CNC Touch Probe

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This is a tactile probe for a CNC machine. The probe consists of a set of three-dimensional printed parts and some hardware from McMaster Carr. The three-dimensional printed parts do not include threads for fasteners so they must be tapped prior to assembly. The stepped boss on top of the probe is designed to fit into either a quarter inch or half inch collet for easy mounting on the CNC machine. If you need some software to put your new probe to good use, check out G-Code Ripper. It will map an existing g-code file to a probed surface. www.scorchworks.com/Gcoderipper/gcoderipper.html A lot of designing this part was performed on my Android phone using ScorchCAD (while traveling or waiting for my kids to be done with practice for various activities). www.scorchworks.com/ScorchCAD/scorchcad.html Instructions After I assembled the probe, I found that adding a very small amount of lithium grease to the interface between shoulder screws and round head screws helped the probe return to the closed position after each probe point. For the probe tip, I ground down a short length of quarter inch threaded rod to a point. The tip is threaded into the shaft part so I can swap it out for another tip depending on what I want to probe. Mechanical Parts: (with McMaster-Carr Part Numbers) 3 each alloy steel shoulder screws with 91259A535 diameter of one fourth and 3/8 long shouldering, ten twenty-four threads. 1 pack type three oh two ss conical compression spring with nineteen thirty six sixty five inches long, seven two zero large outer diameter, three seven five small outer diameter, four zero wire diameter. One pack zinc plated steel round head phillips machine screw with nine oh seven six oh to seventy seven sixty six thirty-two threads, one half length. 90760A007 1 Pack mil spec. cadmium-plated steel flat washer, number 6 screw size, ms two-seven-one eighty-three-43, one five six id.