Layout alternatives for vertical claming surface

ArmyDoc · July 30, 2026, 11:40am

Most setups I’ve seen are oriented with the front of the machine coming out from the wall. If they have a vertical clamping surface, its in the front bay between crossbeams.
I have the ATC ordered with 6 spce tool rack, which means I lose about 3 inches on the back edge, right side. It occurs to me that if I oriented the machine with the right y rail against the wall, I would have access to the rear, and I could put a vertical surface on the left side in the back.

Has anyone tried this? Do you forsee any problems? The only problem I can see is that I dont know the path the spindle takes to load tools. It seems like it loads from the rear. What is the path the spndle takes to load tools?

KGN · July 30, 2026, 1:07pm

The macros move to a safe XY (safe position being inline with your stored TLS position XY ) before moving back and to the tool position.

github.com/Sienci-Labs/atc_macros

P504.macro

main

; This is a helper function for moving to safe position from outside the keepout
; May be turned into a osub call in the future
#<direct> = #17

; Update and validate TLS / safe location
G65 P512

G53 G0 Z[#<_tc_safe_z>]

; Check current position > safe
o100 if [#<_abs_y> GE #<_tc_safe_y> AND #<direct> NE 1]
    ; Current position adjacent to rack
    G53 G0 Y[#<_tc_safe_y>]
o100 endif

G53 G0 X[#<_tc_safe_x>] Y[#<_tc_safe_y>]
G4 P0;

Altmillal1114 · July 30, 2026, 10:07pm

thats actually a pretty good idea. i do have 2 tool racks though but would be interested to see how you mount it

ArmyDoc · July 31, 2026, 12:27am

So, if I understand correctly, it moved to a safe position, you can define, which is in line with the TLS. From there it moves straight back, then over to the needed tool. So, looking from the front, if the TLS is on the back rigjt side, it would go around the right side of the tool rack? More importantly, it would NOT go into the back left hand side, and I could set up a joinery station there withou fearing that it would hit it during tool changes?