Tool offset debate: do you trust the probe or the paper trick?

I spent 9 hours last Tuesday chasing a part that was coming out 0.003" oversized on the bore, and it turned out my calibrated probe was off because the spindle hadn't seated fully after a tool change. The paper method would've caught that in 20 seconds flat. How many of you still set offsets with a piece of paper or feeler gauge over a probe, and has a probe ever cost you a full shift like that?

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xena_brown5011d agoProlific Poster

Aw man, I gotta push back a little here. That paper trick does NOT catch a spindle seat issue, it just tells you where the tool tip is at that moment. If the spindle didn't seat, the paper is gonna be off the same way the probe is. The real issue is your tool change or retention knob, not the measuring method. Ive had probes lie to me too, but 9 times out of 10 it was something mechanical, not the probe itself. Paper is fine for a quick check but it aint a safety net for a loose spindle. You gotta check your pull studs and taper before you blame the sensor.