Ok Heres the problem.
Often I am required to engrave useing a .04 endmill or carbide center drill.
My machine hits it soft -z limit about a inch from the top of the table useing a collet tool holder. Is there a way to turn off the lowed z soft limit?
I am sure there is room because I can lower the tool to the table with the wheel crank. then I get fault #318 stored stroke length.

You can in fact fudge the parameters for travel on any of your axis's. I would personally recommend against doing so. You can only get a very small amount before you start causing damage, I thinks its about .1 on x and y, not sure about z tho.
The parameters are set by the number of encoder steps so the number to enter is dependant on your ball screw.
Again I would recomend against messing with that, and its very odd that your handle jog allows you to travel to a distance that produces an alarm, that may actually be a problem to have looked at.
Probably use a longer necked holder or get a extension with a small collet on the end of it.

My suggestion is don't try it. I had a TM3P with an incorrect soft limit value in the Parameters for the Z axis and I spun the handwheel fast to bring it down to its maximum travel. It hit the hard stop and wiped out the Z axis ball screw.

Soft limits are there for a reason...so the controller stops the travel before it hits something hard.

http://www.maritool.com/images/CAT40-ER16-5.0-1.jpg

You can in fact fudge the parameters for travel on any of your axis's. I would personally recommend against doing so. You can only get a very small amount before you start causing damage, I thinks its about .1 on x and y, not sure about z tho.
The parameters are set by the number of encoder steps so the number to enter is dependant on your ball screw.
Again I would recomend against messing with that, and its very odd that your handle jog allows you to travel to a distance that produces an alarm, that may actually be a problem to have looked at.
Probably use a longer necked holder or get a extension with a small collet on the end of it.

http://www.maritool.com/images/CAT40-ER16-5.0-1.jpg

I agree use a longer tool or tool holder.

MC

If you can handle jog the z-axis lower (to the position that you need), then its not a parameter problem, there is something wrong with your program. If you are trying to move the machine past its travel you will get an alarm before it trys to move.

There is very little travel gained by adjusting the parameters. 1/4" at the most, and if you wanted more, it would require other things be modified.