My Mini Mill is too small my tool crashed into my part! Any way around this?

Hey. So. I ran my program thinking the tool would end up retracting above my part at the end of the run. Told the new kid to hit the big red button if he hears anything funny. I left for the post office and upon returning I walked right up to the machine. It's been 30 minutes, the lights are off. Bang. Fuck. Well at least the program finished...

So I set up a second tool change position. X/Y all the way to the right/front, Z up top as high as she goes before going to Z0 for a tool change.

That takes care of crashes during tool changes. But before/after the tool changes, the tools just stay at machine Z0.":

Scenario #1:
M06 initiated
Part moves to second tool change position
Tool change completes.
Tool rapids to part at Z0"
Z0." is about .375" BELOW the top of my stock.
This kills the tool

Scenario #2:
Tool roughs out part
Time to rapid to Z0."
Ok now move over to the second tool chance position
Hits part on the way over (even though the tool should rapid as high as she can go [~ Machine Z4.3" where I set it IIRC] before moving in X/Y? That's how it's explained in the help tip menu in the control).


I'm assuming this is more of a post processor/quick gcode edit, but is there any setting in the machine I can turn on so it knows to move all the way up (or at least .5") before/after machining operations?

I know on the lathes they have a safe place to tool change, not recalling seeing that on the Mills...aside from a setting in my CAM software.


I used to run a job with extremly long boring bars and the piece being machined had the zero over the Machines zero.

What I would do is Manually add a retract Move over work piece, then make a linear move to a safe location for tool to change. Tool changed, then manually brought tool up to safe Z and ran back to the work.

I kept it generic to paste as needed.



The mini is interesting at times with its limited space...but its a mini.

Just move the work piece to a clear location, do the change and then raise the tool up and move the material back into position. I do it all the time when machining tall parts. Also remember if you use a tool setter to remove it before hitting next tool if they are long.

Scenario #1 , if the tool and work offset is right, how can the tool be below the work by .375?


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If you touch off a tool that is above the tool change height you will get a positive number instead of a negative one. Crash city.

One would think lol. But at the end of my program the tool retracts to Machine Z0 and rapids over to the tool change position. My part is in the way.

Don't end with a "G91 G28 Z0". Use a "G53 Z4.3" (find out what your machine Z position is at its highest). Then G53 to a safe tool change position on X and Y. Then, after the tool change, use "G53 Z4.3" to reposition for the next tool in X and Y.

Post your code where it crashes...

Not sure of year of machine, but Haas have something they call "alias M code". There is a video showing how to alias the M6 and add a safe position for X & Y.

FrodoLoggins said:

One would think lol. But at the end of my program the tool retracts to Machine Z0 and rapids over to the tool change position. My part is in the way.

Click to expand...

Don't go to machine Z, go up to above your part, then move to a safe position and then call up the tool change. After tool change again go above your part, then back to the part. Make sure you move to the right of the changer, so your tools don't hit the part while rotating.

Tryhard said:

aaaah, that silence just before the 'thank you' when you can tell a light has been turned on.... it's my favorite part.

Click to expand...

Seems we might be waiting a LONG time for any acknowledgement.

turn the setting on to change at a safe position.