Total rookie question...
looking at mach3's table display where should the router home to?
And where is that physically on the table?

I watched a video and it was homing to the left bottom corner of the screen. Would that refer to the same point on the table (i.e. closest to me looking straight at it and to the left?)?

thanks

It would all depend on where you stand and routers tend to be the users that have the most problems as the position you stand at is often different from the natural X and Y.

The Home position can be any place you like but the machine coords zero should be as on the screen, lower left corner., in other words tool furthest negative on both X and Y. The reason I say the Home can be anywhere is because you may wish to home to a different location than machine coords zero and Mach allows you to do that by entering a Home Offset value. As an example it is better on a knee mill to home the Y axis fully positive as that means the table is nearest the operator. So what would be done is a Home Offset value equal to the axis travel is entered into the Homing page and when the machine is Homed the Y would have that value as Machine Coordinates rather than the normal Zero.
All of the last will unlikely apply to you as you have a router. Then again it may as like a knee mill it may be better for you to home a certain way to make material loading easier.
Hood

Thanks Hood!

When I stand next to my table I look straight at it. My X axis moves from my left to my right ( and vice-versa) and the Y axis towards and away from me. If I am correct  correct based on what you said, my home should be to my left side closest to me?
It would be better if I home farther away so loading stock would be easier but I guess I can get used to it. I know I can change it but I rather stick with the industry standard. (if I am reading correctly)

Thanks

Yes that would be the correct position for Machine Zero.
As mentioned however it is easy to keep that as Machine Zero but to Home the opposite way. All you need to do is tell Mach where the home switches are in relation to the true machine zero. So say for example your X axis is 100 inch and Y 50 you would enter these numbers into the Home Off boxes for X and Y on the Homing and Limits page. Now when you home instead of Machine Coords reading zero they will read the amount you have entered (X100, Y50 in this example) and Mach will know the true machine zero is the opposite extents of your table.

Hood

Most machines I use have the Machine Zero(Refhome) to the top(away) and left. Now Point of origin or work Zero will be left bottom on the table or where ever you set it.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

That would screw me up as I would have to remember to use negative values if I used G53, suppose you would get used to it.

Hood

It would be better if I home farther away so loading stock would be easier but I guess I can get used to it. I know I can change it but I rather stick with the industry standard. (if I am reading correctly)

After the initial homing, I never send my router to the home position. My screenset uses a Park position that I add to my g-code to move the machine out of the way, wherever I want it. So, if I'm running small parts, it may only move 12", rather than the entire 45" X axis travel.

You can also just jog it out of the way wherever you want.