Managing Tool Offsets on a Lathe

Accessing Tool Library

The list of stored Tool Offsets (AKA Tool Library) can be accessed by selecting the "Tool Library" option from the application menu drawer. This will bring up the "Saved Tools" dialog, shown below.

UI Elements

TouchDRO Saved Tools dialog with populated X and Z offsets for Dorian Threading and Shars Grooving tools, sort and import icons across the top
Fig. 1: TouchDRO Saved Tool Offset List
  • "Sort by" selector - determines the sort of the list (on this screen only)
  • "Import" button - used to import tool offsets from a CSV file; the preview works the same way as the one described in "Importing and Exporting Sub-Datum Coordinates"
  • "Export" button - used to export tool offsets to a CSV file
  • "Delete" button - used to delete selected offsets; the button is disabled until at least one item from the list is selected
  • Tool Offset List - shows the contents of the Tool Offset Memory
  • "Done" button - closes the dialog
  • "Create New Tool" button - brings up the "Add Tool" dialog

How to Use Tool Offset List

This dialog can be used to enter new tool offsets, and edit or delete existing tool offsets:

  • To enter a new tool offset, press "Create New Tool"; this will bring up the "Add Tool" dialog.
  • To edit an existing tool, tap the record in the list; this will bring up the "Edit Tool" dialog, prefilled with the current details.
  • To delete a tool, press the Delete (garbage bin) icon next to the relevant tool record and press "Yes" on the confirmation dialog.
  • To delete multiple tools:
    1. Press and hold one of the records you want to delete until you see check boxes appear on the left
    2. Tap any other tool you want to delete
    3. Tap the "Delete" button at the top of the dialog

Add Tool Dialog

TouchDRO Add New Tool dialog with a lathe tool tip diagram, empty Name and Description fields, OD or Facing cutter type, and zeroed offsets
Fig. 2: The "Add Tool" Dialog

Name

Tool name (required) is shown in the tool dropdown list on the "Tool Offset" dialog. The name can contain any alphanumeric characters and the length is not restricted. For practical reasons (display size constraints) it's recommended to use tool names that are under 20 characters.

Description

Optional tool description can contain any combination of alphanumeric characters. This field is displayed only on this screen (and is included in the CSV file export).

Cutter Type

The "Cutter Type" selection marks the tool as either "OD/Facing" or "Boring". The choice is shown at the end of the tool's entry in the list, where a boring tool reads "ID", so a boring bar is easy to pick out among the outside tools.

X and Z Offsets

X and Z offsets (separate fields) are required fields that determine the tool offset. The value can be a positive or negative number.

Sync Button

The "Sync" buttons next to the offset fields pre-load the additive inverse of the current readout value for the given axis. In other words, the value will be the same number with the opposite sign. For example, if the current readout shows 0.250, the field will be preloaded with "-0.250".

Units Label

The units for the tool offset will be the same as the settings for the TouchDRO units system ("Metric Mode" setting)

Edit Tool Dialog

The "Edit Tool" dialog is identical to the "Add Tool" dialog, with the only obvious difference that when the dialog is opened, the existing information for the selected tool is pre-loaded into the fields.