Tool Pre-setter

[JAZZCNC]

Without tool holders that locate to set register on the spindle then ER collets are not reliable due to there nature of pulling in when tightened having no set reliable register.

What control software do you use.?

[Leadhead]

Running on Mach3.

[JAZZCNC]

Running on Mach3.

Well then what you need is to use a touch plate connected to a spare input to measure tool offset and use Gerry's 2010 screen set with auto tool changer option.
If you haven't seen or heard of it before what you have is fixed plate on bed or machine and a Floating plate on a wire which share same input.
When setting first tool you use floating plate on material surface and touch first tool off it and Software saves this offset.
Then when you change next tool it shoots off to fixed plate touches off and makes note off the offset of new tool then deducts 1st tool offset with 2nd offset and then carrys on it's merry way. . . . . All you do is change tool and click cycle start it does the rest. . . . Simplzzz

Also the floating plate can be used as a simple tool height setter for single tool jobs. Makes setting tool height literally 20s job and very very accurate.

Also the screen set has many probe routines that are very useful and you use the floating plate for this also.

There's many benefits over Mach's standard 1024 screen one being much larger tool path screen . . . . Check it out here. The CNC Woodworker - Mach3 2010

If you don't want to change from standard screen set then it's still do able but will need a few macro's and buttons adding or modifying. Obviously to take this route you need to know macros and how to modify screen sets which you may not know how but get in touch if you want to go this way I'll modify it for you.