up it moves down into the plate. Any pointers would be great! Thanks for taking the time to put these videos together! Jono

Thanks for the video. Looking forward to implement this when I get my CNC machine up and running.

Great video! Helped me a lot during translation of some tech manuals. By the way, very interesting content, subscribed) Respects from Kazakhstan!)

Great Video, thanks, it makes it just that bit more easier to set up mach3.

I love this idea, I will be setting this up first thing tomorrow

That's what I wanted to know, thanks a lot! Cheers from Poland!

I like how you make everything so neat

Great Video, great explanation. Can't wait to set mine up.

Amazing! Realy good and helpfull tutorial.Thanks! Good job with clear process explanation.

I like your videos man.! I'm finally sitting down and setting up my chinese 6040 cnc 4 axis .. got everything working except the spindle..its a 2.2Kv water cooled and still trying to figure out how to use the gcode to turn that on.. Thanks for making these videos!! :)

Thank you sir, your detailed teaching is excellent

Super and very clear, now do it Mach4 please. Thanks

Wow!! That was super easy, thank you so much, no more dodgy paper!

Excellent video...Great explanation, I got my Touch pad working right off. thanks !

Thanks for taking the time for making the video...very helpful!

Thanks for this. Very clear instructions and demonstration. Keep-up the good work!

Thank you so much to show me you have my 5 stars

FANTASTIC! Works like a charm

Thanks so much this is the First time I have seen the Entire auto Zero setup done all at once by one person and you really get the entire picture of how the different parts function. Your dust collection system do you have a video on it, it looks quite interesting. I use a dust shoe but you cannot see it cutting with a shoe and it looks like you could with this setup. Thanks HH

Just what I needed. Thanks!!

Great video, solved my issue. Thanks

Thank you, Steve. Worked first time

Thank you GuruBrew! Worked perfectly.

thank you from Bulgaria

Very good instructional video. I learned and what I want，thanks

Sir pls make a video with details how to do tool setting and programming for automatic tools

Great video, easy to understand and very helpful

Thanks for this video, very professional.

AWESOME! thank you! I am going to go out and do this right now!!

Very very nice job!!Just did mine! Thanks for the info!

Very very nice! From the holy land we thanks you! Best regards! Waked Industrials LTD.

Your video has been VERY helpful, Steve. Thanks. :-)

I can't seem to find the text file you reference in the video. Great video by the way. Excellent info and very well explained. I appreciate you showing all of the steps and setup in Mach 3.

Good video! Thanks for offering the VB code.

Nice clear instructions. Thank you for posting.

Great video. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow. Thank you for the code also.

Realy good and helpfull tutorial,Kindly Regards

Do you can explain how to set the x and y auto zero also... That will be supper I was looking around and found nothing on youtube. It will be very time save and neet.

Solid information. Very helpful. Thanks.

Awesome tutorial Guru!

Cant get Z auto zero to turn Digitize on and off when wires are touched together. Pin 15 is not used by any other function. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIONS: PROBE, wire one to pin 15 input, wire two to GROUND. Ports and pins. PROBE Port 2 (BOB on top of ESS smooth stepper board) pin 15, active low checked. SAVED AND EXIT RESTART. CHECK DIGITIZE LIGHT always lit if the two wires are touched together or not. Unable to have DIGITIZE light on and off when two wires are touched together. What am I doing wrong? Thanks

thank you. the explaining was clear but my machine stopped and didn't went up again!

I like, great simple solution, ya got my subscription, and Thanks

Good stuff is always Steve appreciate your videos

Shit! I just bought a probe.lol... Thanks for video, you made it look simple. Still gonna try your way until I get mine in the mail. Edit: Just tried it and it worked like a charm..Thanks again

Excellent video, thank you very much for sharing this info.