Machine Initialization:

A word about ‘home’: Moving your machine to home is nothing more than moving it to a known reference point. The home position on your Shapeoko is the back right corner. When the machine powers up, it will need to be homed before a job can be ran. This homing routine ensures the machine and controller and computer are all in sync with each other regarding the machine’s position.

1. Power on machine
2. Open Carbide Motion
3. Connect
4. Click Jog
5. Carbide Motion will prompt you to home machine. Click Initialize.
6. Machine will home to the back right corner.

Loading Tools

1. After the machine homes, click ‘rapid position’
2. This screen shows you all 9 of the pre-defined points you can move to QUICKLY.
3. Click the ‘S’ position — this will bring the machine to the FRONT / CENTER position — the ideal place to load tools.
4. Install the tool (be sure to tighten the collet nut when finished!)

Job Zero

Job zero is the position (relative to the material) that your job will start. If you created your G-Code with Carbide Create — the job zero position denoted by the classic origin symbol: a red and white circle.

The general idea to job zero is to jog your machine away from home, and to the starting point on your actual material. The two most common locations for job zero are the bottom left corner of the material or the center of the material.

Follow the instructions below to find and set job zero.

1. Click ‘Done’ from the rapid position screen — this will bring you back to the main jog screen.
2. Move your cutter (using the Y- and X- buttons) to the bottom left corner of the material
   • You can also use your keyboard arrows (left, right, up, down) will control X and Y (respectively)
   • increasing and decreasing the increment will speed up / slow down your jog speed.
3. Once your cutter is placed over the job zero location, press the ‘Set Zero’ button.
4. Click Zero X
5. Click Zero Y
   • Both of these axis are now set to 0.00

Z-Zero

This is also known as ‘touching off’. Finding Z-zero means that you are setting your cutter’s starting point.

1. With your cutter placed above your work piece, slowly move the cutter down by pressing the Z- button on the jog screen.
2. It is advised to use the 1mm increment until you are very close to the work piece, then switch to the 0.1mm increment for fine movement.
3. With a piece of paper placed between the cutter and the material, slowly move the paper back and forth while you jog the machine down.
4. When the cutter grabs the piece of paper, stop jogging.
5. Click the ‘Set Zero’ button.
6. Click Zero Z
7. Your machine is now ready to run the job.
8. Exit the set zero screen
9. Move the cutter UP so it is no longer touching the work piece (only a few mm is required)
10. Click ‘DONE’ on the jog screen to exit jogging mode.

Loading the Job

1. Click ‘Load/Info’
2. Browse for the .nc file which you wish to run and open it
3. Click Run to change to the run screen
4. click ‘START’
5. You will be prompted to insert the correct cutter
6. Turn your trim router on, and click OK.

Your Job will begin!